young mother - Page 1

hello a friend needs some help,his female is 3 years old had her first litter 1 pup ,the problem is she lick the puppy all the time will stop for a couple of minutes then starts again.....why....?...

If she is picking on one (1) puppy out of many, and it is the same puppy all of the time, then that puppy may be sick. The females normally lick all of the puppies a lot in order to keep them, as well as the whelping area clean. Could this puppy be producing a strange body odour due to an illness? I have no experience with this. But, if she only has one (1) puppy, then she is probably doing it because she has nothing better to do. It should not be an issue unless she is licking the navel or genital area to the end that they become inflamed. If this is the case, then she should be removed from the puppy after feeding and cleaning, and taken for a walk or a bit of light play. When the mother has a large litter, then she will work continuously to keep the puppies fed, cleaned, and warm. It is my experience that first-time mothers often will not leave the puppies unless they need to poop or pee. And even though tey are housebroken they will often soil the area near the whelping box in order to not leave the puppies. The second litter is usually a very different issue, as the mother now knows much more. She will readily take a break when she sees fit, and not hover over the puppies so much. Bob-O