My new mother dog is stressed and rough with her puppy. What to do?

Hi, so sorry to hear that the puppy is not doing well. If the puppy is cold to the touch try to warm him or her with a blanket and make sure the airway is clear by gently opening the mouth. In some cases, we have to use a bulb syringe to remove saliva or secretions from the airway. Then attempt to get the puppy to nurse. If the puppy fails to show interest in nursing you should purchase a baby bottle and formula (Esbilac) and attempt to feed every 2 hours using. Also, stimulate the puppy to urinate and defecate by gently wiping the anus with a warm wet washcloth. If the puppy fails to show signs of improvement contact your veterinarian.

Some new moms tend to be nervous and overattentive to the puppies, especially if this is Lacey's first litter. Some overzealous bitches will end up injuring the puppies, or lick/clean them so often they don't have adequate time to nurse. This behavior often improves after the first several days. I would recommend having someone monitor Lacey and the puppies at all times if there is any sign that she may be too rough. You could also try a pheromone like Adaptil or a supplement like Zylkene (safe for lactating bitches). If Lacey seems to be panting frequently, having trouble breathing, or shaking you should have her seen by your vet - these signs along with anxiety can be seen with low calcium.

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!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Lulu! I am not sure if I fully understand Lulu's anxiety. It is strange behavior to only chew on herself when she is eating. Maybe she has more allergies and is itchy than anxious? Being mother in animals is instinctual. Most dogs make very good mothers. Her anxiety isn't a predictor whether she will or will not be. I would watch her very carefully after the puppies are born. If there are signs of aggression towards the puppies then you will have to hand raise them with dog milk replacer in bottles. If she is a bad mother I would have her spayed so she can not have any more puppies after this litter. I hope this helps and I wish you all the best!

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.

Congratulations on the litter! It sounds like Minnie is still trying to figure this whole thing out! Not all dogs have good maternal instincts. Some dogs must learn these skills and some dogs never learn great skills. Make sure you are assisting her and making sure to keep the pups safe and warm. Puppies require a lot of care and some mothers are not good about staying with the puppies enough to allow them to nurse well so you must also monitor the situation to make sure she is providing for the puppies. Many breeders will spay females or no longer breed females who do not seem to have an interest in motherhood so you may take this into consideration if Minnie does not seem to be the mothering type. Best of luck!

Puppies usually cry when they are hungry or cold. Make sure she is latching and that mama dog has milk. Also open the puppies mouth and make sure the roof of the mouth looks normal- and no cleft palate. You may need to go buy puppy milk replacer and bottles. Make sure the ambient temperature is high 70s as well. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.