Could my aggressive mother dog have killed her missing puppy?

It is best to keep the puppies away at this point so she does not keep doing that. You can start to bottle feed or lay her down and let them nurse under your direct supervision then take them away when they are done so she can’t hurt them

Dogs can become more protective when they have puppies. Unfortunately there is not really a way to stop this aggression as it is instinctual and hormonal. A better option is to keep strangers and other unknown persons and pets away from the new mother. Make sure she feels safe and that her litter is kept in a low traffic and quiet area. The more the mother is stressed, the more likely she will be to show aggression. This aggression will generally decrease as the puppies get older. If her aggression is to the point where she is dangerous or extremely disruptive, you may consider removing her from your breeding program and having her spayed. Always be positive towards her and never frustrated or angry. This is normal behavior for a mother. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

I'm sorry to hear of your concerns with Junior. Mothers can begin to try and wean their pups around four or five weeks of age. This can take the form of walking away when the pups try to nurse or even a light growl or snapping if they are really annoying her. If you feel like Junior is truly being aggressive and not just annoyed with her pups I would be concerned that could be something else going on. She could be in pain from a mammary gland infection called mastitis or have an infection elsewhere that is making her feel ill. I would recommend that you have her seen by your veterinarian. They will perform a thorough physical examination to get a better idea of what may be going on.

Yes. You will need to remove the mother from the puppy. I also recommend to have the mother spayed or to not breed her in the future. Not all dogs make good parents. Attacking the puppies is not a good quality for a mother dog to have. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Cannibalism rarely occurs in dogs, but Missy could have attacked her puppies because of pain from mastitis (suckling provokes aggression) or because the puppies are unhealthy and she sensed that. I would not reintroduce that puppy back to Missy, and I would have her seen by a vet immediately for a health check to make sure she doesn't have a medical illness causing this aggression. You may have to bottle feed this puppy. At seven years old, Missy is actually too old to be having puppies (it's never recommended to breed a dog over the age of five or six), so I would have her spayed asap if she won't be nursing her remaining puppy.

This could be hormonal, and it's very serious Kira bit you in the face. I'd be very concerned about an aggressive dog around a baby. You should have her spayed, and get her into professional behavioral training.

General temperament can be passed from parents to puppies, so it is possible that Dixie's pups could have an aggressive temperament. However, the benefit of this situation is that you are aware of that potential scenario and will be able to train the puppies from day one to teach acceptable behavior. If any signs of aggression develop, I recommend consulting a veterinary behaviorist immediately to address any small issues before they become big problems. During Dixie's pregnancy, make sure that she has been examined by her veterinarian to assure that she is in good health and that she is up to date on her vaccines. Bear in mind that many vaccines cannot be given to pregnant dogs, although some can. Deworming treatments can be administered to pregnant dogs, so I do recommend doing this under her vet's guidance. During both pregnancy and lactation, Dixie's nutritional requirements will be higher, so she should be fed a puppy food during this time rather than an adult dog food. As she approaches her due date, be sure that she has a quiet, comfortable area in which to next and prepare for whelping (delivery). I hope this helps and that all goes well for Dixie!