i have two working cockers...ages 3 and two, they are my babies, i love them to bits, hence the question!!

my 3 year old Emme (hence the name!! :) ) has always been such a mother hen, treating Indi (2year old) and our neighbours dog (age one!)like one of her own. and when we baby sat my fathers pups in june (irish setter boys aged 4-5 months for 3 weeks she was in 7th heven, was cleaning them, making sure they were ok, just playing "mum" was so nice to watch, as i had always planned to breed her.  however as  i got married this year and simply did not have the time to give to pups and a nursing mother!

however she came out of season 4-5 weeks ago and since then has been acting differently...eatting like a horse,for one,  very quiet and just not herself,  however the past few days has taken to sleeping i the living room cupboard????? very strange for her (we lived in this house for 3 years) and she dose this whilest me and my husband are in the house..very unlike her, usually very demanding and SSSOOO cuddly! never see her , she has taken her blanet bed in there and only come out to eat and walk.

nesting behaviour or just a grumpy dog???! PUZZLED OWNER????!!!

More like a phantom pregnancy? 

Yes, she seems to be brewing a phantom.  She will get over it quicker if you don't let her dwell on things.  Shut the cupboard for now, don't allow her toys to gather and get her out for lots of walks and games.  It will be kinder for her and should head off trouble between her and your other bitch as you may well find their previous friendship rather strained and liable to spats if you don't.  Definately don't let her over eat as she will just get fat. She does not have babies to feed despite what she thinks!

thank you so much for everyone getting back to me so quickly! i did sus that may be our little problem!

cupboard has no door!! me being super lazy and never getting round to getting another after decor...shall get right on that one tho!
also keep all spare covers/blanets for spare room etc in there, so clever little monkey has found the best seat in the house...as well as doubling my weekend washing!

deff see the starined relationship between the two dogs, usually sleep all together they are right now at diff ends of the house! never seen that before!!! when she is in pup next year..will this be the same??

you feel she will just drift out of it?

if she stays the same do i have to take her to a vet to make sure she is ok...etc etc !!  she seems a little easier today and am making her sleep in her bed (you can imagin the looks i am getting ;) ) wee lamb its such a shame she just so wants babaies!!! next year next yer!

also as we have had similar episodes with her before (never as much or for such long periods) is it best to decide to get her spayed after the breeding, just out of kindness to her...that sound odd i knoww,saying kindness, but seems so unfair to put het through all this all the time!
least i know she will be a great mummy, to our next pup!

Phantom/False pregnancy is perfectly normal and is in fact designed so that the non breeding bitches in a pack can feed the packs young.

Unless symptoms are severe nothing need be done other than cut food, remove comfort objects and increase exercise so that her mind and body come to realise having babies is not an option.

> when she is in pup next year..will this be the same??

Highly likely, yes.  Most bitches will not tolerate others in the vacinity of their puppies for the first couple of weeks or so, even those that they have lived very happily with up to that point. 
You will need to arrange a whelping area that the other bitch cannot access as some very nasty fights are possible not to mention the stress on the mother which can also make her rough with the pups, trying to move them at best and sometimes much worse.  Certainly requires serious planning and consideration.

Hi

I am having the same problem, i noticed mine was very quiet and looking depressed! She was not doing the nesting part and not gathering toys at first took her to the vets as i did not think of a Phantom

Vet then informed me she had milk

Since then 2 weeks ago, She has started to be a bit brighter but she is now gathering the toys up