Foster mom and babies

[LillysMom70]

I picked up the lab mix foster I am keeping for the humane society for 8 weeks on Tuesday. She is a very good mother. I have an ex pen, piles of blankets, pee pads, a 50 pound bag of Science Diet puppy they gave me for her and her food and water bowls.
Her babies are adorable! A black mini me, looks just like her, a chocolate color, 4 tan and whites and a mostly white with black ears and mask, a mostly white with tan ears and spots on the face and a mostly white with black and tan mask. Very cute!!
She will not leave the babies exposed very often though I put all these pee pads down and then spread the blankets they gave me out on the floor, put the ex pen around and on top of the edges of those blankets to try to keep them down. I got her all settled, went to work, came home and she had everything in a pile in the middle..babies underneath. Eep..
So far, the messes are minimal but good lord when they start walking around!! Hopefully, she lets the blankets alone when they get bigger and she'll stop being sooooo protective.
She was not making a noise when I walked her out of the spare bedroom and down the hall, past where Lilly was baby gated in her bathroom and took her out to potty. She seems scared of the cat..thank goodness LOL
Now I did take Lilly under my arm into the room with the babies one night and she growled.. Never took Lilly in there again. I thought maybe it was just the babies, so I keep the door shut when I take her out so the cat won't go in there and I stopped outside the baby gate with Lilly behind it to let her see Lilly without her being around the babies..still a low growl. So I guess she doesn't like other dogs. Lilly is 5 pounds and this dog is probably 80 pounds. My son wanted to keep momma dog. The babies will probably be adopted, but who knows about momma. However, the purpose of fostering is not to adopt another, but to keep making room for others in need. Have to remind myself of that!
Now....
Pictures!!

[LillysMom70]

I am taking pictures every so often of them. I tried to get up close, but a lot of them were nursing when I went in there. Got some though!! They are 5 days old today!

[LillysMom70]

Some of the babies have momma's nub tail and some actually have full tails. Makes me wonder what momma is mixed with and then what the daddy was!
Here is a picture of momma and then the baby pile the first day I got them when they were 3 days old

[navillusc]

They are soooo cute! OMG!!! Nothing like a litter of puppies!

It isn't that Mommy doesn't 'like' other dogs...she doesn't like 'other dogs anywhere near her tiny vulnerable newborn puppies.' There will come the day that she will not mind as much, and may invite the interaction on her own. Until you see that change in her demeanor, I'd keep Lilly out of reach. Mommy probably will not go out of her way to harm Lilly, or anything...it's just that, right now, Mommy is those babies protection, and what a good Mommy she is being.

Do not be surprised to see her hauling them around to different/new areas inside the expen, either...they do that...move them. I'd say she covered them up...swaddled them in the nest/den 'she' made for them out of the 'materials' you provided...lol...to keep them warm and hidden from 'predators'...maybe even 'like Lilly'...an intuitive thing that is good for a doggie Mommy to demonstrate because it shows her natural instincts are fully functional.

I am not a breeder...so I am certain others with more experience will have more info. I am just relating my own experiences and observations from taking in strays...some pregnant...ferals, rescues, and being a foster parent myself.

You are a GEM for taking care of Mommy and her kids! {{{Hugs}}}

...I almost 'envy' you...lol...well, not quite almost.

[yorkietalkjilly]

I'm always so happy to see Momma dog looks good. Bless her heart, she's been through so very much. Life is tough enough for a poor female pregnant with a passel of puppies but to have lost her home, her people, her security and all the pain and stress of whelping and caring for all these babies in a new home - the poor little thing has got to be overwhelmed. Even big dog moms get overloaded with so much! I'll bet she's thinking her world fell apart and now hopefully is beginning to settle in some as she tries to care for all of those sweet little ones. Again I want to thank you for caring for this poor momma and her littler. It was such a kind and thoughtful thing to do for a poor little 4-legged girl with a lot of worries.

[LillysMom70]

She's definitely very people friendly. LOL She wiggles all over when I come in the room. It's quite funny. She loves her ears rubbed. If the babies are all happy and I'm in the room with her, she will come over and lay on my lap. She's very heavy! LOL She likes to be rubbed.
I think the kennel they had her in at the shelter was small, because she sits to nurse. LOL Poor thing! The first night I watched her and was helping get all the babies situated to eat and she about fell asleep standing up. She's very sweet and house trained!!

[navillusc]

That's great she is people oriented. I think, given time, after those babies' eyes are open and they are motoring around under their own steam, everything will be fine. Since she likes people and being petted so much, she will likely want them handled by people, too. You are going to have so much fun!

[The 4 M]

Agree with other posts, it will be the fear of another dog around her babies, Molly was like this with Milo she did not want him anywhere near and would grumble like I had never seen her behave before and even Milo got the message not to go near, but once they got a little older walking around on there own she has been fine since. Your going to have fun, hard work but so worth it, it goes by so quick enjoy

[Patti]

You are a special angel to take on mom and babies. They are adorable. Mom must feel so much better being in a safe loving place with her babies.