A golden retriever trying not to crush her newborn puppies has been dubbed “the best mama” by TikTok users.
In a clip shared to TikTok on December 30 by Lacey Riley (@gracies.goldens), mama dog Leia can be seen looking at her babies through the door of her whelping box. Also known as a nesting box, these containers are where many dogs give birth and where puppies spend the first few weeks of their life.
Leia clearly wants to join her litter, but can’t as the tiny dogs have taken over the whelping box’s floor, leaving no room for her to hop in. To help Leia out, her owner moves the pile of puppies to the right side of the pen, allowing her to lie down and feed her babies.
TikTok users couldn’t get enough of the cute clip, with the footage receiving over 950,000 views and 96,000 likes.
What Is a Whelping Box?
If your dog is pregnant, then it’s time to prepare a whelping box. Whether you create your own using a sturdy box or buy one premade, whelping boxes are important for a number of reasons.
Lined with clean blankets or towels, the box helps to keep the mother comfortable while in labor. However, it also ensures the newborns are warm, as puppies can’t regulate their own temperature until they are two and a half weeks old (sometimes, an extra source of heat is needed to maintain a temperature of 22°C).
The box must be large enough that your dog can stretch and move around freely. Once they’re born, puppies stay in the whelping box for around 20 days. The box keeps them safe and secure until they’re big and strong enough to explore the world around them, with some premade whelping boxes including playpens to stop puppies from wandering off too soon.
‘The Most Adorable Vid I’ve Seen Today’
Leia and her boyfriend Odie live with Riley and her family in Manitoba, Canada, as well as two other dogs and a cat named Panda.
The video begins with Leia looking at her puppies in the whelping box despondently. The newborns, who are only a few days old and still have their eyes closed, can be seen wriggling around the small space.
Sensing Leia’s distress, her owner walks over to the pen and begins to put the puppies in a neat little pile in the corner. This gives Leia the chance to squeeze into the remaining space, where she lies down next to her babies. The puppies then start edging towards their mom for lunch, while Leia shuffles closer to her kids for a cuddle.
A stock photo of two Golden Retriever puppies cuddled up to their mom. The cute clip left one TikTok user “sobbing.”
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