Introduction
It is common for dogs to occasionally try moving their puppies to different locations, such as into their owner’s bed. There are several possible reasons a mother dog may attempt to relocate her puppies. Some of the main motivations include the nesting instinct, allowing bonding through scent, showing off the puppies to the owner, being protective, returning to the preferred birth site, cooler temperatures, a softer surface, and ensuring there is human supervision.
Nesting Instinct
The nesting instinct refers to a pregnant dog’s natural urge to find a safe space to have her puppies and care for them after birth. This instinct kicks in 1-2 weeks before delivery as the dog’s maternal hormones rise. According to the ASPCA, nesting behaviors include digging at her bed or in other soft places, collecting blankets and toys, pacing, and generally becoming restless (source).
Even dogs who aren’t actually pregnant may exhibit nesting behaviors due to a false pregnancy. False pregnancies happen when female dogs ovulate but aren’t bred, causing their bodies to think they are pregnant. These dogs experience hormonal changes and may show motherly behaviors like nesting and lactating (source).
The nest provides comfort and security for both the mother dog and her puppies. By bringing the puppies into the owner’s bed, the mother dog may be trying to keep her puppies close to her in a space she perceives as safe and comfortable.
Bonding Through Scent
Dogs have an incredibly powerful sense of smell, with up to 300 million scent receptors compared to a human’s 5 million. Scent plays a primary role in how dogs experience and understand the world around them. According to research, a dog’s sense of smell is anywhere from 10,000 to 100,000 times more acute than a human’s.
When a female dog moves her puppies to the owner’s bed, she is using scent as a way to bond the puppies with the human. The bed contains the owner’s scent from sleeping there night after night. By placing the puppies in the human’s scent-rich environment, the mother dog is helping the puppies get accustomed to the owner’s smell and associate it with comfort and security. This scent bonding at a young age helps the puppies form a close lifelong bond with their human companion.
Dog experts like certified dog behavior consultant Steven Appelbaum recommend letting puppies get acquainted with an owner’s scent even before bringing the puppy home. Letting the puppy snuggle with an old t-shirt or blanket with the owner’s scent helps them recognize and become comfortable with the human’s scent signature. Then when they are brought home, the owner’s scent and presence is familiar.
The owner’s bed contains the human’s concentrated scent from hours of sleep and direct contact. So when a mother dog transports her puppies there, she is facilitating an intensive scent bonding experience to familiarize the puppies with their human from an early age. This scent imprinting triggers a feeling of security, comfort and belonging with the human’s scent.
Showing Off the Puppies
Many mother dogs exhibit a strong sense of pride over their new litter of puppies. They seem eager to show off their puppies to their human owners or family dogs. This behavior comes from the powerful bond between a mother dog and her puppies. According to an article on Newsweek, “A social media video of a Maltipoo dog showing her owner her newborn puppies has delighted audiences across the internet.”
Mother dogs will often try to bring their puppies over to their owner as soon as the puppies can walk. They will carry the puppies gently in their mouth or urge them to follow along. It’s as if they want their owner to admire the new puppies. As the Newsweek article says, the mother dog “couldn’t wait to show off her new pups.”
This proud display is a way for the mother dog to share her joy and introduce her puppies to the rest of the family. By bringing the puppies to her owner’s bed or showing them off around the house, she is bonding the puppies to the human pack as well as demonstrating her protective role. It’s a sweet behavior that shows how sociable and affectionate dogs are, especially with their young.
Protective of Puppies
New mother dogs are extremely protective of their vulnerable newborn puppies. This protective instinct kicks in as soon as the puppies are born. The mother will clean and stimulate the newborns to get them breathing and moving. She will not let the puppies out of her sight in the first few weeks after birth.
Mother dogs will often growl, snap, or even bite to protect the puppies from anything she perceives as a threat during this time. This includes humans trying to handle the puppies too soon after birth. According to the AKC, mother dogs should not be separated from puppies until they are at least 3-4 weeks old so as not to interfere with the bonding process 1.
This protective behavior is natural and important for the puppies’ survival. Puppies are completely defenseless when they are first born, so they rely entirely on their mother for safety, food, warmth and care in the earliest weeks. The mother dog’s instincts tell her to aggressively guard the puppies during this vulnerable newborn period.
Return to Birth Site
One possible reason a mother dog may move her puppies to her owner’s bed is that she associates the bed with her birthing site. Dogs have an extraordinarily strong sense of smell, and their olfactory memory is very powerful. If a dog gave birth on a bed, the scent imprint of that experience remains for a long time. According to this source, a mother dog may move her puppies back to the spot she gave birth as she associates comfort and safety with that smell.
Even if she did not give birth on the owner’s bed, she likely spends a lot of time there and it smells strongly like her owner, which provides a sense of security. Dogs view their owners as part of their pack, so the owner’s smell can be almost as comforting as their own. Moving the puppies onto the owner’s bed may be an attempt to bring her puppies back to a space she connects with the primal memory of giving birth and bonding with her litter.
Cooler Temperatures
Dogs have an innate desire to keep their newborn puppies at an ideal temperature range. According to the Institute of Canine Biology, newborn puppies need to be kept at around 90 degrees Fahrenheit for the first week after birth [1]. Puppies cannot regulate their own body temperature well for the first two weeks. If the environment is too cold, the puppies risk getting chilled.
The mother dog may attempt to move the puppies somewhere cooler than the whelping box if she senses they are getting too warm [2]. According to ABC Home & Commercial Services, the ideal room temperature for newborn puppies is between 85-90 degrees Fahrenheit [3]. If the whelping area or room is warmer than this range, the mother may try to relocate the puppies to a cooler spot to prevent overheating.
By attempting to move the puppies somewhere cooler, the mother dog is acting on her natural instincts to keep the newborns at the ideal temperature. This helps ensure the puppies remain healthy and thrive in their first critical weeks.
Softer Surface
Dogs can definitely tell the difference between a hard floor and a soft, cushioned dog bed. According to research from Funny Fuzzy, the majority of dogs prefer softer bedding and will spend significantly more time resting on cushioned surfaces compared to hard floors (https://funnyfuzzy.co.uk/blogs/pet-encyclopedia/do-dogs-prefer-hard-or-soft-beds). This is especially true for puppies, who have delicate, growing bones and joints.
The cushioning of a soft dog bed provides important comfort and support for puppies. Hard surfaces like tile or wood floors do not contour to a puppy’s body, putting pressure on joints and bones in unnatural ways. This can lead to musculoskeletal issues as the puppy matures. In contrast, a soft bed made from memory foam or egg crate foam molds to the puppy’s body, reducing pressure points and properly supporting the spine, hips and shoulders.
Puppies also benefit from the insulation of a soft, padded bed. Floors quickly become cold, whereas a cushioned bed retains body heat and keeps the puppies warm. By bringing her puppies to a human bed, the mother dog is trying to provide a warmer, more comforting surface for her delicate babies to rest on.
Human Supervision
Your dog is likely trying to move her puppies to your bed so that you can keep a watchful eye on them. Canine mothers are very protective of their young and want to ensure their safety at all times. By bringing the puppies near you, your dog knows that you will be able to monitor them and intervene if any potential threats arise. This allows the mother dog to take small breaks from puppy-watching knowing that her human companion will supervise in her absence.
According to an article on Poodle Forum, dogs should not be left unsupervised with puppies until the puppies are around 2 years old. Your dog understands the need for constant supervision of her young puppies and sees you as part of her pack that can assist with watching over and protecting the puppies.
By bringing her puppies into your bed, your dog is communicating that she trusts you and relies on you to help care for her pups. Though she may still be very protective, she likely wants to ensure there is supervision of the puppies at all times. Having the puppies close gives you the opportunity to monitor their behaviors and interactions.
Conclusion
In summary, there are several key reasons why a dog may try to put her puppies in her owner’s bed:
- The nesting instinct – bringing the puppies to a safe, comfortable place she deems appropriate
- Bonding through scent – allowing the puppies to pick up her owner’s scent
- Showing off the puppies – proudly presenting her puppies to a loved one
- Protective of the puppies – keeping them safe by bringing them near her owner
- Seeking a softer, cooler surface – for the comfort of the vulnerable puppies
As an owner, understand this is natural dog behavior expressing care for her puppies. Allow access to the bed in a limited, supervised way if desired. Provide an alternative soft nest the dog can use and be sure to give her praise for being a good mother.