When to introduce other dogs to newborn puppies.

Question
QUESTION: Hi.
I have 3 champagne white German shepherds 2 bitches and 1 male. They are all the best of friends and look out for one another and have never had any fights over anything. They share all of their toys and treats and swap them around between them all of the time with no growls or any signs of distress. They all get on so well with each other and they cuddle up together when they are sleeping. Both of my bitches are due in season in October and I am going to breed one of them. This will be my first litter and I know how to do everything that is needed of me should my bitch or puppies have any problems but what I don't know is if I should keep the father to the pups and my other bitch away from the puppies after the puppies have opened their eyes and are moving around or if it would be ok to let them in to see them. I have been told that it would be best to keep them away but the problem I have with this is that my 3 dogs are definitely a pack and they are always together. When I took my boy to the vets for his hipscoring the other 2 just cried for him sat by the door and looked for him and wouldn't even play or eat until he had come back home and it was the same when the bitches were taken to the vets. So please could you help me here as I do not want to get this wrong as it is my first breeding and I do not want to distress any of my dogs in anyway as they are so close to each other. I am sorry this is so long but I needed to explain my situation to you so that you had all the details needed for answering my question. I would appreciate any advice you could give me on this matter. Many Thanks and Kind Regards. Sandy. PS. If my bitch comes into season on time we should have Christmas puppies, what a wonderful Christmas present from my amazing big cuddly white bears.

ANSWER: Things in the pack will change when the puppies are born. The mom, who use to love to be around other dogs may suddenly try to fight both of her former companions. Of course, you have to socialize the puppies with the other dogs. When the pups are about 4 weeks of age, I'd try and see how the mom reacts to the other dogs being around them. If she's ok with it, then so be it. If she's not, then wait another week, and see how it goes then. You'll be surprised as to how much things will change once the babies come. The other dogs may also become violent towards the puppies, it's been known to happen. People 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. Is the mom to be the alpha dog? The pack order is an important thing. Just keep an eye open to watch for subtle signs that things are changing. Good luck!

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QUESTION: Hi.
Thankyou for your reply, I have taken onboard everything that you have said and I will  introduce them to the pups one at a time at about 4 weeks old and watch them very carefully.
Re to the pack order and the alpha dog I am the alpha dog of the pack lol. When they were pups I bought them up the same way their mothers would by shaking their necks when they jumped up or did something wrong or I would gently hold my hand over their mouth if they were mouthing or play biting, I even used to growl at them lol. Now you must be thinking that I am totally mad but I found that this way worked for my dogs and they look up to me and have a lot of respect for me. They answer to me only and if I tell them to do something I am pleased to say they do as they are told and I have never found the need to shout at them as its a case of what mum says goes lol so hopefully fingers crossed all will go well with the mating and they will all be able to carry on being the best of friends together and with the pups. Once again Thankyou for your help. Kind Regards. Sandy.

Answer
Sandy, I completely agree with your methods, I use them often myself. However, they is an alpha dog amongst your dogs. The one higher up after you. There's a pecking order that starts with the alpha, you, then goes on down the line. That's what I was asking. :-) Sometimes you can run into trouble when the omega dog has puppies. You may not notice the pecking order, but if you watch real close, you'll see slight signals. I wish you the best of luck with your future fur babies!