Puppies in my Shed

Question
A rott/hound (?) dog has just had puppies in my shed.  I had seen her around off & on for about a month and she has slept in my yard many times.  So, I felt sorry for her and started giving her water and food. I have an inside dog already, so I couldn't let her go without food.  When I realized she was pregnant, I opened my shed and made a bed for her.  I just came in from outside and I know she has had at least 3 little puppies.  NOW WHAT????  Should I try to touch them?  I have not gotten closer than 10 ft from the mom.  Is there something I should be doing? How do I know if they are alright?  Will she have more?  I am SO EXCITED but also concerned as I don't want them to die.  Thank you so much.

Answer
Hi Doris,

I can only tell you what I would do and what are my thoughts. :-)

Most new canine moms may be somewhat protective of their pups, and that may be why the mom doesn't want you near her pups.  Also, you don't know how long she's been on her own or what her history is, and she may be semi-feral and not well socialized to people.  She may be somewhat fearful of people in general.  Realize that if she feels threatened by your getting too close to her pups, she could attempt to defend them against any perceived threat (for instance, you), so please be very, very careful.

First, I would call animal control or a reputable rescue organization near you and tell them about the situation.  If they allow you to, perhaps you can 'sponsor' the dog and be the 'go to' person for decisions about their care.  The mother needs to be spayed so that she does not become pregnant again as well as go into heat again later in the year and drive every male in the neighbourhood to distraction.

The puppies also deserve a chance to be healthy, be vaccinated, and to go to a good home.  Animal control or a rescue organization may give them their best chance at a these.  Eventually their mother will wean them, and they'll start to be pretty much on their own, which is a tough life.  Their health needs will not be taken care of, and finding food and shelter will become a lifelong and daily challenge as they mature.  They will likely be semi-feral as they won't be well socialized to people and other animals, and this could cause them to become dangerous dogs to people and to other animals in the future as they become older.

So, I would be thinking about:
- Making sure the dam (mother) doesn't become pregnant again, and making sure she gets spayed.  If she's friendly, she might be able to be adopted and go to a good home.  She should be kept with the pups until they're weaned, and then be behaviour evaluated.
- Making sure that the pups are periodically behaviour evaluated starting at about five weeks of age to determine their adoptability.
- Making sure that the pups' health needs are taken care of (hopefully by animal control or the rescue org) as well as that they're well socialized to people and other animals during their first four months of life so they have a chance to be behaviourally healthy and thus become adopted.

The mom is in negative energy balance right now, and most likely if she's been homeless for a while, she may not be that strong and may not be able to provide enough milk and energy to her pups.

On their own, they will have few options and will lead very tough lives, if they survive.  They will go on to mature and, if males, impregnate other females; or, if females, become pregnant and give birth to more litters, thus perpetuating the cycle of homeless, semi-feral, unhealthy, uncared-for, unwanted dogs.  

The pups should see a vet as soon as possible, as well as the mom.  If you know of a rescue agency near you that might help you accomplish all of the above, that would be great.  Otherwise, animal control may give them their best chance at survival.  A local vet might agree to take up their care for little or no fee.

If you decide to take on the responsibility of caring for the pups, realize that if the mom can't care for them, you'll have to remove them from their mother most likely.  She may not let you near the pups and may try to defend them against you, which could be dangerous for you.  If you decide to be responsible for their health care, feeding, and socialization needs this will be a huge task and will require a tremendous amount of time and effort.  You'll need to neuter/spay all the pups when they're around six months of age.  You may need to find homes for the pups if you can't keep them.  Some may not survive, and you'll need to be prepared for that.  In any case, the mother should be spayed so she doesn't become pregnant again, starting this cycle all over again in about eight months or so.

Hope this helps and gives you some ideas.  This is a tough one.  Pups are so cute and helpless when they're first born, but they don't raise themselves into physically and behaviourally healthy animals.  It may be hard to think about at this time the welfare of the mother and the vast amount of needs the pups will have in the very near future.  Best of luck!  Please let me know how this turns out.  This is a tough situation and I hope for the best!

Best regards,
Madeline Friedman, M.A.
www.ny-njDogTrainer.com
Volunteer for AllExperts