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In some cases the mother dog will eat her pups if they are either sick or if her maternal instinct tells her they won't do well. This helps insure the "survival of the fittest."

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14y ago
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13y ago

There could be many reasons why a mother dog might eat her babies.

The two that I know are:

1) the mother dog is overly stressed or has been abused (this would cause her to not wanna care for her babies)

2) the pup may be in some kind of condition or physical problem (the mother assumes her baby will not be able to survive anyways)

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12y ago

They wont... most times.

But if the mother is inexperienced and fearful it sometimes happens.

Usually because the puppies are sick and going to die, they don't want the sickness to spread to the other puppies.

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11y ago

This is very abnormal behavior for a female dog. Potential causes include behavioral problems in the mother, frank starvation of the mother or major deformities in the puppies. Regardless of the cause, this female should not be bred again - spaying to prevent future pregnancies would be a good idea.

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12y ago

If it is blind it could be trying to taste what the puppies look like or maybe she is hungry.

Sometimes dogs will eat a puppies when they can sense there is something wrong them.

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14y ago

they're yummy

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Q: Why does a mother dog kill her own puppies at 5 weeks old?
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What did Sal's dog moody blue' do with her puppies when they were about six weeks old why does this remind to Sal of her mother?

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How old can a dog leaves its mother?

usually after 6 to 9 weeks the puppies should be old enough to adopt out


When a dog has puppies how old are puppies when re-homed?

Puppies should not be taken from their mother before 6 weeks of age. Most breeders, however, wait a little longer and do not re-home their puppies until 8 weeks for large breeds and 10-12 weeks for small breeds.


Should puppies at 4 weeks be given away?

i think you should wait in til about 6 weeks trust me my dog had puppies about 5 months agol


Is it okay for another unrelated dog to interact with a dogs puppies even though they're only two weeks old?

Not okay. Unrelated dogs often will kill puppies.


How many weeks does the dog have to stay with the mother?

It is super important that the newborn puppies stay with the mother most of the time. Don't worry if the mother goes wandering a few times, she's tired of staying in one simple place. But when the puppies start to cry, the mother HAS to go back. The least puppies could stay with their mother is 4 weeks, but is HIGHLY recommended for them to stay with their mother at 8 weeks.FACT: Newborn puppies die faster when they are separated from their mothers too early.


Why does the mother dog keep laying on her puppies?

Because the puppies get cold.


When will my dog stop sitying on her newborn puppies?

You dog will stop sitting on the puppies when they are at least 4 weeks old.


How long does a dog keep her puppies before selling them?

When they have been weaned, meaning, no longer suckling for the mother's breasts for food. 8 weeks - no less.


What is the number of puppies dogs has?

the number of puppies a dog will have depends on the breed, and size of mother dog in question.


What happens to the mother dog if puppies are not deliverable?

The mother might die unless the puppies are surgically removed.


What happens when one of the unborn puppies dies inside the mother dog will the mother dog and other puppies get poisoned?

the other puppies will be born and the dead puppy will simply just come out.