New mother dog

Question
Pit mix had first litter.  There are 7 puppies.  The first was the largest and she has bitten the pup.  She growles at the puppies when my niece leaves her alone with them.  Not sure what to do.

Answer
Hi Karen. You may have to either muzzle the mom when she nurses the puppies, or take over the care of them yourself. Some mothers are very aggressive towards their puppies, not really for sure why. You can try to muzzle her so that the puppies can atleast nurse from her, but I wouldn't leave her alone with them. If it gets really bad, you'll have to feed them yourself, and 'poop' them. You may want to check and make sure she doesn't have an infection in her breasts, and that the puppy's nails are not too long and sharp. Good luck!