do dogs eat their babies

Yes, dogs sometimes eat their babies, but this behavior is rare and usually driven by instinct rather than malice. Common reasons include the mother not recognizing the puppies as her own (especially after Cesarean delivery), inexperience, stress, or if the puppies are stillborn, weak, or unlikely to survive. The mother might eat the less viable puppies for survival reasons or to prevent attracting predators. Stress and health issues like mastitis can also cause such behavior. Most healthy, experienced mother dogs do not eat their puppies, and it is not a common occurrence under normal, well-managed conditions.