Our poodle Polly had five babies last night. Mother and kids are fine but for some reason she wants to take just one baby and look after it away from the others. Is this natural? Obviously the others need care as well.

Any advice on how to resolve this would be appreciated.

Thanks

help the mom by placing the pups on the teat every few hours and make sure they are nursing; if she isnt cleaning them, then u will have to do that as well, make sure they are warm, but unless she is trying to kill them, leave them with her, also, do not allow all the neighbors etc to come and visit, try to isolate the dam iwth the pups in some way that she is stuck with them, try to put her milk scent on them and see what happens,

new mother syndrome -- if it deosnt reasolve itself or u are worried u wull lose the pups, u will have to go one step up: hand rearing. but first try letting her bond. afterall, not all animal moms are naturals, it is also a learned act and some mothers freak out the first day or so...

make sure the others are not whining, not cold, bellies feel full, they seem 'vital', are not weak or just laying there...

and have only one person do all the handling etc, so as not to stress out the dam..

make sure she has enough milk for them also (by what i wrote above)

bina

israel

Thanks Bina.

We seem to be alright now. What she did was sneak back and take one of the puppies. She then hid in a corner and fed the puppy. Gradually one by one she retrieved the other four and fed them one by one. Obviously the five at one time were too much for her. I've now made a little home out of a cardboard box for them and they love it in there.

Once again thanks.

Kevin