Is it ok for a dog to get attached to her toys after she gave birth to 1 puppy,and it died.She thinks her toys are a pup

Yes it is very normal. She had all of the feelings and signs to be a mother, and had nothing to mother, so she is using the toys to fill that void. It is okay for her to do so as long as she does not begin to become aggressive toward people if they near her 'puppies', which I wouldn't be surprised if she eventually would. Do you exercise her at all? Daily walks will help her mind to relax so she can stop being anxious, which is what is causing her to continue to carry around her toys as though they are her puppies. Do you plan on breeding her again? In all honesty, a dog should be two years old before they have a litter of puppies because a vet cannot properly health test them until they are of age, and this could very well have a part in the reason that your dog is more possessive of the toys now - she is still a baby herself, and she is unsure of exactly what to do. My recommendation would be not to breed her again - it is very possible that if she did have a litter, she would become aggressive toward people because she fears losing the puppies again - this is very common in a bitch who has lost a puppy, even if it is just one out of the litter. Watch her closely to make sure that she isn't getting possessive of her toys. Good luck.

Sergeant answered on 10/10/08. Helpful? / 1