Why does my dog keep moving her newborn puppies to a new spot?

That is a concern. Newborn puppies are fragile and can be harmed easily. You may try keeping Bella and the puppy on some sort of mattress pad with a railing to eliminate any areas where the puppy could be trapped. You may need to build a bed with the railing to prevent the puppy from getting under the mattress. If you cannot find a solution to keep the puppy safe, you may need to remove it from Bella and meet all of its needs. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Sometimes mamas will separate a puppy that is not doing well, so if this puppy seems smaller than the others or isn’t eating as well I’d recommend having it examined by your vet. It could also be a behavior quirk of hers, sonif the puppy seems normal otherwise I wouldn’t worry too much.

That is not an uncommon situation and may be observed quite frequently in clinical practice. There is no specific reason for it, but usually less experienced mums do it more often. Close monitoring is always recommended to avoid these situations. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

It can be hard to read their minds sometimes! Mom may feel like that individual pup is defective or not hers, hence the reason she keeps pushing it away. However, if the pup seems to be growing adequately, this isn't a concern. You may want to start weighing the puppy daily on a small kitchen scale to monitor its growth to make sure it is getting enough milk. Talk to your vet about how much it should gain per week. Smaller puppies (or "runts") can still grow into heathy adult dogs.

She is trying to find a safe and quiet place to take care of them. I would suggest providing her with a box in a dark area of the home with little to no traffic. Once she feels secure, she should not try to move them as much.

There are a few possibilities: One, she is a new mother and is feeling a bit overwhelmed or doesn't know what to do with an entire litter, so she is just trying to move a single kitten with her. Two, there may be something wrong with the other kittens such as a deformity, etc, as some cats will try to push away or stop caring for these kittens if they sense something is wrong. Three, she will eventually move ALL the kittens, she is just trying to find a place that she feels safe and comfortable in before she does so. Making sure she has a nice cozy and private place to house her kittens may help her feel more comfortable. You may also need to start helping out and supplementing feeding for any kittens she is pushing away or is having trouble nursing. If any kitten or momma cat seems ill or aren't thriving, bringing them into your vet for an exam to rule out any illness or genetic issues is best.

I would move Misty and her puppies to the whelping box today. Typically mother dogs are pretty good at not laying on their puppies and smothering them, it's their natural instinct to not do it. You don't have to do anything unless of course you see her laying on them.