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               Puppy Rejection               

Jackie Drakeford
www.shootingtimes.co.uk
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If a bitch rejects a whole litter, the problem is almost always to do with the bitch, but if she rejects one particular whelp while caring for the others in an exemplary fashion, the wise dog owner takes note.  I have known bitches bury one puppy alive, or keep taking it out and wedging it behind something, and I had one bitch that kept thrusting the whelp into my hands, as if telling me she wanted rid of it.  Such whelps, if taken away and hand-reared, almost always have some sort od severe health problem, physical or mental, though whatever it is may not manifest itself for quite some time.

Rarely is it just the smallest puppy that is rejected, for there is quite a difference between a small but well proportioned puppy and a genuine runt, which may well be misshapen, usually with a head too large for its body and limbs.  Small puppies can grow into normal-sized adults, though may always be slightly smaller than the rest of their litter, which is not a fault in itself, unless you are breeding for size.  A rejected puppy may well be normal sized and to the untutored eye no different from the others - but the bitch knows.  If the puppy is artificially reared and survives, other dogs will know it is a "wrong un" and attack it, for all animals are programmed to reject those of their ilk that are badly damaged.  Such an animal may enjoy all manner of sofas and toys, but will only ever know antagonism from its own kind and will never be a dog among dogs.

Once I would have tried to rear a rejected whelp, but I know better now, and these days would take it to be put down.  The bitch knows best.

reprinted with kind permission from Alastair Balmain
Deputy Editor:Shooting Times & Country Magazine
Blue Fin Building, 110 Southwark Street SE1 0SU
Tel: 020 3148 4750

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  The above information is simply informational. It's intent is not to replace the advice of a veterinarian nor to assist you in making a diagnosis of your pet. Please consult with your own veterinarian for confirmation of any diagnosis. Your pets life may depend on it.