How to Help Momma Dog Cope

[blklabgrl]

Hi Everyone,
I wanted to get some advice on how to help my dog cope after her puppies have been adopted out to new homes. They are eight weeks old now and will be finding new homes within the next week and I want to know how my dog will react once her babies are gone and how I can help her. She has been very attached to her pups since birth - always protecting them and watching them when as I cared for them (i.e feeding, bathing, playing) - she ALWAYS wants to be involved. It took her about a week after they were born before she was comfortable w/ me picking them up, but was still VERY hesitant to let me be involved. She has even let them nurse (once a day) up until three days ago (as I said, they are 8 weeks old) - even though she has stopped producing milk. For the past 3 weeks or so, I have taken all the pups one by one on -what I call - "big adventures" by themselves w/out mom to get her use to the idea of them being gone - and them use to not being around her or their brothers/sisters. However, the last couple of days or so - I've noticed that my dog just kinda mopes around their area - laying in their box or on their pillow (which she hasn't really done for about 3 weeks) and just being very depressed like. I'm starting to wonder if she knows that they are going to leave. Any advice?? Thanks in advance!

[Uilleam]

I don't have much advice to help your dog cope through this (best of luck with it) but I'm thinking she might just be recovering. Not only from giving birth to them but from supplying them with all that milk. Nursing all those pups probably wore her out. It doesn't look like much but nursing and taking car of all those puppies is ALOT of work. So that's probably why she's just moping around.

[Krystallovespitbulls]

Okay first of all. The word adoption only aplies to shelters and rescues. You are either giving away or selling your puppies.

Next You need to spay your dog there are too many stray and homeless dogs and puppies.

Here go here to see.
www.petfinder.com

[SmoothCollieluver]

Okay first of all. The word adoption only aplies to shelters and rescues. You are either giving away or selling your puppies.

Next You need to spay your dog there are too many stray and homeless dogs and puppies.

Here go here to see.
www.petfinder.com


That was really harsh and uncalled for. You don't know her situation. She could have adopted the dog already pg, or be fostering it, or a number of other things. I'll agree that this sounds like a situation in which those are not the case but in the future please check your facts before you attack someone.

That being said. What is your experience with breeding? Why did you breed this dog? What type of dog is it? You have already made several mistakes as far as puppy rearing.

I have never had an issue with one of my bitches having seperation problems but in most cases we keep one, or there are plenty of other dogs to keep her company. Usually they are ready to get back to their lives lol. I have had an issue when spaying an older dog and she acted like she had puppies, she nursed her stuffed animals ect. Eventally she got over it. We just tried to make her more active when we had the time to work with her. I would suggest that you completly seperate her from the remainding puppies. Take the whelping pen down. Return her space to what it was before. The less you make a big deal out of it the less of a big deal it will be.

[BelovedJuggernaut]

Okay first of all. The word adoption only aplies to shelters and rescues. You are either giving away or selling your puppies.

Next You need to spay your dog there are too many stray and homeless dogs and puppies.

Here go here to see.
www.petfinder.com



Wow, I am not sure if you meant to come off that harsh or if you really are just that ignorant.

How do you know she isn’t fostering a pregnant bitch? I, as well as a few others on here, have fostered a pregnant dog before and I know I always have one animal advocate take things too far and yell at me for having a mutt who has had a litter because they make the assumption that I am a BYB or just an irresponsible owner. Know the facts and ask questions first…

Also, just because there are homeless dogs in the world, not everyone is going to spay and neuter theirs, especially those of us who show.



BlkLabGirl –

If this is your dog, I too am curious about why you would choose to breed and what previous experience you have had.

I have never had separation issues with any bitch that has had pups, but like SmoothCollieLuver, I have also spayed an older dog and she did the EXACT same thing… nursed stuffed animals and displaying signs of having had a litter.

I also agree with SmoothCollieLuver in saying that the less of a deal you make out of it, the easier she will return to her normal self.