Why does my dog keep taking a puppy out of the whelping box?

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.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Some dogs are just not great mothers. A lot of times this behavior is repetitive with subsequent litters so I would consider spaying her after the puppies are weaned. She could start to improve in her habits but she may not. Sadly you will have to do more work if she won't cleaning them, etc. Hopefully she is at least letting them nurse. You can encourage her to lay in the whelping box with them more. It is ok for her to leave them for periods of time. Be sure Loki is eating high quality puppy food and that all of her mammary glands feel normal. Also be sure the puppies are having normal stool. I hope this helps and I wish Loki and her pups the best!

I would allow some freedom to Charlotte outside of her whelping box. She may be feeling anxious and need to move around or use the bathroom. It is ok for her to be away from the puppies for short periods of time. Watch the the pups closely and make sure she is still allowing them to nurse. If she is not, she may be painful from a mammary gland infection or she may just be a disinterested mother. If you find that she is not allowing the pups to nurse at all then you will need to bottle feed them every 2-3 hours with puppy milk replacer. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck with your new litter!

You may have to keep the puppies in a warm box next to her that she can't fit into and give them to her a few at a time every few hours to nurse. Once they get a little bigger, they should have no trouble staying out of her way. I'd be more worried that these puppies are sick or not nursing enough or not thriving in some way, and not actually getting squashed by mom. (This is common in pigs, not dogs). Make sure the pups are gaining a few ounces every day in weight and they should be ok.

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.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Bella! I think you need to bring her in to your vet again and have her rechecked. I specifically would ask them to check her calcium levels. Low calcium can manifest as very bizarre behavior and can be life threatening if not treated. If it isn't low calcium and she isn't better, it is still best to have her looked at again. Sometimes it can take some time for first time Mother's to accept their babies. Just keep putting her in the whelping box and allow the baby to nurse. I hope this helps and I wish you the best!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I’ve seen it take up to a week for a new Mom to accept the puppies. Just calmly encourage her to lay with them. You can take a warm soft cloth after the feedings and stimulate them to urinate and defecate. And gently wipe them down two times per day until she starts doing it. If she never accepts the puppies I wouldn’t breed her again. I hope this helps! Good luck!