bitch behavior after whelping

Question
Hi Penny. i looked through your list of past answers and couldnt find an answer to my question, so i decided to just go ahead and ask. My female beagle Maggie who is two years just gave birth to her first litter of 9 pups two weeks ago. Now up until maybe yesterday she has been supermom. But she has really started to distance herself from her pups and always looks depressed and sad. she eats really well and drinks like a fish but just seems to not wanna be around them. maggie and her puppies have been living in our bathroom which we just have a standing shower and we laid blankets down for her and her pups and shes been fine until the other day i heard puppies screaming and i walked in to see her with a puppy in her mouth and carrying it to my sons room and was hiding them in his closet. i had no clue what to do so i put all the puppies in his closet with her and she just seems so sad. thank you sooo much for any help you can give. im desperete to have her happy again

Answer
Hi Tyler.  It sounds to me like your new mommy is a bit stressed with her new litter.  The fact that she tried to move her puppies from the bathroom tells me that, for some reason, she does not feel her puppies are safe.

Possibly their is too much traffic in your home right now?  Are people being allowed to view the new puppies?  

What about drafts and temperature in the home?  The new puppies need to be kept very warm (80 degrees) and away from any drafts.  

Are there other pets in the home?  If so, are they allowed in the same room as the litter?  This can cause stress for the new mother.

Are you offering the new mommy too much assistance?  In some cases too much help is viewed, by the new mother, as a threat.  She might be trying to hide the puppies because she feels that you will take them away from her.

These are just a few questions that might help you start thinking, and hopefully will assist you in finding the answer.


Good luck, and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have additional questions.  I also want to apologize for the delay in replying to your question.  I am having some remodel work done at my home and lost my internet connection.  It should now be working again without further delay.

Sincerely,
Penny Diloreto
www.puppies-dot-com.com