How Do Mother Labrador Retrievers Take Care of Their Young?

Mother Labrador retrievers --- like most dogs --- are very self-sufficient when it comes to caring for their newborn pups. They provide their puppies with food, warmth, and protection until the breeders are able to wean the pups and take over the majority of the puppy training process. If you are taking care of a litter of young Labradors it is helpful to understand exactly what the mother provides the puppies with so you can ensure she is doing her job properly or so you can replicate her actions for orphaned puppies.

  1. Feeding

    • One of the main ways a Labrador retriever cares for her young is by nursing her puppies. Labrador retriever pups require the proteins and nutrients found in their mother's milk until at least four weeks of age. Puppies will eat several times a day and the mother stays with her puppies very regularly to ensure they get enough food. After a four week period, breeders often wan new puppies off their mother's milk and fed solid puppy food.

    Cleaning

    • The mother Labrador is responsible for cleaning her puppies after the birth. Although many breeders help the mother by wiping the puppies with a cloth to clear out their breathing passages, the mothers are responsible for cleaning off any remaining afterbirth and keeping the babies clean. A mother Labrador will keep her nesting box very clean to prevent the spread of bacteria or disease.

    Protection

    • Mother Labradors also offer their puppies protection by staying with their puppies almost 24 hours a day. For the first few days, many mothers will refuse to leave their nesting box even to eat, drink or go outside for bodily functions. Because the puppies need her warmth and protection in the wild, a mother will be hesitant to leave her puppies for longer than a few minutes. For this reason, mothers should have a supply of food and water close by so they can keep watch over their litter.

    Stimulation

    • One of the other key roles of the mother Labrador is to stimulate the digestive systems of her puppies. When you see a mother licking her puppy, she is not only cleaning the puppy but is also stimulating his digestive system. Mother Labradors will lick the puppy's anal region to stimulate it to excrete waste; failure to do this can result in the puppy dying because it was not able to clear its bowels. Luckily this process can be replicated using your hand and a damp washcloth if the puppies have been orphaned.