Hi All
My bitch has started to pick on the smallest pup after day one.it had been crying a lot but have cured that by helping it feed.But now she is growling at them all and ocasionally snaps.Is this normal behavior or is it because she is just knackered ?

Have you checked she hasn't got mastitis?

Are their nails scratching her?

Also another thing to watch for is Eclampsia.

Sounds that they are hurting her, as the others say, mastitis or nails scratching - how many has she got, and how old?

I have just had the exact same happen but it was on day 5. I noticed she had loads of milk, and was getting quite stressed when they cried. Then she started to glare at them and would try to attack them.
I took her to the vet for a shot of calcium and decided I would remove them until feed time. I muzzled her for a couple of days and did the cleaning of the pups. She has now settled again with them and she is getting 20ml of callocal-d once a day. They are now 10 days old and she is doing really well. Im very careful with my breed as they are so powerful i dont take any chances.

Hope your bitch settles.

If it is just the one pup, and the smallest too, my first thought would be whether there was something wrong with that particular pup.

They are three days old now.I have checked for mastitis seems all  ok.I dont think its there nails because when they are feeding she seems fine.It seems to be when they approach her for feeding,or climb over her.It comes and goes sometimes she is quite content like now.

I have not experienced that with my bitches, so do not really know what to say other than to keep a close watch on her, you do not want her to snap at the puppies.   Possibly worth having a quick chat to your vet on the phone to see what he has to say (my vet will always talk to me over the phone, or if busy ring back later) - I would give them a ring.

I lost my entire litter 3 months ago and this was how it started b

my bitch developed eclampsia.

Check for temperatures, shaking, panting, restlessness. Has she been eating? Is the main growling when they are feeding?

Half goats milk and water with raw eggs are a good way of getting nutrience in quickly.


Also make sure she feels safe where she is. Don't have everyone going in to see her. If a bitch feels she's not safe with her pups she can and will kill them.

Hope everything goes ok. 

It doesn't sound like normal behaviour to me.  I only ever had one bitch not take to her pups, after a section.  I removed them from her, and hand reared, as she was just distressed at having them anywhere near her.  She wasn't growling, just very, very nervous of them.

In your case, assuming she had a natural birth, I would want the vet to give her the once over, rather than risk her killing the pups.

Some bitches are not instinctively natural mothers. If you are sure she is fine (eclampsia, mastitis) and the nails don't need cutting, maybe they are freaking her out a little. I am assuming its her first litter. She should settle after a while when she gets used to them and accepts them as hers.
In the meantime don't leave her unattended with them, you don't want to risk a diaster. You could always use a muzzle, I've known people do this with bitches who would not feed their pups without snapping. Sounds awful but had to be done, either that or the bottle.
just make sure she is not starting on any medical condition that needs treating.