daschund behavior

Question
QUESTION: My 9 yr old daschund had one puppy in her litter. He seems healthy and eating good. Problem is the mama, she wont leave the baby to even go outside to void, and she eats only if brought to her. She hords the little guy like a bone! Also,, she will not stop licking the little guy. Is this all normal behavior?

ANSWER: Hi Tricia. You didn't say how old the puppy is. Is this mom's only litter? She may be acting this way because she only had one puppy to give all of her attention to. The constant licking may be an obsessive behavior. First of all, cut the bringing her food to her out. That's just being spoiled. :-) Make her eat where she normally eats, the kitchen, where ever. Trust me, she won't starve herself. If the pup is old enough, let him spend some time away from mom. Put mom in a room, and let the pup go outside by himself. This will help both of them. When she licks him like that, get her attention and give her something else to do. I had a female like this and she actually licked bald spots on the puppy. Good luck, and if I can help with anything else, let me know!

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for your advice, I will definatly give it a try. However, takeing the baby outside is not an option as he is only 4 days old as of today. Knowing the age now, if there is anymore advice, I would greatly appreciate. Again, thank you for all your help.
         Tricia

Answer
lol 4 days old makes a HUGE difference. It really changes everything. I thought we were talking about an older pup. It sounds like mom is just being a good mom. Bring her food to her for now, she needs all that she will eat. Make her go outside to potty though. She sounds like she just doesn't want to leave him. Thank your lucky stars for that! All of this will most likely get better as time goes by. Especially when the baby get those sharp puppy teeth in. :-) If it doesn't, try what I suggested above. For now though, just let mom be a good mom. This is truly normal behavior for a mom with such young pups. Good luck, and let me know if I can help with anything else!