Why is my dog biting after having puppies? Is she being protective?

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.

I would strongly recommend to get her on an anti-anxiety medicine. If she is this aggressive when she normally wasn't before babies, she could also have something else going on. I would have your vet take a look at her to ensure she is otherwise healthy. Your vet will be able to put her on some anti-anxiety medicine to help calm her nerves. She likely being very protective over her babies or she could be in pain somewhere. I am sorry that I do not have a great over the counter or quick remedy. These things take time. You could give her a calming chew or calming collar but I am afraid these wouldn't be strong enough. Plus, I cannot say whether or not they are safe for a nursing mother. Finally, I would try to arrange a place for her to be when you have your company arrive. If you have to board her or take her to someone else's house, you may need to do this. Having a lot of strangers in her house especially if they are wanting to see her puppies will only stress her out more. I would keep her and the puppis separated from the guests unless you are confident that she is better.

Yes, she might be more protecive since her puppy is around. You can try an Adaptil collar and Solliquin chews and see if that helps with any stress/anxiety. You could also take her to a trainer or behaviorist but if she is biting your friends then you may need to confine her when friends come over.

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.

Yes if she didn’t get bred she could be having a false pregnancy. If you don’t plan to breed her I do recommend having her spayed. Dogs that have irregular heat cycles and false pregnancies can get uterine infections that can be very serious and need emergency treatment and spaying. Also the constant hormonal ups and downs make dogs moody and may be a factor in developing breast cancer sometimes later in life. A false pregnancy can last the nine weeks of a normal pregnancy then she should get over it a week or two after that. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Lily.

The stress of having puppies can definitely cause behavioral changes, especially as her hormones change, or if she was recently separated from them. Reverting back to a "puppy" style of training and keeping a close eye on her, as well as taking time to spend time together, pheromone diffusers to reduce stress, chew toys to reduce stress, making sure she is getting enough food to cover her energy needs and that of nursing, etc may help her settle back down. If the behavior continues, or she seems ill or in distress, a vet visit to rule out issues is also a good idea.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question. No, this isn't normal behavior after spaying, and spaying doesn't cause aggression. It could be Clementine saw something at the vet that upset her, and she redirected her aggression at your other dog when she got home. I'd keep an eye on her for now, and if this behavior continues, I'd take her back into the vet. Best of luck.