Broody Bitch - Is this normal ?

Missy is acting very broody since meeting a staffie pup a few days ago. She's moping around acting fed up, but if she hears the pup outside she cries and paces up and down for ages. She's never had pups but she has just come into season ,(28th June). Her last season was 5th Feb and she did not behave like this. I almost feel that she thinks the puppy is hers. Any ideas ?

How old is the pup? If she is just in season she should not be presenting nurturing behaviours. If the 'pup' is mature enough and your bitch is 'ready' she may be seeking a mate, but it would seem too early for the latter suggestion.

Hi, Shadowboxer. The pup is 9 weeks old. Missy is not normally bothered about other dogs. She loves to play but will also ignore other dogs sometimes. After seeing this pup, she paced up and down for ages and wanted out. She was also crying . The crying was different to her " normal" attention seeking. After a while, she lay in her bed sighing and looking fed up. Her ears were flicking around a lot, as if she was listening for the pup crying.

As she is probably not into the 'standing' point of her season and the pup is so young then I would venture a guess that she is, at this stage, simply interested in/enchanted with the puppy and would like to investigate/play with him.

With an in-season/pre-season/post-season bitch you have to expect several behaviours that may be out of the norm - such as the sighing & fed-up expression you describe

Hi Missysmum it may well be that meeting the puppy/ your bitch's behaviour are not connected , the two events just happens to have occurred at the same time .

Hormone changes at the time of a bitches season can cause all sorts of unusual but normal behaviour.

Thanks both of you. I think it's fascination. Missy had a lonely puppyhood as her other 3 littermates died before they were 3 weeks old. I'm puppy sitting tonight ! Bailey and Missy have played non stop for a while now. The reason for this is to see how they get on. My neighbour bought him at 6 weeks old. 2 weeks later, they are looking for a new home as they didn't realise how boisterous Staffie pups can be ! He had started play biting and they couldn't stop him. Their 2 young daughters were getting scared ! I'd love to have him but I'm not sure that my mum likes the idea of 2 daft Staffies in the house. A little arm twisting may be required.