I know the big pups tend to get the best teats but have any of you noticed if pups suckling go to the same teat each time?
Amos

Hi Amos

Unlike kittens, puppies will go to a different place every time and if you watch them you will see that they work their way up and down the line pushing each other off as they go

Hi Kerioak,
Thanks for your response. I am doing a study on neonatal feeding in puppies and am currently watching a litter of pups to see if that is so and I must say so far it does seem random, but I am interested to see if that continues as they get older. It is so hard not to interfere when a big one pushes another off, but I feel, as long as they are all gaining weight fairly evenly, its best not to interfere. If anyone has any info/theories etc about this stage I would be very interested.
Amos

  Fighting to get to the teat exercises the pups, teaches tenacity and subjects them to mild stress (loosing their feeding station).  Try and find someone with a singleton pup to study to see why I think the above is important.  If you can do this and watch them interact with other dogs as well as they get older you may find it very informative

Thats a good point, hadn't thought of it from that angle, I have just been considering the growth/nutritional aspects. But if your theory is correct that would that make most smaller pups turn into more tenacious adults and a single pup presuamably would be less interactive with other dogs but would have had a stress free puppyhood which could be good??
Amos

Not necessarily - take a look at
Early Neurological Stimulation

I have to disagree with Kerioak as when i have had litters - usually the bigger litters i always put the smaller pups on the back teats as these tend to have more milk, in my breed the rear teats tend to be much smaller though there is more milk, anyway when these smaller pups get stronger at 2 - 3 weeks they will not feed from any other teat and will know the other pups off, even if i attach to another teat they imediately let go and find their favorit

I am a bit dubious about any conclusions drawn from a study when it is not stated how many pups were involved in it. Interesting though.
Sharon, I have always done just the same as you in the past but this time I am observing and not altering the positions they put themselves into and I must say they are all gaining weight equally. this is a litter of 9. Obviously I will intervene if any start falling behind. I am noticing that the pups who perhaps loose out a bit on one feed are the first in position on the next feed and will not be dislodged!
Amos

Amos,

I would think that a 'stress free puppyhood' could mean that a dog would be less likely to cope with stress as an adult, having had no practice in the nest?  Also the pushing and shoving at the milk bar help a pup gain confidence which a singleton might lack?  Just a thought :)