My litter of pups will be 7 weeks tomorrow, Ive been gradually weening them off their mother for 4 weeks and they are doing very well, eating 4 good meals a day(is that about right).When they do get with their mother they still try their best to feed off her, which I presume is normal. She will let them feed for a while,but all she is bothered about is play fighting with them. She doesn't seem at aggresive with them, it's more the other way round. The pups seem so vicious, biting her face etc, the noise they make is unbelievable. It seems she is deliberately annoying them to make them attack her, thats what it looks like. But my real concern is, she gets hold of them by the leg and either tries to pick them up or pulls them along the floor, shes obviously not biting them, but I'm worried in case she damages their legs( they do sometimes yelp when she does that).What do you think, should I try to stop her from doing it. I am keeping one of the pups, and I thought I would have to keep them apart some of the time to give the mother a break, but it seems like it's going to be the other way round, she just doesn't leave them alone the whole time she's with them.
A bit of advice or assurance would be appreciated.
Michelle. p.s they are Staffies.

Michlle,

I am sure others will be along soon to give you there experience with litters, but heres mine!

My first Stafford i got at 7 weeks, adn when we went to the breeder exactly the same thing would happen - mum would be playing with them, very roughly, and pulling them around by their legs and stuff - the breeder told em it was an analgamation of 2 things - one was teaching them how to be with other dogs, and what things hurt - adn the other was that she was really beginning to have enough of them. She has grown up to be the most sensible dog ever - never really hurt when she mouthed, knew when to stop playing and the minute she felt flesh under her teeth would opull away.

My second pup i got from a different breeder / different line at 6 1/2 weeks. Male this time! And the mum was letting them feed all the way up to the time they left - it was the breeder who had to seperate them. She never indulged in rough play and was very mumsy. Now Solo has been a little sod - he never knows when to stop, bites both me and Cleo too hard in play... Generally hard work!

Now ehetehr this has to do with lines, sex, being a second dog i dont know - but i do put a lot of Cleo's well roundedness down to the tough lessons she learnt as a youngster.

Alex