Canine Maternal Behavior

A pregnant canine mom will prepare a nest and become "broody" days before she is about to give birth. The mothering feelings are the result of powerful hormones, such as progesterone, released from the ovaries, and prolactin, released from the anterior pituitary gland.

This hormonal drive is so powerful that some non-pregnant bitches engage in the nesting behavior during what is called a false pregnancy. In such cases, non-pregnant bitches will lactate (produce milk) and some will gather stuffed toys into a designated nesting area to fulfill a basic biological need. This is why we do an ultrasound to confirm pregnancy and an x-ray at the end to confirm how many and that none are of a size that a c-section is required.

(If you are looking for the pregnancy calendar, look at the message below this one.)

Not all non-pregnant bitches will engage in false pregnancy behaviors.

At term, pregnant bitches pace anxiously and lick themselves as they prepare for the big event. Not all breeders are able to be with their moms during this stage but we are at Talemaker Havanese, from beginning to all the way through raising the little ones. But it's not just about the pups but the moms too. They need to feel 'special' as they are in their miracle of life role.

With Fiona, she didn't want to leave our side when it was time and tried to nest in our bed right up against me. I had taken her temperature and saw that it dropped so we knew it was soon. So, I told Nathan to get some sleep and I would wake him when it was close. As we have had long nights without pups, we feel it is imperative for one of us to sleep so we are each fresh at critical stages. But Fiona didn't let Daddy sleep too long and we were soon waking him up as neither of us are willing to miss the event. It's never something you are complacent with.

Once the pups are born, the mom's life is changed as dramatically as if a switch has been thrown. She thinks constantly about her pups and their welfare, and devotes every waking minute to their care often making a mad dash only after she knows the pups are safe to go out and do her business and get back to them in an urgent manner. Here is where trust in us humans come into play and is a must.

Mom must be fed well with a calcium rich diet to avoid eclampsia. She is also feeding many and her food intake is increased beyond what it was before she whelped.

Pups are born blind, deaf and helpless. Havanese are only about 3, 4 5 or 6 ounces at birth. It is a stage where they need us to sit vigil and we do taking turns. At this stage of their lives, just about the only things the pups know how to do are to suckle and sleep, which they do alternatively. At times you have to help the pups find their way to the nipples and latch on. You have to make sure mom doesn't lay on them by accident or one doesn't squirm around the back of her missing a feeding. Without their mother's undivided attention, they would undoubtedly perish and we help the mom along giving her special moments, grooming her in sight of the pups. Massaging and caressing her. She needs to know she counts. We find by making sure mom is loved and cared for, it makes her job with the pups easier. Her state of mind is important. Her job is to provide them with food (milk), to keep them warm, and to protect them from danger. Even first time mothers seem to know what to do though some may need guidance. So the "know how" seems to be innate though there is little doubt that moms mothering skills improve with experience. But some like Fiona take to it as if this is what they were meant to do all their lives. It is amazing to watch such an experience.

The brain center that coordinates maternal behavior is the hypothalamus, which communicates with the pituitary gland. The sight, smell and touch of the nursing pup activates the release of various hormones from the pituitary gland, including two hormones instrumental in the propagation of maternal behavior, oxytocin and prolactin. Oxytocin is responsible for expulsion of the afterbirth, milk letdown, and the extremely close bond that develops between the bitch and her litter. Prolactin controls milk production and fosters the feeling of maternal protectiveness. Because moms are primed and programmed in this way, they will carefully guard their pups, keeping them warm and protecting them against danger, while feeding and nourishing them so they develop relative and then complete independence. The latter is the goal and end point of successful maternal behavior.

The First 10 Days

Sometimes known as the neonatal period, this is the postnatal stage at which pups are most needy and require the most attention. During this period, they are harbored and nursed by ever-attendant mothers who actively provide all the necessary attentions. One of these attentions is that of grooming the pups. Grooming stimulates and cleans the pups but also promotes bonding and more rapid maturation of their nervous systems. It is also the way in which the bitch guides her pups to the safety of her warm underbelly. For the first three weeks of the pup's life, the bitch's grooming of pups' anogenital region is also useful to promote the elimination of urine and feces. The bitch ingests the pup's solid waste to keep the nest clean and free of telltale odors and disease. Devouring the placenta and fetal membranes is a sanitization duty that the bitch performs immediately after giving birth, and she does this quickly. Recycling the afterbirth in this way is biologically efficient and removes evidence of the birthing from the sensory scope of wandering predators. It also offers many nutrients. We often allow ours to eat a few. Eating all may upset their stomach. But it does stain the hair and some would prefer to avoid such. For us we do everything to ensure the mom and pups are healthy and looks for all those pretty pictures you see are secondary.

The Transitional Period

Following the neonatal period, the pups' eyes open and their ear canals become patent, allowing them to fully imbibe the wonders of the outside world for the first time. During this time of rapid learning, which occurs between the second and third week of life, the bitch's attention on her pups remains undivided.

Socialization Period

The socialization period of a pup's life spans from the third to the twelfth week. From week three to week six, pups become progressively more active and exploratory and their mother's attention shifts from one of simply feeding and watching over them to one of policing struggles and herding wandering pups to within a safe radius. Pups become progressively more active and exploratory and more independent. The mom will encourage independence toward the end of this period by discouraging clingy behavior and punishing some incursions of the pups into her space. While running a tight ship, the mom will also teach her pups to eat solid food as she progressively severs her ties with them. She knows they will be leaving the nest.

There are occasional times when a new mom needs help in understanding her role. They may prefer to be with us vs. their pups. That is why it is important that we offer them the support and love. Some moms have little time for their pups and some truly dysfunctional moms will even kill their pups (a behavior known as infanticide). In these latter cases, something has gone wrong and the process has not followed on the rails that nature has provided. Cesarean section is one disturbance that can throw the natural progression off track because the normal early visual, olfactory, and tactile stimuli leading to bonding are thwarted. Failure to form an early bond can lead to trouble downstream, including disastrous consequences. When we have a c-section, we make sure mom bonds with their pups by holding each one in front of her to get her to clean them. We ooh and ahh over her and her pups and tell her how wonderful she is and we mean it. We have been lucky thus far to have moms that have had various degrees of being nurturing and loving. Each has their own style but luckily all of ours have been caring and loving. We are happy with the attention all our moms pay to their broods.

A mother's role changes during the development of her pups from one of maximal support at their time of greatest need to one of direction, protection and, finally, independence training as they mature. A degree of independence is achieved by the 70th day post partum and it is around this time that our pups are placed in their new homes. Of course, they still require considerable care from their human guardians at this stage but are certainly capable of surviving without their moms in a protected domestic situation. In nature, wolves and wild dog pups stay with the pack and rely on pack kills for their source of food. They then begin to play hunt and, finally, learn the ropes of their hunting trade for themselves. By this time, their mother's influence is almost non-existent and within the limitations of their pack life, the now young dogs have achieved relatively full independence. Here at Talemaker Havanese, the pack is a critical socialization and skill process. They learn to go up and down stairs, bite inhibition and much much more.

We also engage our grand kids and visitors to expose them to all sorts of people from all shapes and sizes. We try to cover as much exposure as we can in a safe environment but the learning never stops as they move on to their forever homes.

Without their mother's earlier support they could never have made it this far and while they may not remember it as acutely as when they were young or thank her for it, they owe her their lives and we owe them for allowing us to experience such an amazing moment in their lives.