Mother dog spooked...trying to move puppies out of whelping box...?

Question

Please help me...I have been looking for answers and can't find them...I don't want to be told off...for asking by self righteous people...
My very well taken care of dog just had six puppies on halloween...it has been great!!! Untill today...my neighbor stopped by to see them...I went in the room to show her...and my dog started freeking out...and bit me...I was shocked...she is a very sweeeeet dog...I am not sure if it was the fact that I had a towel on my head...if she didn't know me? Or if my neighbor had cat smell on her? Or...??? Lots of visitors have stopped by to peek, and she was fine!!!! I am in shock that she bit me...she is very nervous and is now trying to move the puppies from her whelping box...My husband is trying to calm her...we have fed her...taken her outside...talked with her...she is just a wreck...what should we do? Will she calm down? We are worried sick...please just help...don't preach at me....

Wow...the judgement I have gotten from a few of you...shame on you for your ignorance. I am asking a question...looking for advice...not to be shut down...jeeeezzzzzzz!!!!
Yes, we wash our hands...and the lots of people...well it was family...and no not everyone touched them...jeeezzzzz....she never reacted like that before...not at all...she has reacted fine...I feel like so many contridictions in the information that I have tried to educate myself with have confused me...I was more under the impression that having people around in a calm way ect...was okay...she is a very social friendly dog and I was used to her being that way...it was very out of character...I am asking cuz I now am concerned for the puppies...I don't want her to move them....or hurt them...and if anyone has any nice advice or suggestions I would appreciate it...I don't need the :LK(*&**...please...it isn't helpful...I am not perfect....okay...maybe some of you are...gosh...Oh...they are dachshunds

Answer 1

Well your sweet little dog is protecting her litter. You should not have allowed that many people in to see the pups you made her a wreck!
Strangers should not be allowed in the area where the pups are. They can carry in all thinks of virus like Parvo and other diseases too!
Only you and your husband should be there and then you should wah your hands before and after touching pups or mom. Put her in a very quiet area when you can keep an eye on her and then leave her and the pups alone! Check on them often but other than that NO visitors.

Answer 2

Well I really don`t know what the answer is to your problem as I have never had a dogs that`s had puppies but I will have a go . Do you mean she wants to move the pups back to the place she gave birth ? your son bedroom ! you said that you have a spear room can`t you put your son in the spear room for now , and let her have her " Birthing Room" back do you see were I am coming . If you can leave the room empty just put the crate in and leave the crate door open so she has no need to move her babies . You can buy one of those child prof gates or a piece of board put that at the bedroom door get some old towels and wrap them over the gate if you get a gate ! so she can`t move the pups out of the birthing room ! but I think if she is in her Birthing room she will be happy it`s her little nest ! Also it is natural for the mum to carry her pups in her mouth and I think she is moving them back to her nest ! sorry your sons bedroom ! and Motherhood comes so natural to animals so stop worrying you can only do your best . I hope I have been of some help to you . Why not go to the liberty and get some books on the subject .. good luck .

Answer 3

No preaching here, but I am going to be straight with you.

You must immediately stop bringing people in to see the puppies. The dog whelped on Wed. and it is Sat. and you have already had "lots of visitors." She is freaking out for a very good reason---she feels unsafe.

Think about it from her perspective. Have you ever had this many people peeking in on her before?

Is she someplace where you can close a door and leave her alone? Stop trying to calm her down and just let her be---and NO visitors for a few weeks. Period. Tell the relatives, kids next door whomever that you'll email them photos and stick to it---her wellbeing and the health of the pups may depend on it.

Visitors at this age not only upset the mom, they can also carry in communicable diseases like parvo virus. Parvo can live for a while so when any immunity from the mom wears off it will still be around to kill the pups. There are other diseases but that is the best known and worst.

I am NOT saying any of your visitors were sick---all it takes is them coming in contact with a sick dog or someplace the dog messed.

Do not blame your dog---she is doing the best she can to take care of her pups. By tolerating any visitors she showed she is a sweet dog---but you went way too far. She is telling you to back off---listen to that. Continuing to stress her out could be harmful to her and the pups.

Answer 4

I'm not trying to be mean or preach but the truth is you shouldn't let others other than the immediate family that lives with you anywhere near the pups until they are at least 6 weeks and had at least the first set of shot.
It will take time to settle her it probably wasn't actually this one incident that happened it was building with all the visitors.
Please don't let anymore visitors come in she may even attempt to eat the pups ( sorry but it's the truth).
If she is moving the pups to a safe place I would just leave her bye trying to move the pups back where now she doesn't feel is safe ( sorry again it's your fault for letting that many people in)
If a wild wolf doesn't feel the den is safe they will move the pups to a safe place.
Yo might want to move the whelping box to the area she has chosen if possible. She won't settle till she feels it's safe for her and the pups. Try your best just to leave her alone.
I'm sorry if it sounded like I'm preaching but I think you are looking for the truth.

Answer 5

Well... I have to say this, You really shouldn't allow people around the puppies before they get at least their first shots. They are at risk of picking up disease from people stopping by like that..

Anyhow.. being that she is in a close room, and people peeking in, she isn't likely to feel comfortable at all with things.. She might feel cornered, no way out of the room when these people stop by.

I have not had this problem, my dogs really don't mind people looking at their pups.. They'll watch but they never would get aggressive, wouldn't do anything more than bark..

Anyhow, if it was me, and I Had this happen.. I would consider moving the whelping box to a whole different room.. And telling her how safe and better things would be, make them all comfy and warm and I would NOT keep the door closed and I would not allow anyone else to come by and see the puppies..
She'll calm down, and she is going to be paranoid now, She used to think she could trust you to keep people away, now she doesn't feel like she can trust anyone to protect her and her kids.. You need to make her feel that she is safe and the pups are safe and there is no chance at all that people are going to be intruding into her space..
No more visitors at all!

Answer 6

It is normal for the mommy to act different after giving birth. I know you said she was fine with other people but maybe there have been too many people around and it may be making her nervous. The babies are only a few days old.
You could be right though maybe she didn't recognize you and felt intimidated. Maybe she didn't like something about the other lady. I wouldn't worry too much just that she is being protective. Usually as the pups get older the mom gets better about it. After they leave most of the time she will be back to her old self.

Answer 7

ok first offit helps if you calm down as well, take a deep breath and get yoru heart to slow down, you girl can sense that your upset and will get her more upset... its quit possible that she didnt like your neighboor? or that she felt threatened, and is now worried someone's going to hurt her babies... does she let you pick the puppies up? id take her out for a bit, if she likes walks, take her on a walk, love her and try and get her to calm down, that or even give her towels, or newspaper and let her make a new den, and help her move the puppies, with a new mom dog also, if its her first litter there really easy to spook, and a lot of the time when they do spook they either hurt the puppies, or ijnores them... which means you have to hand raise them... , but thats all i can think of, sorry our dogs were used to people touching them and comming in before and after they gave birth... they never spooked on us, if i can help send me a email, at [e-mail]

Answer 8

Well I think maybe she didnt like the neighbors approach. Some people just do things that trigger something in the dog. Its something the dog didnt like. Since she has puppies she is going to be a lot more aggressive then usual.

The best thing may be to let her move her puppies and see where she moves them to. If its an ok place for them to stay I would leave them. If not then find a large enough kennel for her and her puppies and put it somewhere secluded.

We have had this happen with one of our dogs. We used a kennel and put it in the walk in closet. After that she was better.The closure of being in a kennel is sometimes more comforting.

Good luck and hope this was helpful =]

Answer 9

Your neighbor could have come in and appeared very threatening. A mother dog with high maternal instincts will definitely defend her pups if she feels threatened. You might just have been in "the way" in her effort to "save" her puppies. What breed of dog is she? Some breeds can be more skittish than others.

Answer 10

Puppy Whelping Box