# Do domestic female dogs regurgitate food for the their pups the way wolf mothers do? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 5, 2008, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-domestic-female-dogs-regurgitate-food-for-the-their-pups-the-way-wolf-mothers-do/444091 "2008-04-05T16:54:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-domestic-female-dogs-regurgitate-food-for-the-their-pups-the-way-wolf-mothers-do/444091/1 "2008-04-05T16:54:41Z")
[I was reading this article](http://www.wolf.org/wolves/learn/justkids/kids_wolf_families.asp) and wondered about it as I’ve never heard of a female domestic mother dog doing this. > [@](#): > > At first, they live only on milk from their mother. By three weeks of age, they start eating meat. Since pups are too young to hunt, adult wolves bring meat to them in their stomachs. The pups lick around the mouth of the adult when it returns from the hunt, and the food comes back up into the adult’s mouth. This sounds terrible to us, but wolf pups love it! The pups eat the regurgitated meat within seconds. Any pup who is less aggressive than his or her brothers and sisters gets less food. If pups are too persistent in their begging for food, adult wolves may growl to warn them to stop. The adults may also leave the area in an attempt to avoid the pups. ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-domestic-female-dogs-regurgitate-food-for-the-their-pups-the-way-wolf-mothers-do/444091/2 "2008-04-05T20:33:59Z")
Not normally. In most modern breeding situations, the human caregivers prepare mush for the pups mixed with formula and they start eating on their own without the bitch needing to go to such lengths. In feral dogs it has been observed, as well as with dogs that are utilized in regions where dog food is not the primary food source. The pups do indeed lick the muzzle as a stimulus to nurse, and it’s this juvenile behaviour that is retained as “kisses” later on. Basically your dog is saying: “I’m so little and cute feed me! and give me attention!” ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2008, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-domestic-female-dogs-regurgitate-food-for-the-their-pups-the-way-wolf-mothers-do/444091/3 "2008-04-05T23:46:27Z")
[QUOTE=Acid Lamp] The pups do indeed lick the muzzle as a stimulus to nurse, and it’s this juvenile behaviour that is retained as “kisses” later on. Basically your dog is saying: “I’m so little and cute feed me! and give me attention!” [/QUOTE] That makes so much sense. My dog is always licking my face and lips, and nuzzling my nose. Sometimes gently biting my nose. It sounds so gross, but when you think about it, what wolves do makes perfect baby food: warm, mushy, nutritious… ---
**Author:** ![Fetchund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b2d939/32.png) [@Fetchund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fetchund)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-domestic-female-dogs-regurgitate-food-for-the-their-pups-the-way-wolf-mothers-do/444091/4 "2008-04-06T01:54:59Z")
[QUOTE=Savannah] It sounds so gross, but when you think about it, what wolves do makes perfect baby food: warm, mushy, nutritious… [/QUOTE] And portable. Wolves have no other good way to carry enough food back to the pups. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-domestic-female-dogs-regurgitate-food-for-the-their-pups-the-way-wolf-mothers-do/444091/5 "2008-04-06T01:58:18Z")
[QUOTE=Savannah] That makes so much sense. My dog is always licking my face and lips, and nuzzling my nose. Sometimes gently biting my nose. [/QUOTE] When your dog does that, just remember it is really trying to get you to regurgitate on it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-domestic-female-dogs-regurgitate-food-for-the-their-pups-the-way-wolf-mothers-do/444091/6 "2008-04-06T02:28:40Z")
[QUOTE=Colibri] When your dog does that, just remember it is really trying to get you to regurgitate on it. 🙂 [/QUOTE] Speak for yourself. 😉 So sez **spartydog**. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-domestic-female-dogs-regurgitate-food-for-the-their-pups-the-way-wolf-mothers-do/444091/7 "2008-04-06T03:05:04Z")
Poor women do the same thing - when my dad was a child growing up in impoverished nowhere Georgia, my grandmother would chew food for the little ones. (Well, not throw it up. But chew it.) ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2008, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-domestic-female-dogs-regurgitate-food-for-the-their-pups-the-way-wolf-mothers-do/444091/8 "2008-04-06T03:40:52Z")
[QUOTE=Colibri] When your dog does that, just remember it is really trying to get you to regurgitate on it. 🙂 [/QUOTE] Hee! Now I think of it, I’ve taken food out of my mouth and given it to her. Pre-chewed treat. Oh, I’m gross.