Is it normal for a new mother dog to gently nip her day-old puppies?

Question

Is it normal for a new mom dog to nip her puppies sometimes? She's feeding and cleaning them so I know she hasn't rejected them but I sometimes notice she nips one or two of them. They are a day old. TIA. Pet's info: Dog | Siberian Husky | Female | unspayed | 20 lbs

Daniel Fonza, DVM · Accepted Answer

Yes, this can be expected as part of the cleaning process with puppies. I've seen this many times with new litters. Also, if this is her first litter, she is probably still figuring things out. As long as these are full on bites, small nips here and there while she is cleaning them is something I would expect to see.

Is it normal for a new mother dog to gently nip her day-old puppies?

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