We have two German Sheperds, Luca and Lacey. We are expecting pups in about two weeks. We have had puppies before, but we have never owned both the male and the female. My husband is concerned about how Luca is going to react to the puppies. He is afraid that Luca will try to hurt them and Lacey will fight him to protect her babies. Both dogs are well behaved. They sleep in the house with us, and are never aggressive towards us. But sometimes they argue with each other. We stop them before it gets out of hand, but sometimes to do that we have to put them in separate rooms. I know it is the pack instinct to determine what their pack order is, so I am not to concerned about that, we just wonder about how they will be once the puppies arrive. Anyone who has experience with this please advise us on this.
Thanks

Hi Linda,

I highly recommend ording Ed's video Whelping Puppies . This is a great video! It details setting up for whelping, the birth process and the 1st 8 weeks of life. He also has a video detailing the period from 8wks to 8mths: Leerburg Video - 8 wks to 8 mths.

Its been my experience that much depends on the dogs involved (both the male and the female). You will definately want to keep your male away from the new mum and her pups for at LEAST the first 2 or 3 weeks. Just because your dogs live together and get along well most of the time doesn't mean this will be the case once the puppies arrive. Maternal instincts are a funny thing. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Has your male been well socialized with other young puppies (ie: pups between 6 and 12 weeks of age)??? If not he may be confused by or even fearful of the new pups... this can be an volatile situation, especially if he is fearful <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />.

NEVER allow him near the whelping box unsupervised! It is unlikely that the bitch will even allow him near the whelping box in firt few weeks anyway but it is stressful for all involved is she must be constantly 'on guard'. Better to keep her in a private area where she can focus all her attention to the pups and not worry about the other dog. She may start to allow him in the room/pen or closer to the whelping box as they develop past the transitional stage (after their eyes/ears open and they are more mobile).

You must know your dog too! I have an adult male (Malinois) that I would never have allowed near a puppy under the age of 4 months for any reason, EVER! He's a good dog, tons of training & socializing, but I just wouldn't trust him. He's VERY high prey drive and he is somewhat fearful small puppies (ie: less than about 4 months). With that said I have another stud dog (GSD) that is so gentle with the pups that you'd almost think he was thier mother... if the bitch is comfortable having him around we start introducing him to the pups when they are about 3 weeks old +/-. These introductions are only for short periods of time (just a few minutes at at time). This is done very slowly, carefully, and always under serious supervision. He is never allowed in the whelping box, rather we just allow him in the room. We have an x-pen around our whelping box so he can't really make contact with them but he is able to see, smell & hear them. Again if he is reliable and mum is comfortable I may hold a pup in my lap for a moment and allow them to sniff one another. I always have another person in the room to assist with the dogs/puppies and the environment is very structured & controlled.

Just remember... If you have doubts about having your male near the bitch or puppies at any time its not worth the risk!!! Use common sense and above all else don't take uncessesary chances, it could potentially cost the life of one of your animals. The health and welfare of your new pups and thier mother are paramount at this point... it may be more work for you to keep your male away from her initially but you will get into a routine and it will get easier. Your male will have ample opprotunity to enjoy positive socializing in a controlled manner in the weeks to come (take your time & don't rush it).

I hope this helps a little <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />. Good luck and congratulations on your upcoming litter.