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Treatment

Medical treatment may be required in some females, but proper care and management typically help in resolving such behavioral problems. Spaying should be delayed for at least four months after estrus to avoid abnormal behavior. That being said, spaying has been suggested to help in preventing future excessive maternal behavior.

Living and Management

In case of lack of maternal behavior the bitch should be fed freely to encourage lactation and meet her energy demands. Nursing females should also be placed in quiet, comfortable, and dark area, where she will not be disturbed by other people and animals. If the bitch is seen biting her neonates, she may require a muzzle or may need to be removed from the room. If aggression persists, the separation can be done for several weeks until aggression subsides.

Conversely, in case of excessive maternal behavior, the bitch should be separated from the stolen puppies and their actual mother. Moreover, the mothered objects like stuffed animals should be removed from the environment of the bitch. In these females, food intake should be restricted for few days to prevent lactation.

Many experts recommend against breeding bitches with a history of maternal behavioral problems, as these problems are shown in subsequent pregnancies.