Mom of 10 Puppies Proves She's a Natural With Her 'Trademark' Moves

An adorable video showing how a golden retriever is raising her litter of puppies has delighted the internet, leaving many people marveling at her maternal instincts.

After welcoming 10 puppies earlier in December, Poppins the golden retriever has taken to motherhood like an absolute natural, even leaving her owner, Kerry Nichols incredibly impressed. It certainly isn't easy to raise a litter of that size, but Poppins has shown how it's done, as Nichols said she's "an exceptional mama" already.

"It absolutely melts me to see her with her puppies, especially when she whines or grunts at them when they drift away from her in the whelping box. It's such an honor for her to trust us in this sacred space," Nichols told Newsweek.

As a therapy dog, Poppins often displays perfect training and patience, which has undoubtedly helped her take on this new challenge. Perhaps Poppins can pass on some of her wisdom to her pups so they can all follow in her footsteps and become qualified therapy dogs too. Until they are old enough to start their training, Poppins' owner has been documenting their early milestones on social media (@nicholberrygoldens), much to TikTok's delight.

A clip showing Poppins interacting and raising her puppies was shared on December 18, and it instantly went viral with more than 378,800 views and 25,300 likes in a matter of days. Nichols said she will often "marvel at how gentle she is" with the tiny pups, and even shows off "the trademark mama scooch" to get closer to them.

For any dog giving birth to her puppies, the process is known as whelping, and it's vital for owners or breeders to watch out for any signs of difficulty, extreme pain, or very slow labor. Dogs should have their very own space to give birth in, often known as a whelping box which has lower sides but still feels enclosed to give a sense of privacy. It's a big thing for any dog to experience, so she needs all the comfort and privacy she can get.

PetMD suggests creating a space for them to be born and nursed in a clean and quiet area of the house. The mom won't want people coming and going all day long, as not only do they need rest, but she can become stressed if there's too much going on. Owners should monitor their nursing schedule to ensure all the pups are getting milk every one to two hours, and that the mom doesn't appear to be neglecting any of them.

Not every dog will take to motherhood quite as naturally as Poppins did, who can't help but look incredibly proud of her pups. After Poppins welcomed her litter, her owner tries to stay out of her way and not interfere, especially since she seems to have everything under control anyway. Speaking to Newsweek about this experience, Nichols admitted that it's "incredibly fulfilling" to witness the great power of any new mom and observe the natural instincts.

She continued: "We raise all our goldens to have the potential for therapy work, and it starts with a mama like Poppins, as puppies are a complex combination of their genetics and environment. Poppins' mom and grandma are both therapy dogs and many of these puppies will grow up to serve in their communities."

Since Nichols shared the video of Poppins on TikTok, many social media users have commented to share their amazement at what a natural she is. One comment reads: "Such a good momma, and so gentle."

Another person responded: "I love watching the little tails going as they happily nurse."

While one TikToker wrote: "Aww she loves her babies."

Update 12/27/23 11:23 a.m. ET: This article was updated to add Kerry Nichols' name throughout.

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