Hi all, I'm new to this forum and indeed labrador owning. I hope this is OK to post - if not please tell me if there's a better location. I'm planning to take on a labrador and following lots of research have recently found a breeder and viewed a litter. I'm wondering if its normal not to see the puppies interacting with their mum? We met the puppies with their litter mates, and we met the mum.However the breeder explained the mum was no longer feeding and was therefore no longer in with the pups, and if we were to bring the mum into where the pups were she would likely get quite snappy/snarly. The pups are 8 weeks old. She is also their family pet. Appreciate the circumstances must be different for all breeders. All info we've read on purchasing a pup says we should see the mum interacting with pups so I really want to make sure this is ok. Every other box has been ticked and the breeder has been very helpful and forthcoming with all info/paperwork. I wondered if it's maybe also partly as they're a bit older and ready to leave anyway. Any thoughts/advice appreciated!
All bitches are different. I have found that at around 5 weeks they don't want much to do with the pups; they will jump into the pen with them, sniff a few bottoms, run a couple of laps around the garden trying to get them away from latching on, then jump back out. By 6/7 weeks, the pups have usually stopped trying to feed off her and she will enjoy playing with them. Some bitches would just prefer to stay away though.
I kept mum away as the pups would just ambush her and she'd try to escape! Much calmer for prospective buyers to see mum and then put her away while they look at the pups.
