My dog keeps taking care of her dead puppy. She gave birth to three puppies. Two of them were born dead and the third died recently after a week. What can I do to dispose of the dead puppy without upsetting her?
It's best to remove the puppy as soon as possible. Some will argue this must be done ASAP, but others emphasize the importance of not removing it too quickly.If removed immediately, before she can grasp the fact that it is dead, taking it away may be very upsetting to her. Because mothers know (or have a rough idea of) how many puppies are in their litter, they tend to become extremely frantic when one is removed. (You will see--in both living and dead puppies--a mother "counts" her puppies by placing her nose to each, and when one goes missing she will search for it relentlessly).That being said, when/if she is able to grasp its death, she will mourn it. So unfortunately, this is going to be tough on her no matter what. But she can and will recover, more quickly than you might expect.So while this may be a bit disturbing for you, I recommend waiting a little while before taking the pup away might be the best option.If the mother or other pups seem ill in anyway, however, take the dead pup away and bring them to the vet ASAP.Do not let *too* much time pass, either. Parasites and other diseases that may have contributed to it's death can easily be passed to the mother and the other puppies. If too much of time has passed (over a day or two), to the point where the puppy begins to decay and she still insists on trying to care for it, then it is time to remove the puppy, despite the stress it may cause. She may follow it to the grave or search the house for it.*Opinions vary on this matter, but I personally believe that in this case, its best to try to remove it when she is not able to see you doing it.However, this is a severe and unlikely scenario...The most likely scenario is that she will soon realize it is dead (temperature, rigidity, scent, etc.), and when she does she will be more comfortable with you separating it from her.Also: call your vet to have the deceased puppy tested, to make sure it is not carrying a disease or anything else that could cause the rest of the litter harm. See web MD's section on Canine Herpes Virus for more info on diseases/illness & the importance of getting the litter tested.This website is also very helpful/provides general information on caring for new litters, and what to do when a puppy dies: Care of the Pregnant DogHope this helped!
Can you kill a dog if it attacks you?
Yes, you can kill a dog who attacks you- if you feel your life is in jeopardy, defend yourself and worry about the law later…. most jurisdictions allow self defense. See all the posts about fighting off a police dog for that specific issue.But, can you actually kill the dog?Not without weapons, training and help. Unless it was a mop dog or lap dog, of course, but anything over say 10–12 kg (maybe less) and you are in trouble. Thats how much a staffordshire bull terrier weighs, and although I love staffies, I’ve seen one take a face full of pepper spray and keep attacking, and he was not going to stop unless he was prevented from attacking by some brave soul, who happened to be the SPCA officer with a neck loop. The SPCA guy nearly garrotted that dog before he would stop biting.Dogs attack for various reasons- because they are insanely aggressive, territorial, food-/resource guarding, or feel their breeding rights/pups are threatened. When they attack, unless they have been trained to attack “properly” like a Police dog, they go for the kill, because they assume you will. Unless you know what to do, they will get you before you get them.Most have a bite force strong enough to break bones and tear flesh. They will fight until subdued but you will stop when you are hurt. Other dogs may join in if present.If the dog has been trained to attack people, you’re in serious trouble.Best thing to do is learn to read dog calming signals and tell if a dog is aggressive- and if they are, calmly and quickly go the other way.http://en.turid-rugaas.no/calmin...