one puppy takes the milk...
 

k so my corgis have three 2 week old puppies (sadly the runt died, the vet said he was 'just a scrap'..) and they are all big girls. One is nearly 1kg already! Of the other two, the smallest keeps shoving the middle one off the nipple because she is pushier. Then the middle one (we call her Bronwyn, Bron for short) won't shove back, she just goes off by herself and cries. She is obviously getting enough milk cos she's big and growing...but is it mean to let the smallest (Beti) do that? Or is she just asserting her place?

As long as they are all getting enough, don't worry about it. Dogs are pack animals with a very strong need to know the hierarchy of the pack and their place in it. They really would rather KNOW they are on the lowest rung than not know what their place is. That's why people have trouble when they don't establish their own standing as the "Top Dog" in the house. It's OK if the little one asserts herself, in fact it maybe necessary to make sure she gets enough(especially being smaller). But, make sure she doesn't try to establish herself over you. That will lead to nothing but trouble.

thanks...i think you're right...i'm probably just personifying a bit but it makes me go 'aww...poor Bron...they're mean to her!' :^:

I agree with Operator265 - the pushy one is just establishing dominence, and as long as the other one is growing healthy, then all should be well. :)

It's hard to keep the mentality that dogs don't think like humans. (I have to tell myself this all the time). lol