Mothering
By Toni
@toniganzon (72285)
Philippines
March 6, 2019 7:05pm CST
I noticed Danie's been using my account for the past couple of days but I got it back from her. She's not in her usual self these days.
Danie has been mothering this toy of hers. She treats it like her litter. She brings it anywhere and everywhere. She brings it when she climbs up in bed, she brings it downstairs, she brings it under the recliner (her favourite hiding spot in the living room), she gives it to me and only me, she cleans it up like she would her own litter, and she whines a lot when she couldn't reach it. Danie has a surrogate puppy.
I looked over the internet about her behaviour and it seems that Danie is experiencing false pregnancy! Yes, false pregnancy. She's nesting and mothering but she's not lactating.
I try to distract her by bringing her out, playing with her, and taking a walk longer than we used to. We will be visiting the vet on the 16th and I can't wait to consult her about Danie's behaviour.
Have you experienced or seen this in dogs?
13 people like this
12 responses
@1hopefulman (45123)
• Canada
7 Mar 19
Interesting! I had two dogs in my life but they were both males.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72285)
• Philippines
7 Mar 19
Indeed. I never thought dogs could go through this until I had one.
1 person likes this
@1hopefulman (45123)
• Canada
7 Mar 19
@toniganzon I never thought about that till you brought it up. There is so much to learn, no matter how old we are.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72285)
• Philippines
9 Mar 19
@1hopefulman So true. I try to learn something new every single day be it through experience, what I watch, or what I read. We shouldn't stop learning just because we think we're old to do so.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130066)
• India
8 Mar 19
Our pet dog showed signs of false pregnancy too
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72285)
• Philippines
9 Mar 19
@allknowing What I've read and I read too many have varying opinions. Give comfort as much as you can. Which I do with danie since it's impossible to leave her alone as she tails me every where I go, even in the bathroom. IN fact my husband told me that Danie is my shadow. All articles I read said the same thing about not encouraging licking the nipples because that would bring out the milk which isn't good for them since they don't have babies to consume those milk and could only cause pain. There were varying opinions on how to deal with mothering. One article said that the surrogate litter should be taken away and not to encourage it. Others say to not take it away because it would add more stress to the dog.
That's why I wanted to know form your own personal experience.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72285)
• Philippines
9 Mar 19
I know that neutering will stop this but I plan to breed Danie only once because she has a pedigree. I plan to breed her to get the best quality of bichon frise for show but that's not gonna happen until she turns 2 years old. And in this city I am the only person who has a pure breed bichon frise.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72285)
• Philippines
10 Mar 19
@LadyDuck Your niece must have a pet dog, not a show type dog. Danie has papers. When she was in season I didn't have problems taking her out. We still went out on our regular walk and we still went to the dog park at the mall. But I let Danie wore a diaper and her sanitary panties.
To breed without much knowledge of the breed and when it has no pedigree is not something I would do.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (458091)
• Switzerland
9 Mar 19
@toniganzon I see, my niece did not want to breed her dog, she decided to neuter her to avoid unwanted babies. She had a hard time every time she brought the dog play at the dog park.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (73406)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
7 Mar 19
I have heard about it but never had any dogs. Poor Danie I sure hope she gets over this.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72285)
• Philippines
7 Mar 19
I sure do hope so. The good thing is, she's not lethargic. She has me anyway.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72285)
• Philippines
9 Mar 19
Danie is a virgin. I never had her mated at all because she's too young and in this city, I'm the only person with a Bichon Frise. I do plan to breed danie only once to get the best of the quality breed of bichon for show. Danie has a pedigree. But it would be too irresponsible to breed her at a very young age. That's going to happen when she's in season at 2 years old.
Danie just turned 11 months yesterday.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72285)
• Philippines
10 Mar 19
@DianneN Taking care of a pregnant dog is not easy. It needs expertise and a lot of attention. I remember other people here would just leave it at their vet's care all though out the pregnancy. I couldn't do that to Danie. She gets depressed when separated from me. I can just imagine when she's going to get pregnant. I'm pretty certain she would want to be by my side all the time.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (246819)
• United States
9 Mar 19
@toniganzon I know she is too young. Our dog was a pedigree, too, but we had no intention of having him mate until someone saw him and offered to pay us. It had to be done in our house.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72285)
• Philippines
7 Mar 19
It's common for dogs to hide something but danie has never done that until now but only with this particular toy. And she's not only mothering it. She's also nesting at the same time. She doesn't bite it like any of her toys, instead she cleans it. Previously she played with it, we usually played fetch with that toy and the rest of her toys but since last week, she didn't want to do that with this particular toy. She wants to keep it by her side. Even when sleeping.
1 person likes this
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@toniganzon (72285)
• Philippines
7 Mar 19
Never heard of it till I saw it in danie and read about it.
1 person likes this
@TiarasOceanView (70035)
• United States
7 Mar 19
No I have not seen this but it certainly sounds as if that is the case.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72285)
• Philippines
9 Mar 19
Yeah, our ver appointment is on the 16th and I can't wait to see when she examines danie.
@toniganzon (72285)
• Philippines
7 Mar 19
I've had female dogs in the past but only Danie has experienced this.
1 person likes this
@acelawrites (19273)
• Philippines
7 Mar 19
Some dogs do hide toys or food (bones) and they do not want anybody to touch it.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72285)
• Philippines
9 Mar 19
I am very much aware of that. Danie doesn't only do that. And previously she played with all her toys and I know her exactly to know how she handle her toys when playing as she plays all of those with me. Danie doesn't like non-interactive toys. But suddenly, this particular toy she treated like her own litter. That's not he same as just hiding toys.
Danie has a journal and each and single changes in her behaviour, even her daily activities are all recorded.
@amitkokiladitya (171936)
• Agra, India
7 Mar 19
Sorry...I don't have any knowledge about pets
1 person likes this
