Mother dog acting strange toward pup...need help/advice/sumn?

Okay here's the story...I took my pup to the vet because he had a broken jaw and he's been there for a week. He returned last night and the mother just came and sniffed him then walked away. Now she's been giving the other two pups attention like checking them for fleas and cleaning them but she just walks past the other pup. I just wanna know whats really happening...has she forgotten that he's her pup or what???Mother dog acting strange toward pup...need help/advice/sumn?
It is likely that your mother dog is a bit confused. She doesn't understand that you took her pup away to help him and now he has come back and smells all different, vet clinics smell very strongly of cleaning agents and other animals. He probably looks very different too being 1 week older! Dogs rely on their sense of smell a lot to identify other animals.





To help mum dog recognise her baby again I would suggest rubbing mum and the other two pups with a towel and then rubbing the broken jaw pup with the same towel, this will help make him smell more like the litter.





Give mum time to readjust to the reintroduced puppy, i'm sure she'll come round in time. Keep a close eye on the little fellow in the meantime, he may need some extra puppy milk or food depending on his age and whether he is feeding from mum still. Good luck.Mother dog acting strange toward pup...need help/advice/sumn?
usually when there is something wrong with one of the pups, the mother abandons them and leaves them alone (it's like this with a lot of animals). If this continues, they feeding the pup and raising it on your own with out the mother. Also try to put the pup near her and see what happens, just make sure she doesn't attack him. How old is the pup btw?
well, when you go 2 the doctor for one week, do you smell exactly the way u were? Maybe the mother just is unfamiliar with his new smell. wait till the pup gets his old smell back
She knows its her pup, put the pup under her nose so she can smell him. Stay with them both though incase mumturns on the pup.
For one, he smells and looks completley different. While she hasn't forgotten, she's not sure what to do with him anymore due to the scents, etc... She's confused. Also, by instinct, she knows something's wrong with the pup and her ';survival of the fittest'; instinct has probably kicked in. Most dogs will turn away a pup and focus all their attention/energy on the others if a pup is too small, sick, or injured. That's natural instinct.





I also recommend rubbing the mom (especially her nipple area, just be gentle) and the other two pups with a towel thoroughly and then doing the same with him. Also, you could try gently lifting his tail and placing his rear close to her nose. Regardless of whether or not WE like the idea, rear sniffing is one of the best ways for a dog to get to know another dog. This can help lessen her confusion by confriming that this IS her pup and may help reassure her to take care of the pup.





Keep him near her, and keep an eye on them. Don't push or rush it, as that can make her rejection worse and she'll turn away from him altogether. If you need to, remove the other pups for an hour or so and leave her with just him, with your supervision. Also, you may want to go and buy some puppy replacement milk to supplement him until she's willing to care for him again. I'd get a couple cans just in case she DOESN'T accept him back, which may very well happen. Best of luck to you and the pup!





By the way, if you DO end up having to hand raise the pup, keep him with mom while he's not eating so long as she's not acting agressively towards him. Even if she's not feeding him, this could give her a chance to teach him CRUCIAL puppy lessons that all pups need from their mothers that humans just can't seem to replace. Such as biting, food boundaries, etc... He'll need these in order to be a slightly better behaved puppy in the future. Again, good luck to you both!





EDIT: Given that the pup is two months old, this is more or less normal. She's more then likely wheening the pups altogether now. The pup's age can also be a factor in why she's ignoring this pup. At this age, you may see her doing it with the other two as well. At this age, this is more or less normal.