# Why are mother dogs sometimes aggressive toward offspring?



## VioletRoses1000 (Feb 19, 2012)

I am just wondering, why are mother dogs sometimes rejecting their puppies and turning aggressive toward them? I heard that in the wild, all animals love their offspring. My dad even said that animals love their children more than a lot of humans do.

Why are some mother dogs that people breed aggressive toward their pups? Is the reason known?


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

The simple answer is because they can be, in the wild, aggressive traits like that would mean that no surviving offspring would pass that trait on, but with domesticated dogs we step in to ensure they survive. It's why when breeding dogs, you should always breed for a good temperament, unfortunately, not everyone does. Sometimes it's difficult as well, because a bitch that has a very good temperament might change once she's had pups, you can't ever tell before hand whether they will be a good mother, you can only go with what your feelings are and we can all make mistakes. To be fair, I think it's a fairly rare thing, and more likely to happen with back yard breeders and puppy farmers, who couldn't give two hoots whether their dogs have a good enough temperament to breed from.


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## Blitz (Feb 12, 2009)

Sleeping_Lion said:


> The simple answer is because they can be, in the wild, aggressive traits like that would mean that no surviving offspring would pass that trait on, but with domesticated dogs we step in to ensure they survive. It's why when breeding dogs, you should always breed for a good temperament, unfortunately, not everyone does. Sometimes it's difficult as well, because a bitch that has a very good temperament might change once she's had pups, you can't ever tell before hand whether they will be a good mother, you can only go with what your feelings are and we can all make mistakes. To be fair, I think it's a fairly rare thing, and more likely to happen with back yard breeders and puppy farmers, who couldn't give two hoots whether their dogs have a good enough temperament to breed from.


I am afraid I would disagree with this. I think it has nothing at all to do with aggression, it is purely that the maternal hormones dont kick in straight away and the bitch is scared or angry with the intruders.
It happens with all species, including humans, though they seldom kill their babies as they do know where it has come from.

It is reasonably common with farm animals and a farmer's nightmare having to protect a calf or lamb from an angry, frightened mother until her hormones tell her it is ok and she accepts it. Even more common with twins where the mother bonds with the first born then panics when another one arrives and thinks it is a threat to the first one.
Rodents frequently eat their babies if they are disturbed but that is more a case of them mistakenly protecting them.

I am sure it will happen in the wild as well, we just dont see it happen. But a young mother will take fright when she has given birth and kill her babies. She may well settle down the second time she has them.

If a bitch does show aggression to her pups when they are born take them away from her and hold them on to feed. Once they start passing poo that smells of her milk she will probably accept them.


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## VioletRoses1000 (Feb 19, 2012)

Very informative, thanks. I'm never going to breed an animal, of course, as I don't think I have the money and experience, but your answers have served my curiosity.


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## wooliewoo (May 27, 2008)

I know my mums dog rejected her pups for first 24 hours but this was due to her having an emergancy ceaser so she didnt go though the birthing process. Luckily mum & my DD spent the night holding the pups to bitch and once she realised they were pups and her milk kicked in all was fine.

I have also experianced mums "kicking" pups out the box, and even carry them to another room to hide them. The mum knows for whatever reason the pup wont make it. A poorly/sick pup will attract predators so she is protecting her healthy pups by removing it.

When you stop and look at animals actions it is clear to see that they still have natural instints installed from the "wild"


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## claire & the gang (Nov 18, 2010)

This happened with the sire to one of my dogs. His mother had a previous litter of 6 without problems. She was bred again delivering a litter of 5 healthy pups when they were three days old she suddenly turned & started killing them the breeder had stepped in & managed to rescue 2 of the litter. Needless to say the bitch was spayed & never bred from again.

Just goes to prove why it is important to closely observe mums with newborns. In the wild no pups would have survived & who knows what made her do this.


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## VioletRoses1000 (Feb 19, 2012)

wooliewoo said:


> I know my mums dog rejected her pups for first 24 hours but this was due to her having an emergancy ceaser so she didnt go though the birthing process. Luckily mum & my DD spent the night holding the pups to bitch and once she realised they were pups and her milk kicked in all was fine.
> 
> I have also experianced mums "kicking" pups out the box, and even carry them to another room to hide them. The mum knows for whatever reason the pup wont make it. A poorly/sick pup will attract predators so she is protecting her healthy pups by removing it.
> 
> When you stop and look at animals actions it is clear to see that they still have natural instints installed from the "wild"


I'm glad you were able to understand the reasons why your mom's dog did all that...a lot of other aren't cuz their dogs are more unpredictable I guess.



claire & the gang said:


> This happened with the sire to one of my dogs. His mother had a previous litter of 6 without problems. She was bred again delivering a litter of 5 healthy pups when they were three days old she suddenly turned & started killing them the breeder had stepped in & managed to rescue 2 of the litter. Needless to say the bitch was spayed & never bred from again.
> 
> Just goes to prove why it is important to closely observe mums with newborns. In the wild no pups would have survived & who knows what made her do this.


Is there a way for anyone to know before breeding a bitch to know if she would be okay with having pups, or do breeders just have to count on luck?


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## claire & the gang (Nov 18, 2010)

Obviously it help to know a bitches usual personality before even thinking of breeding her but alot of the time you won`t know how particularly a maiden bitch will take / react to motherhood. It a case of not taking your eye of the ball


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## VioletRoses1000 (Feb 19, 2012)

It must be kinda hard on breeders, then. Does this happen a lot?


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