# Puppies squealing when in mums mouth



## princesssaskia (Sep 21, 2010)

My beautiful English Bull Terrier (4yrs) has just given birth to her first litter. She ha had 4 bitches and they are all healthy and growing fast (5days old now)

As an experienced bull terrier owner Im aware of the rep that some of them have as 'bad mothers'. Generally speaking my girl is doing ok, she is a bit clumsy (I know bully breeders who choose to separate the pups from mum between feeds to prevent them being harmed - but personally, as im able to devote the time, I have chosen to monitor her around the clock for the first few weeks, so I can be there to rescue the pups from being squashed!)

Her main problem seemed to be that she 'loves them to death', basically she was VERY intense and always fussing and touching them, picking them up and grabbing at them, anyway I have a friend who is an animal behaviorist and homeopath and she has given me a remedy for her which has really helped to settle her. She is now more relaxed, sleeping more and allowing the pups to feed and sleep without constantly harassing them!

So, the only thing I wanted to ask other people on here about is this..... My bitch picks the pups up by their bodies, to move them where she wants them. Of course im aware this is normal behaviour but they do squeal A LOT when she picks them up, which she seems to ignore) and its really horrible to listen too. I realise that, as part of her protective issues, she is more likely to hurt them if she feels threatened or pressured, so i keep her environment very calm with no unnecessary visitors and I dont panic like hell when the pups squeal. i simply go to her and tell her quietly to 'let go' of the pup, which she always does. But quite often, until I tell her to leave it, she will just stand there with it in her mouth squealing and sort of freeze. Im just worried she is hurting the pup - or is it normal for them to squeal so loudly?

The pups seem fine when she lets go of them and they all move and feed fine. They dont squeal or make any other unhealthy noises (like gurgling etc) the rest of the time, though they are pretty vocal when feeding sometimes - but bully's love their food so this does not surprise me! The pups dont squeal at all when i pick them up and mum is very happy for me to do this, I know some say I probably shouldnt interfere and i know it important for her to learn to cope on her own but (since im in the room anyway) I would rather I held the pup gently while she cleans it then have her dragging it round or worse, separate her from it entirely

Now that the homeopathic remedy is calming her somewhat, im trying hard to restrain myself and stay put when she picks them up, as she does put them down eventually but its so hard as they cry so pitifully!

I know bullies jaws are very strong but I dont think she is really biting them, I think they are just making a lot of fuss and then she sort of panics and isnt sure what to do and so just keeps hold of them!

Would love to hear others thoughts/opinions on pups squealing when picked up by mum


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## PennyGC (Sep 24, 2011)

I'm sorry but generally bitches don't carry/mouth their pups unless they're moving them to a new 'den' - my bitch has only mouthed a pup which was born in the vets and after the vet had rubbed & checked pup she offered it to the bitch to clean, but Rosie just wanted to take it away from the vet... at home in her whelping box she cleans and prods them, but has never picked one up....


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## rocco33 (Dec 27, 2009)

Have to agree - I've never had a bitch that moved pups for the sake of it. Only time it's happened to me was a first time mum when I took pups out to clean the whelping box for the first time and she tried to pick them out of the box they were in and put them back.


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## PennyGC (Sep 24, 2011)

just to ask how many 'necessary' visitors have there been? I'd have said only a couple of people whom the bitch is totally at ease with at the most at this age, and then not handling the pups.... they are protective of their babes and visitors aren't to be encouraged.


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## swarthy (Apr 24, 2010)

It's been a little while since you posted - have things settled down now?

Can only reinforce what Penny and Rocco have said - I've never had a bitch try to move pups with her mouth - in the event she wants to move pups for cleaning it's gentle nose nudging - but never seen one picked up by the mouth. Most of the people I've spoken to who believe the carrying the pups in their mouth is common - are usually people who've not bred any litters.



PennyGC said:


> just to ask how many 'necessary' visitors have there been? I'd have said only a couple of people whom the bitch is totally at ease with at the most at this age, and then not handling the pups.... they are protective of their babes and visitors aren't to be encouraged.


I missed this bit - I don't allow any "unnecessary visitors" until at least 4 weeks, and then (apart from the year we had no option but to move house mid litter thanks to the people we were buying off being PITAs) it's usually only prospective owners who get to visit - it is amazing how popular you can suddenly become when you have young pups on the ground


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## princesssaskia (Sep 21, 2010)

Hi guys

thought I would just post again quickly - thanks for your comments - to be fair I need to say firstly that I wrote this post when I was at my wits end and really tired!!!!!

I have done a LOT of reading on EBT as mums, especially new mums and apparently this IS very common to them - its part of their OCD style behaviour and is the reason a lot of breeders take pups off them

quickly, i just need to address the unnecessary visitor thing, i think you all misunderstood what i meant, i was trying to say i understood that the bitch should not have anyone visit these first weeks, the only people who have seen her are my partner and i and my homoeopathic friend - so its not lots of strangers that upset her. Im new to breeding EBTs but I have bred other bull breeds before and I have owned, rescued and raised dogs myself for 15years

Anyway, the reason i wanted to post now was to say WOW what an amazing difference the homeopathic remedy made - I have used homeopathy for a number of years and its always worked well for me but it ws so lovely to see it in action this time, it took a good few days at a high dose, now she is still on a maintenance dose but she is now a lovely settled mum, all the intensity has gone, she no longer picks them up at all and has stopped looking at them like they are food!!!! she is very happy to nurse them and to have my partner and i handle the pups for short periods - so long as she is there with us.

I understand that as a new mum part of this was probably her needing to adjust to the situation but i honestly dont think it would have been a good outcome without homeopathy. Pups are now 2weeks and 3 days old and have grown tons, they are so greedy - I have just started letting them lick fish paste etc off my fingers (I plan to feed them RAW the same as all my other dogs of course) and they are lovely little things. They all have their eyes open and are pottering around on their wobbly legs and they are all VERY vocal. They are happy and content and love to snooze together and with mum but they do kick up a stink when they are hungry!

I must confess I am still sleeping next to the whelping pen, im not so worried about her squashing them anymore as they are bigger and tougher now and she is a lot more careful with them, but i like to be there just in case, plus mum likes to go out for a couple of wee's in the night and also have a little snack.

its so lovely to see her watching them like a proud mum now instead of panicking and she is even happy to sit on sofa or on my bed at night and watch them from a distance, though she runs straight back to them if they move or make a noise.

if anyone wants to see pics of them www.facbook.com/greenlovebullterriers


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## Natasha Butler-Arkin (Oct 14, 2020)

Please could you give me the details of the homeopathic remedy? Or your friends details? I am having the same with my bitch. She is picking them up to move them onto their heat pad. I can see she is trying to be gentle but they are squealing like crazy so it must hurt them.


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## SusieRainbow (Jan 21, 2013)

Natasha Butler-Arkin said:


> Please could you give me the details of the homeopathic remedy? Or your friends details? I am having the same with my bitch. She is picking them up to move them onto their heat pad. I can see she is trying to be gentle but they are squealing like crazy so it must hurt them.


ThIs thread is 7 years old and the poster concerned no longer active. 
I would repost your question in a new thread if I were you.


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