Keeping puppies clean

In the first weeks of life, when the puppies are only suckled by the mother, the mother also keeps her puppies clean. This concerns the mouth, where there are still remains of colostrum, but also the urinary tract and anus.

Here the puppy »Green« had come close to his mother, who immediately took the opportunity and cleaned her boy with a mighty licker. He almost fell over! But he didn’t seem to be unhappy about the treatment:

 

Shortly afterwards, the mother turned to the back, where another puppy had stopped sucking. With a nudge of her muzzle, she turned the young dog onto its back and cleaned it.

Only its short legs were still visible in front of the mother’s mighty head, although in the backlight and blur you can still guess the puppy’s front legs and muzzle: