# Mother/puppy relationship



## FeelTheBern (Jan 13, 2016)

I know someone whose dog has recently given birth to a puppy. If the owner plans to keep the puppy, will it continue to get along with the mother as it gets older?


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## Guest (May 21, 2017)

It really just depends on the individual dogs, their temperaments, how smart the owners are about managing behavior and intervening before things escalate....
Generally it should be fine, but there are definitely cases where mothers and their pups did not get along as the pup matures in to an adult dog.


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## Jamesgoeswalkies (May 8, 2014)

As above. I have had mother daughter pairings ....all have been fine .....but I have also seen one mother / daughter relationship change drastically after the daughters first season ....and it never truely recovered as they had spats the whole of their lives apparently.

I think as they reach adulthood, it's pretty much the same as having two males or two females in the house ...the problems arise because people often assume that the maternal relationship will be paramount and in my experience it isn't. They are just adult animals together in a house ....

J


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## Sarah H (Jan 18, 2014)

As above, I know of lots of mother:daughter combos that are absolutely fine and they love each other. However, not to scare you, but I know of at least 2 cases where there were serious issues when the daughter came into season. In one case they didn't do anything about it and the mother killed the daughter. So it really depends on the dogs and the owners.


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## FeelTheBern (Jan 13, 2016)

Thanks for the information on mother/daughter relationships, but what if the puppy is male? I'm not sure of its gender at the minute.


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## Guest (May 21, 2017)

FeelTheBern said:


> Thanks for the information on mother/daughter relationships, but what if the puppy is male? I'm not sure of its gender at the minute.


Same applies. They may get along, they may not.


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

I have a mum and 2 of her daughters from the same litter, now nearly 3. Mum was spayed when the pups were about 6 months old. They all get on really well, play together nicely and are happy to sleep touching each other. The 2 sisters wash each other too. The youngsters' first seasons made no difference (though they cleaned each other up - yuck). One was spayed after her first season, the other is still entire and I'm considering having a litter from her in a year or so. Her second season went by without a murmur, too. Maybe if the mum is left entire, she would be more likely to see her daughter as a competitor?


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## Sarah H (Jan 18, 2014)

FeelTheBern said:


> Thanks for the information on mother/daughter relationships, but what if the puppy is male? I'm not sure of its gender at the minute.


you're less likely to have issues as the boy will probably do as mum tells him  but you then have the problem of inbred puppies if you're not vigilant! So one or the other would need to be neutered or kept well apart during her season. Dogs can be fertile as young as 4 months old so he could possibly impregnate her during her next season!


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

FeelTheBern said:


> Thanks for the information on mother/daughter relationships, but what if the puppy is male? I'm not sure of its gender at the minute.


You'd have to make sure there was no hanky-panky there.
Again. it's down to individual temperaments, but as a dog/bitch combo is statistically more likely to be harmonious, that might be a better bet. The majority of mother/daughter relationships on here at least seem to work out OK though.
Also, a friend of mine has a dog, his and grandson. All get on well.


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