Lottie produced a litter of 8 beautiful puppies just over 2 weeks ago, she has turned out to be a great mum, cleaning up after them, feeding them well, etc.

I also have 3 other dogs (2 castrated boys and 1 neutered girl - all gundogs) in the house, the smallest and youngest (Winnie, a girl) of which has a tendancy to terrorise the others, not being nasty, just very 'in your face'.

At the moment I have got Lottie upstairs in a bedroom and let her out into the back garden, which only she has access to, with the other dogs going out in the front garden.

Pretty soon I want to bring Lottie and her pups downstairs, but when she claps eyes on Winnie the 2 of them go mad, growling etc. and I know if they got together a fight would ensue. Lottie is just being protective I am sure, as previously she was the most soppy, mild mannered dog you could ever have met (although she is a guarding breed). She will tolerate meeting the 2 boys as long as the pups are well out of the way.

Any advice would be appretiated - I have got various barracades set up, but had hoped they would all be able to mix together. 

It is still very early days I personally dont allow my girls to meet up in the house until the puppies are 4 or 5 weeks old.  i usually let them meet up on a walk about 3 weeks post whelping so they gradually get back together although I have been walking Molly and her mum together since one week.  Mine are usually fine with my boy but the girls are lethal until the mum has got 'bored' or needs a bit more of a hand with the puppies.

Your pups are still very young and the mother doesn't wont to let the pups near danger, when the pups get older she will let them mix, let her do it in her own time, so she doesn't become to distressed.

Warm regards frank

My bitch wouldn't allow our dog anywhere near her pups.  He didn't go anywhere near them all the time they were here and when we decided to keep one, she kept him away from the pup and it took another 8 weeks to get them together happily as a group.

With her first litter, our girl wouldnt let our dog near until the pups were out of the whelping box at about 3 1/2 weeks old, and only then tolerated him at a good distance (which suited him fine!) With her second litter, she let her daughter approach and watch at a distance from about a week and a half, but then she knew she was no threat as she is happy to be bottom of the pecking order. Just take the mothers lead and once she is happy to meet the other bitch on neutral territory, (i.e. well away from the pups) things will (hopefully) progress from there. Mum should eventually want to some spend time with you and the other dogs, away from her babies - let her seek you out rather than bringing the other bitch to her. 

Thank you all for the advice - i guess i will just play it by ear!