I've had this before, but now I have the opportunity to ask others if they can explain it.  A puppy (say, one week old, or older) cries while nursing.  It sounds unhappy, frustrated (my interpretations), but Mum has loads of milk and the puppy is gaining very well indeed each day.  Why does she cry and nurse at the same time?  Makes me very nervous.

> Why does she cry and nurse at the same time?

Frustrated that milk is coming slower or faster than she likes (if faster you often see a little white around the lips while feeding.

Other pups trying to get them off their favoured teat.

Are you sure it's crying and not a satisfied moaning?

I had one like that -in fact she's one I kept. 20 months old now. She'd suckle and cry. Somehow the milk just wasn't satisfying her (she was the biggest in a litter of just 7) and she started on solid food at 13 days of age. After that she never cried when suckling.

Most of  my pups do this when feeding .. Consider it similar to use enthusing over a good meal :)

Hi Barbara,

It sounds like a sort of pissed-off-ness.  Certainly not satisfied moaning.  However, after she had been going on and on nursing and crying for what seemed like forever, I finally simply placed her on the other side of Mum, and she immediately fell asleep.  It's all quiet in the box now and has been for a couple of hours.

It seems that there really are those puppies who seem to cry while they are nursing, but it really bothers me because it just sounds so unhappy!  She's full of energy and has gained during the day, so I guess it is nothing to worry about...  I just find it hard to take, and of course, I don't really understand what is going on.

Most of  my pups do this when feeding .. Consider it similar to use enthusing over a good meal :)

OK, I'll try...!

The biggest one of the last litter used to do this and really pull at the teat. I used to put it down to the milk not coming through fast enough for her greedy guts. She would rag my poor bitch like a terrier with a rat!

Well, you've all made me feel a lot better!  Many thanks!

Many of mine vocalised when nursing.   Coupled with the 'mad' pawing at the teats and then impatiently giving up and moving to the next teat, I put it down to the milk not coming out as fast as THEY wanted.   Provided the puppy is gaining, I don't think you have a lot to be concerned about other than perhaps this one is going to be a 'fussy little so-and-so' all his life!!  Home this one, he's going to be 'demanding'!!

"Oh Come ON!......give it to me NOW!"

Well, it's a "me generation", after all!  I'll try not to forget that! 

I've got one like that who makes a really weird crackling noise in some positions when suckling - he's been checked by me, the vet and a much more experienced breeder and definitely no cleft palate or anything, and it's all clear when they listen to his normal breathing. He's the biggest of the litter and looks like being the first to get up on his legs, so he's thriving and bursting with energy and health, so I can't see that there really is anything wrong. I suspect he's just drinking so fast that he's swallowing some air along with it. He doesn't do it every time he suckles, just occasionally. They like to do this weird stuff to worry us, don't they!

Makes you wonder about self-control and frustration management - someone should do a study to follow these moaning pups through to adulthood and see if there's a correlation!