How long max does it take for a mother dog to get her love hormones?

Answer 1

It depends on many things, the breed of dog, did she have to have a c-section to take her pups, first litter, etc. Normally after they whelp out, the mother instinct is there. She should be licking them constantly so that they can be stimulated to defecate & urinate as they cannot on their own at that young of an age, the mother needs to stimulate these actions by her licking at them. If she is ignoring them, make sure you have her in a nice whelping box with newspapers and old blankets laid down for her and her family and also make sure it is warm for them. Put her in a private quiet area, no visitors allowed, only people she is comfortable with are allowed in (one at a time). Insist that she allow her pups to nurse if she is not allowing them to nurse off of her. If you have to hold her down on her side so that they can nurse, then do it. Those pups need that first milk, colostrum has natural antibodies in it to protect the pups from various diseases & viruses during their first weeks of life.

If she has had a c-section, give her some time to let that motherly instinct kick in, which is normally in a few days. I hope she has milk too. Put her on a good name brand Puppy food such as Natural Choice or Innova, don't use some cheap store brand. She will need lots of good food and that will help to bring her milk in, if not there. Good luck. Feel free to contact me privately if more questions.