What does it mean if my dog growls at her pups?

Today my dog growled at her pups and tried to bite one of them. I am told that dogs sometimes eat their young, but these pups are just under 3 weeks old, and she had been an excellent mother up until this point.

Then tonight, out of the blue, she growled and then half-barked, half-yelped at one of them. We tried to relax her, and she did initially, but then it happened again and she actually had the pup's head in her mouth. We're not sure what to do since we can't possibly feed all 11 of them without her. What does it mean, and what can be done to stop it?
Answers:
You really need to help her out with feedings. Your poor mother dog probably has very sore nipples from all the feedings she has to do. At 3 weeks old, the puppies eyes are open and little pin teeth are starting to come in. 11 pups is too much for any dog. You can buy puppy formula and little bottles even at Walmart, so try to help her out. Also, contact your vet and ask what is a good soother for her sore nipples. Be sure to also check to make sure she doesn't have mastitis(infection in the milk glands) this will cause alot of pain and redness,fever and swelling in the breast tissue-mastitis could be deadly for mom and pups..consult your vet if you suspect any of these symptoms.

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It could just be a bad day. Has she been away from the puppies at all?

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She is just establishing pack dominance as leader.

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This usally just means she's angry at them. If it dosn't stop in a few days contact the vet or the pound :).

Kat

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Perhaps it's hurting her to feed. I'd check her nipples. If it continues, I suggest calling the vet.

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C'mon now, your mom growls at you sometimes, now doesn't she? The poor dear has 11 hungry mouths to feed!! Make sure she's getting enough to eat and drink herself and see that she takes a break once in awhile, away from the pups! Just keep an eye on her but I think she may just be exhausted!! I sure would be!!

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WEll i have never had a dog that had babies but my cat did and when she would scrach them our hiss at them that ment she was pregnet again but i dunno if a dog can get preg. that fast . well thats all i got

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More than likely she is just a tired mommy who needs a break from her babies. She is just snapping at them and growling because she is frustrated. She's probably tired from feeding them since newborn pups need constant food and attention. Maybe it is a little bit of postpardum depression. I know it sounds ridiculous but it does happen.

Take her away from her puppies for a while. Give her lots of extra attention. Walk her, play with her. She just needs a little time out. Dogs will eat their young if there is something physically wrong with them and that's usually only if the puppies are sick.

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Sometimes al it means is they are getting on her nerves and she is disciplining them. But yes sometimes dogs will kill their own pups usually it's because something is wrong with them.

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How old is the mother? If she's been a good mom up till this point, it's possible it's because the puppies are starting to get their teeth and they hurt!! It could be that she's getting run down - are you supplementing the puppies (that's a lot for her to feed)?

Is she feeling insecure in the room with her pups? Are people or other dogs coming in and bothering her? Is she acting normal otherwise - eating and drinking ok?

It's possible she's just starting to discipline her puppies - they can get around now - was she moving the puppy to where she wanted him to stay? If she was going to eat them, she'd have done it when they were born, not now.

You need to just keep an eye on her, without seeing what's going on it's too hard to tell if she's just doing the normal disciplining. But if she's acting like there's something wrong with her, you may want to have a vet check her out (only if necessary, she won't want to leave the puppies for a long period of time),

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It might be dangerous, but maybe you should take the puppies to the vet. They can advise you how to take care of the puppies without her mother. You are going to need a dropper to feed them with milk. I guess she didn`t want to be a mother.

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Hmmm! Interesting.
Maybe you could get advice from a pet behavior expert, like that guy on television who goes around "diagnosing" animal behavior.

Dogs can become neurotic, in nearly the same way as humans do. (Not a pleasant thought, though, of course).

If I were you, I would closely observe the behavior of both the mother AND the pup that she has "disciplined", already.
(It sounds like the pup's behavior was not acceptable, to her!)

I know that mother cats often take their kittens into their mouth, by that loose flap of skin just behind the head, in the neck area: and, then those cat mothers transport the kitten to somewhere safe, usually.
(Usually the cat mommy is just keeping her babies safe, that way).

As to the doggie mommy, I am less certain.

Dogs, I know, are not as "coordinated" as cats are: so, the "puppy-head-in-the-mouth" thing may be similar to what a cat does--but without the "accuracy" of getting it right!
(Know what I mean?)
(So, a dog ends up putting the pup's head entirely into her mouth, instead).

Just check the pup's behavior, first.
Was it trying to wander off?

Note: Have you heard of mother dogs eating their young? I had always thought it was the father (or, non-father other male) that ate newborn pups--not the mother. I HAVE heard, though, of doggy moms who were just such bad mothers, at caring for their young, that they sat on their newborns and accidently smothered them, to death.

Final thought: Has she had a litter before? If so, was she a good mother then?

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She might be trying to toughen them up