phantoms in our bitches

well any bitch really?

well as you all know by now I breed and show most of my dogs or I have handlers for that as well. 

I have just not long bred a lovely litter of fawns and get them right for my clients and I'm thrown a curve ball. 

Pups are all 8 weeks and of to their homes and one is just settling in and wham their older puppy is having a phantom and its the usual don't let her have the toys and be firm with her and get her to the vets if she's over filled with milk. 

Theres me thinking nothing of it, till I get a message from my clients that there own dog was having a full on phantom but she wasn't having just a phantom but a full psychosis and thought the pup was hers now I have heard of nicking and hoarding toys but not to outright nick of with a baby. 

Well this was a turn up for the books as I've never heard a bitch doing this. I of course stay in contact as they'd seen a behaviourist whom told my clients to return the pup 

I'm eh no that'll make the bitch ten times worse and could in fact bring on PND . Thankfully they didn't and worked through it and are still working through it all. 

So if you have a bitch under a year or an un spay one I will not allow the pup to go or you have to spay your bitch so this doesn't happen or lessen the chances of it and your poor older bitch is fraught with confusing thoughts on what the hell is happening to her.

I am still in contact with my clients to this day and will do so as I was very concerned about their older dog because for me it was personal being through it myself as a human. Not knowing what the day would be like, hence having a little understanding of it for her but never thinking a young bitch would have a psychosis ever. As they say its always a school day. 

my consensus is do not return the puppy unless she is attacking him or her,  why because you'll cause PND this can be mild to severe,  but work through the problem and take action such as 

no strangers near both 

walk both separately 

walk together after a few weeks but in places your bitch knows 

spay your bitch as soon as possible if old enough. 

Trip to the vets if needed as in galastop for the milk

Do not scold her for what she thinks is natural other than stopping the pup from latching on to boobs

allow them together if she'll allow it  for play sessions 

take it a day at a time and stay in contact with both your breeders if at all possible. 

So I learnt that dogs too can have a full on psychosis just like humans.