Can anyone educate me on the do's and don'ts of approaching a female dog when she is with her pups. I can't recall but I remember reading some time back there were certain protocols to be aware of especially if the dog was one of size and power.

Thanks...any info would be appreciated

The biggest guideline is just to watch mom constantly. Never take your eyes off her until you know she's alright with you handling her babies. Spend time getting to know mom first before you even acknowledge the pups presence. I've always found that helps a lot. The moms don't really like to have a stranger come in and just start handling their babies without introducing themselves and showing mom you mean no harm to her.

I'm not aware of any specific protocols other than that. Try and get to know mom a little bit and then just lightly stroke one of the pups and go back to fussing over mom. If she's fine with that then you can try going a little further towards like picking them up or putting them back on the blankets. I find talking to mom in a happy cheerful voice while I'm handling her pups to help a lot. I always removed mom out of sight and hearing range(if possible) before we needed to do anything to the pups that they might fuss about like trimming their baby claws. It just helped for her to never witness me doing anything that upset the pups.

Oh, and treats go along way towards a dog trusting you. Even if they don't take the treat just the fact that you offered it helps. Nursing moms could almost always use the extra calories anyway.

All of what Cathy said should work for a mellow mom.

BUT, if you MUST approach a strange mother or higher personality mom (ESPECIALLY if the pups are very young), I would always separate her from the pups. Wait until she goes to the bathroom, to eat, etc and leash and remove. Unless the mother totally trusts you, I would never approach. I have seen moms that seem fine suddenly lash out at the person and, especially if they are small pups, step on them or otherwise unintentionally hurt them.

Getting mom’s trust is key, but tough during this time. There are many moms that are fine and happy to let someone touch her babies, but I would not want to chance it.

Often when the pups are older, eyes open and walking a little, she may be more apt to allow handling.

Who has pups Valerie?

No one I know. I was told of an incident regarding two adult PB dogs and a litter of pups. The adults attacked and killed an elderly man. The man was not well, he was reported to have MS. There was very little information about the situation other than the dogs were loose in the yard and the man (a neighbor) was asked to come and feed the dogs. It appears he approached the dogs with food and he was attacked and killed.

It was reported as an unprovoked attack, "they turned" is how it was reported. I was wondering if the pups might have been a contributing factor. I don't know if the dogs were trained, they certainly were not contained properly and this poor man walked into a very dangerous situation, I am assuming unknowingly - he paid with his life.

Makes me sad.....

Wow! How sad.

Could have been a protecting the pups thing or a protecting the property thing or a combination of both. Hell, even a bad dog thing.

Very sad no matter how you look at it.

I have a first litter due from my gsd,and wondered if there any other precaustions that I have taken were enough.She is a dog who is german/check hard, but never leaves my side.Im with her 24/7,so I have told all, to stay away for 3 weeks, She is 3yrs, male 1 1/2,no inbreeding . he comes Jaguar VON DER MAUSESPITZ,
she from imports,Both checked for health and were approved,I do feed raw She has 2 rooms set up one with me and one that I have been putting her in for 2 weeks, she is due in 2 more weeks. Male is kenneled in finished garage,and have kept him away.If anyone can think of more I can do,Im listening DEE

First time momma's can be fun.

My basic rule of thumb is not to stress them out. What would be my office/den in a normal household is my whelping room and no other dogs are allowed in there. I have them start sleeping in the whelping box a couple of weeks before delivery and I do also have a crate in there that they can enter at will.

When mom is in labor I'm present but try just to be a soothing presence unless she needs help.

I think the most important thing to do with a first time mom is to play it by ear and not stress her. Some will want little help from you with the pups and some are more comforable with you handling the pups more. I am very cautious in handling a pup at first. Nothing gets your attention faster then a mom trying to snatch a pup out of your hands.
Do you have an experienced breeder that you can call? I have about 6 people on speed dial when I'm whelping....LOL

And make sure you have an emergency number for your vet. You do not want to have to go to an emergency clinic.

Ed has some excellent articles on his site. We also stock up on goat's milk both for pups and for mom and for weaning. My mom's coats look wonderful after a litter and I think that has a lot to do with the goats milk we give her. Ed's formula if you have to supplement feedings is better then any i have purchased, make sure you have everything on hand in case you need it.

Oh, and I learned this one the hard way on the last litter. Make sure you have a spare whelping kit in your vehicle for that mad dash to the vet in the middle of the night.

I also have a seperate "potty" area for mom and later for the pups away from my other dogs.

Oh, and stock up on the Cuban coffee for you! It seems like I always go at least 24 hours without sleep!

 Quote: JessicaKromer

All of what Cathy said should work for a mellow mom.

Excellent point! Don't ever try to handle the pups from an aggressive mother when she's in the kennel.