Viewing Pups With Dam

[robandlin]

I have just been to view a litter of 5 week old pups. They were lovely but mum was very uneasy pacing up and down and barking. As I left and pups were safely back in their crate the bitch nipped me on the heel!

I have told the breeder I am no longer interested but she said that her bitch has a lovely temperament and is just being protective of the puppies and this is normal for any dog.

I know I have done the right thing but I was so upset. Any kind words would be appreciated as this has put me off getting a whippet now.

 

[Millie]

Bitches with the soundest temperment will become very protective off thier pups.

They are only five weeks old, her hormones are still working over time, shes never met you before, she doesn't know you were just looking at her babies, to her you were a threat to them and her nipping you was her way of saying leave my babies alone.

Some bitches are fine with everybody viewing thier pups, others are not. If this had been my bitch, I would have introduced you to mum away from the puppies, then put her away so she could not see you looking at her pups.

I'm sorry you feel you can not longer have one of these pups due to this natural act.

 

[kiskutya]

Every bitch will be different in her reaction to strangers viewing the pups. Jet is the most outgoing Whippet day-to-day and will befriend any and everyone, but when she has pups she is very protective , will put herself between the pups and anyone other than our immediate family. She does not like 'strangers' viewing her pups, will let people fuss them but only if I'm there to reassure her. If she were left alone with her pups and strangers I feel sure she might nip if she felt threatened or if they made a sudden move towards the pups. She does growl a warning when people strange come in when she has pups and has barked - other than this we have NEVER heard her growl or bark.

Pippa, Jet's sister, is much more reserved and less 'in your face' than Jet, yet she loved everyone who came to see her puppies, fussing over all the visitors, happy for them to play with, or hold the pups. We even had about 8 'strangers' at one time looking at the pups and Pippa was an angel. Just goes to show how differently bitches can react when they have pups to how they are when they don't.

Personally I would always expect a bitch to be protective of her pups and take everything very slowly when viewing a litter.

 

[05whippet]

I personally think it is unfair on the Mum to have potential new owners come in and view her pups and NOT expect her to behave in a perfectly natural way and protect them by whatever means she sees fit.

I agree with Millie,the Mum should be introduced to the potential new owner on neutral turf away from the pups.

When Bracken had her last litter she was very protective and growled at everyone and barked up to six weeks,even my parents whom she knows very well. And she is the most loving happy go lucky dog you could meet,she was fine with both my OH and myself and any people who came to see the puppies did so when Bracken was taken away and she then met them outside in the garden and was fine.

It is much better for both the pups and the dam if it is done this way (I think anyway)

But I would'nt let it put you off getting a Whippet,it is after all perfectly normal and I might be more worried if the bitch could'nt have cared less. Whippets make fantastic pets and companions and are the most loving and family orientated breed that I have had.Please think twice before dismissing them just because of this incident.

 

[robandlin]

Thanks for all your help and replies. Buying puppies is obviously a big learning curve and at least next time I will know what to expect.

:unsure:

 

[kirislin]

I agree with what the others have said. Perhaps it is worth re-considering these puppies & asking to see their mum without the pups.

good luck with whatever way you go, I hope you get a lovely puppy.

Linda

 

[Seraphina]

My bitches are also very protective of their pups. One would even stand between me and the pups when I pointed the camera at them

Now i know better and rather than let the potential buyers to see the mum with her hackles up and teeth bared, i put her away. I explain people why she is not here. Then i take them to the room where i locked her and as the pups are not there the bitch behaves more or less in her normal fashion. Also it is not a good idea to let the pups see their mum behaving in a protective way, as it teaches them that people are not to be trusted. I noticed that the moment the bitch sounds the allarm pups scatter and hide under furniture. That is all totally natural behaviour.

Photo; Bess at first stood between and the pup I tried to photograph, when i tried to shoo her off, she sat on him

 

[Seraphina]

My bitches are also very protective of their pups. One would even stand between me and the pups when I pointed the camera at them .

Now i know better and rather than let the potential buyers to see the mum with her hackles up and teeth bared, i put her away. I explain people why she is not here. Then i take them to the room where i locked her and as the pups are not there the bitch behaves more or less in her normal fashion. Also it is not a good idea to let the pups see their mum behaving in a protective way, as it teaches them that people are not to be trusted. I noticed that the moment the bitch sounds the allarm pups scatter and hide under furniture. That is all totally natural behaviour.

Photo; Bess at first stood between and the pup I tried to photograph, when i tried to shoo her off, she sat on him

 

[saraquele]

aw bless . that is so cute (w00t)

i must be the odd one out

when the vet and mark came yesterday jan was watching every move they made but never once growled or anything , she just watched and that was it :blink:

the first 12 hours after birth a stranger could have walked in and she would have given em away (w00t)

 

[~Helen~]

I'm sorry such a natural thing has put you off having a whippet and I think it's sad that you've dismissed these pups out of hand when you say they were lovely. If you liked everything else about them, then why not go back for another chat with the breeder? After all, as people have already said, the dam was acting in an entirely natural way - you were a threat, because you were there to choose one of her babies and potentially take it away in a few weeks!

On both occasions that we went to choose Josie and Lola, the dam was very gentle but she watched us like a hawk. I wouldn't have expected anything else from her. She was being a good mum :huggles:

 

[Paula Roberts]

We have a bitch who is identical to what you have described, what i"ve always done is took mum out of the area where the pups are and put her in another room so that the people can look at the puppies, i tell them mum is very possesive, once they"ve had a look i get them to sit down away from the pups and let mum back in, she will then go and check her pups and go and greet the people no problem, so the people then know how gentle and placid she is, she will then go back in with her babies, and if they then went near she would nip them, these are her babies and she will do anything she has to to protect them. Once they get to 8 weeks shes had enough and anyone can have them. :lol: I wouldnt let the mum doing this put you off the litter. :thumbsup: Hope you get sorted out. :thumbsup:

 

[dessie]

i must be the odd one out  when the vet and mark came yesterday jan was watching every move they made but never once growled or anything , she just watched and that was it  :blink:

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Each bitch is different. Some of mine are like Jan, but Angel with her first litter was like the bitch described. She 'headbutted' two people before I realised what she was doing because I had never had such a protective bitch before and then she jumped up at some guy (from a family none of my dogs liked anyway) out on a walk when the pups were older and ripped his teeshirt!!! I was mortified but she was just doing what came naturally with raging hormones! She was not half as bad with her 2nd litter but she did prefer some people to others and one family she really hated and I actually refused them a puppy ultimately because I did not take to the father either.