My pups are 6 weeks old tommorow.  My problem is their mother she doesnt have hardly any milk and to be honest the pups arent interesting in feeding from her anymore anyway and she wants to go out to them when she does she want to come in as they frighten her now as they are huge little beasts.  I am getting desperate as she is keeping me awake all night pacing then when I put her with them she wants to come away.  I did think of giving her some galasop but not sure if this is a good idea.  It is her first litter so I have given her some leway.  She has also had a lump removed from her ear yesterday so obviously she can be left alone entirely in case they pull her stitches.  Can anyone help me before I make her into a fur rug. ;)

Hi there, can`t help you on this one, but just seen your dogs, they are fabulous:)

Jackie

I always arange the pups and bitches facilities so that the bitch can come and go at will and get away from teh pups.  I have a board across the open kennel run entrance when they are outside so she can hop over it whenever the mood takes her, but too high for the pups to get over.

When I have them sleeping out the kenenl has a two foot hight bench the bitch can sleep on that the pups can't get onto, and the pups beds are underneath.  In the house I use a puppy pen with drop side that she can jump over buit pups can't.  This way the bitch make all the decisions,a nd is happy :D

Tom, At 6 weeks the puppies are old enough and should be weaned so they don't need their mum with them.Mums milk should of finished by now. I assume the pups are all on solids and if you're concerned that they still need milk, you could perhaps try Whelpi. Mum must of given them a good start and deserves a rest as having pups takes a lot out of a bitch. If she wants to be on her own let her. You said she has just had an ear operation, just imagine yourself in her position she has probably got an ear ache, feeling sore and tender she need rest and time to herself. As long as she can see  her puppies and can come and go at her discretion you shouldn't have any problems.

I agree they are old enough and I have tried to keep her away some are due to go next weekend but she is obsessed.  They have been fully weaned for two weeks now but I am frightened to stop her going to them totally as she is still producing milk and isnt there a risk of mastitus.  Which is why I thought of galisop.  Mind you she did sleep until 5am this morning so I suppose she is getting better. ;)

I personally think it wrong to keep a bitch away from her pups, different to makeing her stay with them :D

She should have access when and if she wants, that way she will be content as will they.  Thgat is the natural order of things.

Also at th4e 6 to 8 weeks THEY DO NEED THEIR MUM to teach them all the coalial skills to be a dog.  It is early seperation from the liter that so often leads to problems with dogs realting properly wi5th the9r own kind. 

Guide dogs send pups to walkers at this age as they actually son't want them too imprinted as dogs due to the fact they will be working as a guide and won't be expected to be socialising when doing that, so their interdog social skills are not a priority, but they are for a Pet or show dog..

I agree with you totally brainless but she is actually scared of them for want of a better word. She doesnt seem to know what she wants!!! I think it is to do with it being the first litter as her mum was the same and she has also got a stitched ear which had to be done due to the fact it was growing so rapid.  I am terrified the little fiends will damage her.  Her mum is being granny and sorting them out.  But as I said some will be going next weekend so I feel awful.  I always let them go at 7 weeks and all my dogs are very well adjusted members of society - except the ones which live with me :)

Do you mean fully weaned two weeks ago, that would mean at 4 weeks old if I have worked it out right?   I think this may be why she is so unsettled that is very young and she will still have been feeling strongly the need to feed and perhaps that is why she is still producing milk.  I have always let my bitch decide for herself when she has had enough, giving her the opportunity to excape of course, which has usually been around 7 weeks although in the case of her singleton she was still giving her the odd suck right up untill she went at 8 weeks.

If you try to arrange things so that the bitch can get in and out as she wants you will find that she will settle down :)  she obviously still needs to be with them and they need her.  I allowed my bitch to have free access to her pups at all times, but on her terms - the pups couldn't follow her everywhere (arrangements as in Brainless' post) and she was able to keep an eye on them but have some peace.  All her pups went to their new homes between 7 1/2 and 8 1/2 weeks without a backward glance and settled without trouble.  If you allow the bitch to decide the rate that she weans the pups then her milk will decline naturally :)

I have always weaned my pups early mainly because they have large litters and have never had any problems.  I have only ever had one child at a time and found it draining never mind having 9 - 13 of them hanging of you!!!  Most of the people I know start weaning early and I have always done it on qualified vets advice.  My other bitch has certainly not been treated differently and has stopped producing milk by this stage.

I am not sure that any of you are actually reading what I am writing so just to clarify.

1 she has had a operation on her ear which means it is NOT SAFE for her to be alone with them in case they pull the stitches out.
2. the pups are scaring her.  She doesnt know what she wants.  When she is with them she doesnt want to be and when she isnt she wants to be. She runs in the quickly out.  The only time she was prevented was on the day of the operation ON THE VETS ADVICE.  I would love to leave her to decide at her own rate as I always have in the past but this is not a normal situation. 

have you got a panel which she can see through, so she can look at the pups with out actually entering. Maybe she just needs to go in and check them  to see that they are okay for her own peace of mind but then realises it's not a good idea and runs for cover. Is she like this all day or just on a few occasions, they do like to check on the pups quite alot, to break up squables and stuff, i would be scared of them needle teeth on my tender bits to.

She'll be okay it's probably because it's her first time.  I think she sounds like a very good mother.

TTS.  I have had the same with a good but inexpereinced Mum.  It can be exasperating when Mum goes into a nice quiet litter gets them all riled up, and then flees the scene leaving them squawking their heads off (leaving me to quiet them down so neighbours don't have a chance to complain), but it is the only way to go allowing her easy access and egress from the pups.

Like with people they need to learn how to be mothers and the only way they can do that is to be allowed to make their own decisions. 

The same bitch with her next litter was Oh so relaxed, and quite capable of telling her offspring that they weren't allowed to feed without having to run away from them, she had the same number of pups both times, but she had become more confident and asertive with pups.

As for the ear injury, how about a cowl for her head like the Afghan and Cocker people use to keep the ears out of food dishes???