Why Would a Mother Dog Reject a Newborn Puppy?

Most mother dogs take excellent care of their newborn offspring. From the day a female dog gives birth, it is her instinct to nurse, clean and protect her pups until they are weaned. However, in some cases a mother dog will abandon one or more of her young. There are several reasons why a mother dog may cease to provide the canine maternal behavior that is necessary for her pups to survive.

  1. Mother's Instinct

    • Like all animals, canines have instincts that warn them when something is amiss. This instinct often kicks in when mother dogs gives birth to pups that will not thrive. Commonly known as the runt of the litter, a pup that is rejected by its mother is usually smaller than the others and has a congenital disease or deformity that will result in its death. These pups are often pushed away from other litter mates by the mother dog, which refuses to feed and care for them. Though bottle-feeding rejected pups may sustain them for a while until a veterinarian is consulted, mother dogs' instincts are usually correct. There is often little that can be done to save a rejected puppy.

    Stressful Disruptions

    • While a mother dog is nursing her young, it is vital to her emotional well-being that her environment be calm and quiet. Excessive noise and interruptions by humans and other animals may cause distress. When disruptive incidents occur frequently during this important stage of life, a mother dog may interpret the stress factors as threatening. As a result, she may relocate or simply abandon her offspring. In a more drastic attempt to protect her pups from distractions she interprets as dangers, a mother dog may even attack or eat them. Keeping mother dogs in stress-free surroundings is vital to the lives of their litters.

    Physiological Causes

    • In many cases of puppy abandonment by their mothers, physiological conditions exist. These biological problems may consist of a health condition, disease, insufficient nutrition or injury that makes nursing impossible. In addition, hormonal conditions resulting in low oxytocin levels are often to blame. Without sufficient levels of this vital hormone that stimulates urges to nurse and care for their young, mother dogs lose interest in their pups and abandon them. Physiological issues must be evaluated by prompt veterinarian care for the well-being of canine mothers and their young.

    Young Mother Dogs

    • A female dog that is too young to have a litter may not be mature enough to have the instincts needed to care for her pups. The result may be a mother dog that is careless or rough with her pups and shows little interest in caring for them. She also may simply stop nursing her young. Owners who wait until a female dog is at least two years old to breed will help ensure that she is able to properly care for her newborn puppies.