The time of gestation and the birth of new puppies can be very exciting. Witnessing this process can be touching, but we must always think that, once weaning has taken place, we must look for responsible homes for the puppies. In addition, the protectors of the world are full of abandoned dogs, so consciously subjecting the dog to being a mother is not part of responsible ownership. Now, if we have adopted a pregnant dog, we must also know the care that we have to offer her and her little ones.
During this stage, the dog's behavior changes and sometimes this is inexplicable to us. An example of these behaviors is the fact of moving the puppies from place to place. Thus, if you have observed this in your female dog and you wonder why your dog moves her puppies, on our site we tell you all about the changes of this process and the reason that motivates the behavior.
How does a dog behave during pregnancy?
Pregnancy is a normal stage in your dog's life. During pregnancy, it is likely that her behavior will be the same as always, she will rarely show changes in her habits, beyond the extra attention you need to give her for being pregnant.
Despite this, as the moment of giving birth approaches you will notice her a little more restless, nervous or anxiousSome dogs avoid physical contact, while others become more cuddly and try to be with their humans all the time. It is important to reserve an area for him to rest with his puppies in comfort. In addition, you must keep the house serene and avoid nuisances that cause stress.
Behavior of the bitch after giving birth
In general, once the bitch has given birth she can exhibit different behaviors:
Aggressiveness
It is due to the female's instinct to protect her cubsfrom any danger. She will bar her teeth, growl or even bite if someone gets too close. However, this behavior appears hours after delivery, when the animal is tired and uncomfortable from the process.
Sleep
After childbirth you must be attentive, passivity and fatigue are common, but be careful that it is not a sign of a complication."My dog leaves her puppies alone" is a common veterinary query, as lethargic behavior goes beyond calm. The dog makes slow and careless movements, may ignore her puppies and lie on them until she accidentally suffocates them. Yes If you observe these behaviors in your female dog, don't hesitate to go to the vet to have her examined and determine if everything is fine and it is simply postpartum fatigue or there is anything else.
Eat the puppies
As surprising as it sounds, some female dogs eat the entire litter or one of the puppies. This behavior does not present previous signs of aggressiveness and the reasons are varied: the calf is weak, the mother is stressed and considers that she cannot take care of them, etc.
As strange as this behavior may be, it is necessary to understand that it is something normal in the animal kingdom. Therefore, you should not reject your dog or reprimand her for doing so. In the following article we discuss this point in depth: "Why do dogs eat their young?"
Anxiety
Anxious behavior may be observed during the first few days after delivery. During this phase, the bitch will whine or tremble if someone tries to take the puppies from her. Another sign of anxiety is increased affectionate behavior with her humans, such as excessive licking.
If you've ever wondered why your dog moves the puppies around, this is another sign of anxiety, but to what? is due exactly? We reveal it below.
My dog moves her puppies-Causes of her
If your dog moves her litter or you've wondered why your dog hides her puppies, the answer is the same: she wants to get them away from the constant stares and take them to a place where you can better protect them.
Often, labor and birth are so exciting for us that we want to be in front of the canine family for a long time. Holding the puppies or petting them constantly generates a lot of anxiety and fear in the dog, so she tries to keep them away to avoid this situation by taking them to a place that she considers more appropriate. This situation can also generate aggressiveness and stress.
The risk of this is that the dog can hide them in dangerous places, like inside a hole or in a place that is difficult to access. For this reason it is so important to set up a space in the home to place the nest, away from people, quiet and totally stress-free. This is not important to prevent the bitch from hiding the puppies, but to ensure that she cares for and feeds them correctly, since milk production can also be altered by her emotional state.
Why does my dog bring me her puppies?
Sometimes, it may happen that instead of taking them to another place or hiding them, the dog brings us her puppies. Why does she do this? For the same reason: the mother feels that the little ones are not entirely safe in the nest and decides to take them to you because you are a reference figure that transmits securityIn other words, your dog can take her pups to you because there is no safer place for her than by your side. If this is the reason, it is essential that you check why she considers her nest to be unsafe and remedy it
On the other hand, it is possible that the dog takes you to her puppies because there is too high a dependency relationship between you. In these cases, it is common to observe that the dog seeks the company of the human for whom she feels this dependency at all times.
Why won't my dog let me near her puppies?
Another common situation during a dog's postpartum period is to observe that she does not allow anyone to approach her little ones. To avoid this contact, the bitch will most likely move her puppies several times or hide them. Why does she do it? Again, the new mother moves her cubs away from her in order to keep them safe and protected
As we have seen, some dogs become aggressive and do not allow anyone to endanger the lives of their little ones. It is part of the maternal instinct of animals and we must not interfere. If your dog won't let you touch her puppies, she shouldn't approach you to prevent her from crushing them for protection or hiding them in a hard-to-reach place. It is only recommended to interfere when the life of the mother or the little ones is compromised.
On the other hand, if it is an adopted dog that is already pregnant or has recently given birth, it is totally normal that she will not let you go near her little ones because she still does not trusts you Gaining a dog's trust requires patience but, above all, time.
Tips to prevent a bitch from hiding puppies
Helping your dog feel safe is crucial to the he alth of her and her litter. Wondering why your dog changes the puppies instead of her can generate many doubts, but after reviewing the most common causes you will have been able to verify that everything is related to security and trust. So, to prevent the dog from hiding the puppies from her and inadvertently endangering her life, follow these tips:
- Do not overhandle the puppies during the first few weeks. Let the mother take care of them, just stay alert to prevent accidents, but she handles the puppies as little as possible
- Avoid bringing strangers home during and after delivery, as this way your dog won't be nervous.
- To calm her anxiety, talk to her using a calm tone and low voice.
- Praise her when she takes care of her puppies, whether it is grooming, cleaning or feeding them, this way she will feel that she is doing the right thing
- Take her for a walkto the park to get some air and relieve herself. Physical activity will help you relax when you get home.
- Don't forget to visit the vet. Once your dog has given birth, it is very important that a veterinarian examines her in the following days.
