One of the important and often overlooked reasons for losing puppies a few weeks after whelping is "nipple guarding". This behavior involves dominant pups guarding the best milk-producing nipples of their mother. Even if they are not nursing, some of these pups simply hang on to a nipple to stake their claim and to eliminate competition.

Puppies that are born healthy and die in the weeks following whelping are called "fading puppies". To protect puppies from this state of malnutrition, many breeders give milk supplement to the small pup, however, there is still no better substitute for a mother's milk.

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