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This behaviour has to do with its nature, and the fact that in the wild, a mother (or parents) will pool all their resources to the offspring that they feel will have the best chance of survival.
You said there seemed to be nothing wrong with the dog – it could just be that he is smaller than the rest, or the runt of the litter.
It seems that it may be difficult to get the mother to re-accept the puppy, if this is at all possible – in her mind she does not want to waste her energy on a puppy that she does not think will survive – therefore, as stated above, it is best to look after this yourself, and get information from your veterinarian on how to bottle-feed the puppy and make sure it gets the nutrients it needs to develop properly.
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What Are the Signs of a Dog Mother Rejecting her Puppies?
One of the most common signs to look out for is the absence of licking. Usually right after a litter is born, a dam will immediately begin licking each pup. This is usually the first indication that she cares about the welfare of each one. In dog language, licking is often a way for the mother to mark her puppies with her scent and claim them as her own. It can also be a way to stimulate them to pee or poop or to merely clean them. Put simply, licking is a mother dog’s way of loving her puppies — if she doesn’t lick, she may be rejecting them!
Another obvious sign that a mother wants nothing to do with one or more of her pups is when she spends time away from them. It is usually difficult to separate a mother and her litter — maternal instincts are usually so strong that she will not leave her puppies other than to relieve herself. If you see your dam, sitting or lying away from her litter with visible indifference, this should alert you to possible rejection.
As well as a mother dog feigning interest in her pup(s), there may also be signs of clear distress from both parties. Newborn puppies are not like newborn babies who cry often, to indicate their needs. Newborn pups spend most of their time sleeping and eating every couple of hours — therefore, they spend most of their time cuddled up against the mother dog’s tummy for easy access to her milk. Puppies who are being rejected will not enjoy this luxury and will often cry loudly due to extreme hunger — their growth will also be a lot slower than normal and they will become malnourished. In some circumstances, the mother dog may also repeatedly pick up her pups and place them down away from her, making her need for distance clear — this is extremely distressing for all involved and will require intervention from the breeder.
In extreme circumstances, a mother may also kill and possibly eat (or attempt to eat) one or more of her litter following rejection. Canine cannibalism or infanticide is usually instinctual and can occur when a mother dog does not recognize her pup(s) as her own. This odd behavior is far more likely to take place after a cesarean section. However, there are multiple reasons why a dam may choose to eat her pup(s) and not all of them are down to simple rejection, so it is important to monitor her closely and keep check of anything that may be cause for concern.
Once you know the signs that a mother dog may be rejecting her pup(s), you will also need to get to the bottom of why is a dog rejecting her puppies, so you can be best placed to help.
Why Would a Mother Dog Reject Her Puppies?
A lack of maternal instinct is one of the main reasons a rejection will occur — normally this is due to low levels of oxytocin which usually rise during birth. Therefore, dogs who deliver their litter via cesarean section often struggle to exhibit maternal behaviors, instead of behaving aggressively or showing indifference to their offsprings.
A dam may also have all the right maternal instincts to provide her litter, but may still reject a single pup. Sometimes if a pup is unwell with a viral or bacterial infection, has a congenital birth defect or any other disorder that makes it weaker than the rest, a dam may separate it from the rest of her litter. It sounds harsh, but this is her way of ensuring that the rest of the litter does not become infected and/or ensuring that all her resources can go towards the puppies with the strongest chance of survival.
Additionally, a dam may also reject her pup(s) if she herself is sick and unable to care for them as a result. She may still recognize them as her own and have the right maternal instincts, but not be strong enough to nurse them.
One of the most common postpartum canine infections is an infection of the mammary glands, known as mastitis. The infection will cause her mammary glands to become inflamed and swollen — this can be exceptionally painful and will usually stop her from being able to breastfeed her puppies. As a dam owner and responsible dog breeder, you must not allow any pup(s) to attempt to drink milk from infected teats, as it will be toxic.
Some mother dogs also suffer from metritis, which is an infection of the uterus following birth and will often be marked by vaginal discharge, lethargy and a fever. Mastitis, Metritis, and Agalactica (MMA) in dogs can be fatal if left untreated and require immediate attention from a veterinary professional. It will also be your responsibility to care for the mother dog’s pup(s) until she is able to do so herself.
Furthermore, just like human mothers, dog mothers also experience similar emotions following birth. For example, first-time mothers may feel overwhelmed by the entire experience or feel they have too many puppies to care of. If these feelings of helplessness continue to build up, a dam may simply give up trying to look after her whelps and reject them. In addition, she may also feel excessively tired and may not have the energy to care of her litter even if she wants to; her body will still be recovering from the laboring process. Your dogs cannot talk to you, so you will have to pay close attention to the behavior of both the mother dog and the litter — if you have any cause for concern at all, seek help from a vet immediately.