How Do Mother Dogs Show Affection to Puppies?

Bonding

• Soon after giving birth, mother dogs lovingly examine their brand new offspring as a means of strengthening familial ties. They not only sniff their babies, they thoroughly groom and lick them clean, too. By knowing the smell of their puppies, mother dogs establish close links to them. Licking also encourages breathing in puppies.

Feeding

• Feeding is perhaps one of the most important links between mother dogs and their puppies. The milk of lactating mother dogs is the sole source of puppies' early stage nutrition. Not only is feeding essential for puppy survival, it also is a clear display of motherly concern and affection.

Elimination

• It takes roughly three weeks for puppies to gain control over their own elimination, whether urination or the passage of feces. Mother dogs take these matters into their own paws by triggering puppies' elimination processes through licking the little ones' rear and genital regions.

Nesting

• The affectionate rapport mother-puppy rapport starts before birth. As parturition approaches, mother-to-be canines seek out suitable places to welcome their puppies. Some typical criteria for nursing spots include calmness, separation from other animals, silence and relative dimness -- the comfiest and most secure environments possible.

Protection

• Until puppies are about a week old, it is rare for the mothers to leave their sides, even for a minute. Mother dogs also prefer humans do not touch their puppies during that first week. If a human does touch the puppy, mothers tend to behave anxiously until the humans return the pup or pups.

Warmth

• When mother dogs lounge around closely with their newborn puppies, they assist the little ones in keeping body temperatures under control. Ample warmth is essential for keeping newborn puppies alive and healthy. As puppies become older and stronger, mother dogs slowly gradually minimize their interactions together -- their way of toughening them up.