Roots of the Behavior
Most canine behaviours are strongly linked to their wild roots. Carrying and fetching items comes from natural hunting behaviour. Wolves in the wild show appreciation to their pack leaders by bringing them things. Since you are a pack leader to your dog, your dog shows appreciation by bringing things to you.
Your dog looks to you for guidance, leadership, and sometimes even protection. This means that your dog possibly sees you as the ultimate protector of her babies. Bringing you her puppies shows how comfortable your dog is with you and how much she trusts you. Congratulations, you are now the new puppy sitter!
You also reinforce the behaviour if you have a happy and excited reaction to receiving the puppies. Your dog ultimately wants to please you, so she will continue behaviour that makes you happy.
Encouraging the Behavior
Dogs often aren’t confident on their own, so they seek reassurance from someone they trust. It’s possible that your dog is feeling overwhelmed with being a new mom and is seeking comfort from you. Make her feel as safe as possible, and don’t withhold affection just because she has puppies.
Why Do Dogs Move Their Puppies?
It’s not uncommon for a mother dog to constantly move her puppies. Why does she do this? It’s a simple answer, and it goes back to your dog’s ancestral roots.
In the wild, dogs aren’t at the top of the food chain, so they do have some predators to worry about. Puppies have even more predators to worry about. They’re small, helpless, and can’t defend themselves. Pups are an easy prey target, and it’s the mother’s job to protect them.
This is why dogs move their puppies – to protect them. If a mother dog feels her litter isn’t safe, she will take them somewhere that feels safe. Sometimes this means moving them to multiple spots around the house until she finds a spot that feels just right.
A mother will also move her pups if the area they are in is uncomfortable in some way for either her or her puppies. This could mean it’s too hot or too cold, or too noisy.
While it’s instinctual for a dog to move her puppies, it can be dangerous to the pups if they are moved around too much. Puppies are sensitive and fragile if they are over-handled too young. Thankfully, there are ways to prevent this behaviour.
The best way to stop your dog from moving her puppies around is to give her a proper whelping box location, along with love and support in nurturing her pups. Make sure the box is in a quiet space that can be closed off from the business of the household. Keep the temperature appropriate and not too cold, as this can be uncomfortable for young puppies.
One thing to watch for is that your dog doesn’t move the puppies to an unsafe location. It’s best to keep a whelping box in an appropriate space where you can check on the puppies regularly. This is often the best way to keep mom from constantly moving her puppies all over the house.
It’s important to note that while a mother dog will carry her puppies by the scruff of their neck, it doesn’t mean you should. She will only do this while the puppies are very young. Once they outgrow “scruffing” and can move around on their own, the mom will use vocal cues and body language to move her puppies around.
Conclusion
If your dog is bringing you their puppies, it is a sign that they love and trust you. Sometimes mom also moves their puppies around the house to protect them. Providing a safe and secure space for your dog to nurture her pups is the best way to care for her and prevent her from doing this.
