male chihuahua behavior

Question
is it true male chihuahuas will kill their newborn pups  

Answer

Hi Sharyl,

Male dogs of any breed need to be separated from a nursing female dog, and her puppies. Not just because of a possible reaction from the male dog. Things in the social structure between dogs changes when the puppies are born. The mother dog, who use to love to be around other dogs may suddenly try to fight her former companion. It's understandable, she's got babies to look after!

It is often recommended that puppies should be about 4-5 weeks old before introducing dad. That's around the time that the pups have started being weaned, and the mother dog is better at separating from her babies. People often say, "My dogs will never do that!" But what they don't understand is that dog's behave differently than we do. You have to be careful. At around 5 weeks of age, see how the mom reacts to the other dog being around the pups. If she's okay with it, then so be it. If she's not, then wait another week, and see how it goes.

Best of luck,
Patti