Mother dog (mini dachshund) attacks 8-week old puppy over a toy.

by Tammy
(Michigan)

the first two are of 1st litter; black is the male puppy

This is our second litter. First litter she had 2 (1 male & 1 female). The male was passive, but the female was not and followed the mother around all the time. The mother dog had attacked (or fought with) the female puppy over toys or too aggressive play.

The vet told us she was done being a mother and not to wait until they turned 10-weeks to give them to their new family. She never did this with the male and still sees the male from time to time, but we watch her with him just in case something happens. My daughter has this puppy.

We now have a second litter of 4 puppies, 1 male and 3 females. We had to tube feed the male until it was able to thrive on its own. This puppy and one of the other females are more like the female puppy in the first liter. They are again at the 8-week old mark and she just attacked the assertive female over a toy.

Why is she doing this? Can we change this behavior? We were considering keeping one of the female puppies who were very passive. We are concerned now that she may turn on the puppy even though it is passive. We have seen info online about having puppies too early may cause a behavior, but usually within the first week of birth.

We have not had any issues with the male puppy who visits here from time to time. We also own the father dog and he gets along very well with his off-spring. The mother dog gets along well with the father also. Why does she go after the outgoing female puppies? Is it just a dominance issue? Can we do anything about this to keep it from happening?

We don't plan on having any more puppies since the mother dog has started to have seizures. She averages about one every 4 to 6 weeks. I don't believe this has anything to do with this behavior though. But due to the seizures don't want to pass this on to any other off-spring.

Thanks for helping!





Hi Tammy
Those are adorable puppies, and your momma dog looks to be doing a good job of taking care of them when they're tiny.

Some dogs are just more 'maternal' than others, and your girl is not doing too badly. I've heard horror stories of dogs who kill or neglect their puppies all together. I have two females myself, and one of them is an excellent mom - the other one, not so much! She's best described as 'careless' with them.

Friction between two dogs of the same sex is common, and if you want to keep a pup I would recommend making it a laid-back male. Your dog seems more threatened and defensive around the girls than the boys, and since your adult male is easy going I think another male is your best bet.

In general, two dogs of the opposite sex have the potential for conflict once they're both adults. But although males will posture and make a lot of noise, unless they're fighting over a female in season, they tend to be more 'bark than bite'. Females are a different story. If you have a dominant female, she may attack the more submissive one if she feels threatened or challenged.... or even if she doesn't. And when they fight it's for real.

As for the way your dog behaves with her puppies, it would seem that she's fine for the first 6 - 7 weeks, then she's just 'had enough'. If you were to be breeding her again, I would strongly suggest that you start giving the momma time on her own, away from the babies, once they start weaning. As they grow and are more self-sufficient this time away should be increased. By 7 weeks old they can be totally separated from mom with no long-term effects. 8 weeks with mom is optimal, but in this situation there's no benefit from that.

I hope this helps somewhat. Best of luck with whatever puppy you choose to keep.