Do Mother Dogs Miss Their Puppies? Our Vet Explains

Do Mother Dogs Miss Their Puppies? Our Vet Explains

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Nothing warms the heart quite like seeing a mother dog snuggling up with her adorable litter of puppies, but we know that this will eventually have to end. Once puppies are weaned, strong, and independent, it’s usually time for them to say goodbye to their mother and siblings and join an eagerly awaiting family.

If we think about this from a human perspective, having our babies taken away just as they get to school age would be horrifying, so it’s natural to wonder how dogs feel when their puppies go to new homes.

When we try to see things through the eyes of our dogs, we sometimes get turned around, and start to see their lives from our perspective, which can get confusing! Although we can never truly know what our dogs feel, we can use logic, science, and behavior to get a better understanding of their emotional experience.

So, Do Mother Dogs Miss Their Puppies? The answer is more complex than you might realize. Read on to learn more.

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The Problem with Over-Identifying With Our Dogs

Something that many of us are guilty of at one time or another is ‘anthropomorphism,’ which is projecting human logic, interpretations, and emotions onto other animals. Although this is certainly better than being apathetic to the life and experience of other species, it doesn’t always give us an accurate picture.

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