How to Stop a Dog From Eating Her Puppies?

Even though the idea of a mother dog eating her puppies might seem far-fetched, unfortunately, it can happen. But there are some things you can do to keep it from happening often. 

You can try to monitor the new mother and her puppies closely for the first few days after she gives birth. Remove any sources of stress or anxiety, and if a puppy is stillborn, remove it from the mother immediately.

In most cases, this won’t happen. However, it pays to learn how to stop a dog from eating her puppies, just in case this occurs to you or someone you know.

But first and foremost, it’s important to know why this happens in the first place so you can better avoid it.

Why Would a Mother Dog Eat Her Puppies?

The birthing and motherhood experience can be hard and taxing on anyone, especially a young or stressed-out dog. That’s why there are multiple reasons a mother dog can kill and eat one or more of her pups.

Let’s go over them quickly:

The Puppy is Sick or Stillborn

To us humans, cannibalism is a disgusting, unthinkable act. You wouldn’t think that for animals, our closest relatives, it’s a fact of life.

In fact, a mother eating her young is so common in the animal kingdom that sometimes it’s the most logical choice she has to make.

If a puppy is sick, its chances of survival are slim to none. The mother will have to focus on rearing the other puppies in the litter and doesn’t want to waste her attention on that puppy.

That’s why she might resort to neglecting it till it dies, or killing and eating it herself. Cannibalism is brutal, but makes more sense to her biologically, as she’ll get back all the lost nutrients.

The Mother is Stressed, Confused, or in Pain

A stressed first-time mother can get overwhelmed, so she might end up killing and eating her young. This is worsened by the fact that she might not be ready to have puppies.

That’s why everyone will advise you not to allow your dog to mate during her first heat cycle. Moreover, you should guard her closely during that time so she wouldn’t get pregnant.

The mother can also be confused about the puppies being her offspring. The small puppies look and act like prey, so she might confuse them with small animals unrelated to her.

In dogs, motherhood has a hormonal and neurological pathway that gets interrupted if the birth doesn’t happen vaginally. That’s why this has a higher chance of happening if she gives birth via cesarean section.

This is a problem that the Staffordshire Bull Terrier mostly suffers from.

Another reason is an inflammation of the mammary glands, called mastitis. The teats become red, swollen, and incredibly painful, so nursing becomes a nightmare for the mother dog.

The extreme pain can cause her to lash out at one of her puppies, injuring or killing it in the process. Eating it can be the next step, but you might mistake her hurting the puppy with her teeth with her trying to eat it.

How to Keep the Puppies Safe

I know the picture we painted above can look so grim, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

You can prevent this from happening to your precious dog and her future pups by taking a few cautionary steps. It will take some effort on your part, so be prepared to do your due diligence!

1. Keep a Watchful Eye

This is the most crucial step you can take to prevent a mother dog from hurting or eating her puppies. 

Since most instances of cannibalism happen right after birth or a couple of days after, you should be extra careful then. 

Have several responsible adults form shifts to watch over the dog and the puppies at all times. They should be prepared to intervene if anything happens.

2. Reduce Stress to a Minimum

Reducing stress means allowing the dog enough space without interfering with her process. Bringing in curious crowds who want to see the puppies won’t do anyone any good.

Her birthing place and the whelping area should be clean, quiet, and tidy. If anything startles her, try to comfort her so she doesn’t get freaked out.

You should also separate her from the male dog during and after birth. His presence might cause her, and the puppies, to feel panicked and uneasy.

3. Treat Any Mastitis or Infected Cesarean Section Wound

An infection or inflammation can cause severe pain and discomfort for your dog. That’s why you should closely monitor her body, noticing any slight change before it becomes too severe.

If the dog has an infection, you should take her to the vet immediately. They might prescribe antibiotics and painkillers that ease the symptoms and get her back on track.

In the meantime, you should watch how she reacts to the puppies and whether she shows any signs of aggression. If that’s the case, then consider the next step.

4. Be Prepared to Separate and Hand-Rear

Unfortunately, in some cases, you can’t stop the mother from hurting her pups. She might be too unwell or not ready to care for her young, so you should step in to clear the situation.

That’s why you should be prepared for anything that might turn up, including having to hand-rear the puppies. Here are a few things to consider if that’s where you are:

• If the mother rejects her pups or shows aggression early on, you might need to step in. Start feeding them with colostrum powder or any commercial puppy milk replacements.
• Keep the mother completely away from the puppies as she might try to hurt them even after separation.
• Record the puppies’ weight right after birth, then daily for the first two weeks. You can switch to bi-daily till they’re four weeks old, then weekly after the fifth week.
• Maintain a clean, tidy area for the puppies, always replacing any soiled lining. This should prevent any possible infections.
• If one of the pups shows signs of respiratory problems or any other illness, take it to the vet as they’ll know what to do in that situation.

Paul S.

Paul has been creating content for the dog niche for many years. The information he shares comes his first hand experience growing up in dog lovers household and then owning multiple dog breeds of his own as an adult. Paul enjoys doing the hard research to collect, analyze and present our dogtemperament.com readers with the best answers to their questions.