Do dogs miss their puppies
Every dog owner, especially the owner of female dogs, often has queries behind do dogs miss their puppies. It is obvious as an owner does not want their dog to get disheartened. For such owners, the direct answer to this question is yes, mother dogs miss their puppies if you separate them too soon. But if you separate the puppies after 8-9 weeks and not all the puppies in one go, your dog will easily be adjusted to the situation.
This article will provide you with some facts behind when does the mother dog leave her puppies and the right way to deal with such a situation.
How to Deal With Do dogs miss their puppies situation
So, now you understand that dogs do get sad if you separate their puppies too soon. You also know that one has to wait until 8-9 weeks to start the separating process of the dogs and puppies. After this time, the mother dog will get over to the situation and will be happy to let them go, but only one puppy at a time.
The longer time you give the mother dog to live with their puppies, it will be better. For some breeds of dogs, the wait time may extend up to 12 weeks. The reason behind this is to wait till the mother dog teaches some basics to her puppies. Removal of the puppies before this period may create behavioural problems in the puppies. As the puppies get older, they develop sharper teeth which the mother dog tries to avoid as the teeth hurt when the puppies feed on her milk. So, this is the right time when you can separate the puppies one-by-one as the mother dog will feel less discomfort in such times.
How to Deal With Mother Dog:
Make sure that when you perform the separation of the mother and her puppies, special care has to be taken of the mother. You should also keep her busy by performing various adventurous activities together with providing her with their favourite treats. Here are some of the important points that have to be taken care off-
- Monitor the behaviour of the puppies and her mother and find out the best time for their separation. If the mother dog is teaching playing basics or bite interaction to her puppies, then wait until their training is completed. Also, look for the period when the mother dog is voluntarily keeping distance from the puppies, and that is the exact time to start the separation process.
- Always give complete access to the mother dog to spend time with the puppies until she wants to be with them. Keeping the puppies at a distance from her mother will develop separation anxiety and aggression in the mother.
- Naturally, pregnant and lactating mother dogs required more food than normal. So, make sure that when you started separating the mother from the puppies, bring its diet back to normal. This will help the milk of the mother to dry up naturally.
- Spend quality time with the mother dog after the puppies are separated. Check up her on mastitis and give her a regular belly massage. Your focus should be on bringing the physical health of the dog back to normal. You can also consult your vet if you see some post-pregnancy issue with the mother dog.
Does Behavior of Mother Dog Changes After Giving Birth to Puppies:
It may be possible that your dog may show some aggression even if you have separated the puppies in the correct way and at the right time. This is common behaviour in nearly all breeds of dogs after giving birth to puppies. This is due to the changes in hormones through which the mother dog undergoes. Your dog may bark or growl whenever someone goes near to her litter, especially when the puppies are too small.
It is advisable that you never bring any of your friends near the litter to show them the puppies as it will create stress on your dog. You have to respect the privacy of the mother dog and should wait for some time to create bonding between puppies and the mother dog.
Common Signs of Mother Dog after the Delivery:
A dog who has just delivered her puppies will focus on the puppies throughout the day. You may also see that the mother dog constantly licks the puppies. Such behaviour is normal as it helps the mother dog to form a bond with her puppies. It is also important as such licking helps to make the digestive system of the puppies active which helps them to do their business.
You may also notice that your dog forgets her training and urinates or poops inside the house. This is because your dog does not want to take the risk to leave the litter and go outside to do its business. Such behaviour is mostly seen within 24 hours after their delivery.
For this, you have to encourage the mother dog to relieve herself outside but after 24 hours of her delivery. Also, make sure that you do not keep the puppies away from her mother for too long. She will surely understand such an arrangement and will be ready to take a walk outside for some time. If still, you feel that your dog does not want to go outside or has some problems urinating, take her to the vet to check for any complications.
Do dogs miss their puppies- Dealing with Separated Puppies
Apart from dealing with the mother dog, special attention has to be given to the separated puppies too. Puppies have spent 8-9 weeks right from their birth with their mother and siblings. So, it’s obvious that they will miss their siblings and her mother after the separation. It is difficult for them to adjust to a new home with unknown persons. However, they will not recognize them in their later stages of life, for some period they do. Here are some of the tips by which you can deal with such separated puppies.
Comfort the Puppy:
Try to make the surroundings of your puppy familiar as soon as you bring them. Remember to bring a towel of the familiar scent of the littermates of the puppy. Keep this towel in the crate that you have prepared for the puppy. By this, your puppy will be secure and will not miss his littermates and the mother.
Play Time:
Interact with your new puppy as its siblings were used to do. Puppies require an active playing period together with proper naps, so plan their day accordingly. Provide them with proper exercise, healthy foods, and relaxing sleep.
Socialize With Your Puppy:
Socialize your puppy with other family members and also with other pets present in your house. If you notice that the puppy is uncomfortable, give him some time to socialize them but do not pressurize them as it will lead to creating stress within them.
How to handle Such Behavior of Dog:
The best thing you can do to control any aggressive behaviour of a dog is to let her spend some time with her puppies. Provide your dog with a safe and calm place where no stranger can enter. Check them from time to time and provide the mother dog with freshwater (boiled) and healthy food. Make sure that you do not show much interaction with the puppies in the beginning and act as normal.
In case you feel that the mother dog has some issue such as listlessness, nervousness, or loss of appetite, then take her to the vet. Also, make sure that if your dog is kicking any puppy out of her litter or any of her puppies is born dead. In case one of her puppies is dead, then wait for the right time to separate the puppy from the crate as it may be possible that the mother dog is not aware of this. Separation of the dead puppy is important as it may lead to infection in other dogs and also to the mother dog.
In many cases, the mother generally takes care of the puppies as soon as she gives birth to them. But in some cases, the mother dog tries to avoid one or more puppies. In such cases, try to raise the maternal instincts of your dog by repeatedly putting the puppies near her. In case you see that the mother dog does not lick her puppies, then encourage her by applying a small amount of dog food or chicken puree on the puppies. This will make the mother dog lick her puppies. You can also manual feed the puppies if your dog does not feed her puppies or has some milking problems.
Some Common FAQs:
QUE: Do mother dogs miss their puppies after they are taken away?
ANS: In case you take the puppies of the mother dog before 8 weeks, she will surely miss their puppies. The correct way is to separate the puppies after 8 weeks, and that too, not all puppies at once.
QUE: Do mother dogs miss their puppies when they become adults?
ANS: At the beginning stage, mother dogs miss their puppies, but not when their puppies get fully matured as then they become ready to take care of themselves.
QUE: Do Mother Dogs Remember Their Puppies If Reunited?
ANS: Yes, dogs remember their puppies even after they meet after a long period. But they have only a limited amount of memory of the time they have to spend time together
QUE: Dog Litter Separation – Do Puppies Miss Their Littermates?
ANS: As puppies spend nine weeks with their littermates it is obvious that they will miss them when separated. However, if you socialized the puppies and took care of them, they tend to forget them in their later stages.
So, I hope that now o understand the answers to do dogs miss their puppies. They surely feel dishearten if separated instantly. However, a planned approach and giving the dog some time will make the emotional conditions of the mother dog and her puppies in control.