Why is my dog dad so protective of his puppy, but the mom isn't?

Question

Why is snowy my puppies father more protective of my puppy than lady her mother? Every time my dog Marley growls at my little puppy coco snowy gets all defensive nipping Marley then he stands Infront of coco growling at Marley and all this time lady cocos mother does nothing ps coco is 8 weeks old and also snowy sorta punches Marley with his paw it’s hard to explain XD but why isn’t lady that protective and snowy is? And how does snowy even understand the concept that coco is actually his puppy?

Dr. Elizabeth · Accepted Answer

Hello and thank you for using Pet Coach to address your questions about your pack. While both males and females can be protective and territorial, males tend to be the more likely of the two. Additionally, if Lady knows that Snowy is acting as the protector, she likely does not feel the need since he is doing it. I think dog Dads do know when its their litter. Possibly something about their smell? So I do believe Snowy knows these are his babies. What you should be careful about is that Snowy does not actually hurt Marley. So make sure the keep Marley separated whenever you are not there to supervise and also if the situation is becoming tense. Lastly, this protective behavior will likely decrease as Coco gets older. Then things will calm down. Please post again if you have any further questions!

Why is my dog dad so protective of his puppy, but the mom isn't?

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