To be a parent means to be the caregiver and primary responsible person for a child, providing for their physical, emotional, and intellectual needs, nurturing their growth and development from infancy to adulthood, often including providing love, protection, guidance, and discipline, whether through biological birth or adoption.
I thinks this philosophy prevails over every living being. Especially when it comes to the animal world. Each of them know how to take care of their kids. Recently, we had some newly born puppies from a stray dog in my neighbourhood. The lady dog I e the mother seems to be very satisfied and started taking care of the puppies from day one.
These newly born kids are currently been the centre of attraction for the children, but the mother never worried about them. Quite amazing how animals can understand from whom to risk or not. Now she started to take care upon their puppies, which going to quite challenging.
In the first few weeks, the lives of the puppies are completely dependent on their mother for food, warmth, shelter, and protection. They are born unable to see, hear, or walk, and spend about 90% of their time sleeping. Animals demonstrate their parenting skills by building nests or dens, actively guarding their young, providing food, teaching essential life skills like hunting or foraging, carrying their offspring, grooming them, and actively protecting them from predators, with the level of parental care varying greatly across different species depending on their biology and environment.
I can easily recall my childhood days, when we used to play with street dogs. I have seen them raising their kids just like a human does.
A mother dog takes care of her puppies by nursing them, keeping them clean through licking, providing warmth in a den-like area, protecting them from danger, and teaching them essential life skills like socialization and play through interaction as they grow older; essentially acting as their primary caregiver until they are weaned and can largely fend for themselves. Following are the key aspects of a mother dog's care for her puppies:
The most crucial aspect is providing milk through nursing, ensuring puppies feed frequently, especially in the first few weeks.
Mother dogs meticulously lick their puppies to clean them after birth and throughout their early development, which also stimulates urination and defecation.
Creating a safe, warm, and secluded den-like area where puppies can rest and feel protected. As in this case they found a shelter just beside a boundary wall.
A mother dog will be vigilant against potential threats, guarding her puppies and keeping them safe from harm. I remember an instance, when the mother attack a boy from nowhere after listening to their puppies moaning.
As puppies mature, the mother dog begins to introduce them to the world, facilitating socialization with other dogs and people.
Through play, the mother dog teaches puppies important skills like bite inhibition and how to interact appropriately with other dogs.
There are multiple challenges for a street dogs to take care of the newly born puppies. Finding enough food to nourish both herself and her puppies can be a constant struggle. Apart from this, traffic, harsh weather conditions, and aggressive animals can pose serious threats to both mother and puppies. Still the mother never leave any stone unturned for taking care of their puppies. This is what makes a mother Supreme and above everything.
A mother's warmth is often considered "unmatchable" because of the unique biological and emotional bond created during pregnancy and early infancy, fueled by hormones like oxytocin, which fosters an intense, nurturing connection between mother and child, leading to a level of care and affection that can feel unparalleled. We can takeaway many parenting skill just by looking after these wild animals. Mothers typically take on a primary caregiving role, providing physical comfort, emotional support, and a sense of safety, which can be deeply ingrained in a child's perception of love and warmth.
Peace!!
Namaste @steemflow
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