My new mom dog is afraid to handle her puppies. How can I help?

Question

My dog is unsure of how to lift her new pups (5 days old) I just watched her - the pups have fallen out of the bed a few times and start to cry to get back in but my dog looks at them as if in fear not knowing what to do, she just watched one while shaking and whining herself until I laid it back in ? Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Small (up to 22lb) | Female | unspayed | 4 years and 2 months old | 5.9 lbs

Dr. Elizabeth · Accepted Answer

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!

My new mom dog is afraid to handle her puppies. How can I help?

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