Doggy Surrogate fathers

I’ve posted a lot of stories about doggy surrogate mothers. But it seems that occasionally male dogs have some nurturing capabilities, even though they don’t recognize their own progeny and do nothing to help raise the litters.

Boxer adopts kid. In the UK, Billy the boxer has adopted a baby goat called Lilly. Her mother, who needed to give her attention to the two strongest kids in the litter, abandoned Lilly when she was just a few hours old. That’s when Billy stepped in. He sleeps with the baby goat, licks her clean and stands guard. Lilly follows him everywhere. They have become inseparable.

Dog adopts fawn. These photos by Jennifer Aftanas went around the internet several years ago and this is still one of my favorites. In Canada an orphan fawn was found huddled under a porch step. Ms. Aftanas took it into her home and nursed it back to health. Soon the family's 100-pound Rhodesian Ridgeback, Hogan, took over, grooming and cuddling her.

Rhodesian Ridgebacks were bred in Africa to hunt lions.

Comments

[cube]

I'm not surprised. I have found that dogs have an unlimited capacity for unconditional love.

[Marion]

Lucky, my male neutered Airedale/Golden Retriever cross, has huge nurturing abilities. He loved small, furry animals, stuffed or not, when he was a puppy. He's in a kennel at the moment, but I hear he has adopted a kitten!

[Therese]

A few years ago I cared for a newborn border collie, and my border collie Archie was so gentle with him that it really surprised me. He nuzzled the little guy, and was right there with me whenever I fed him. I was amazed how mothering Archie was with him. My other dog Lydia didn't seem to have quite the same interest as Archie.

[Mack]

We poochies can be gentle if the need arises!

[teetotaled]

love the pics and stories!

[Turbo the Sibe]

Very interesting!

[rosemary]

charlie would have been nurturing...I know it. He loved the kitties and took naps with them. It is amazing how an animal can reach out and do this kind of thing...too bad more humans can't.

[chris]

great stories that show the true nature and capacity of our canine companions.

[Wendy]

I always love these kind of stories. Dogs adopt US all the time, so why not other animals?

[MJ]

When I was a kid, we had a poodle mix male named Nicky and a cat named Lady Bug. Neither were fixed, so of course Lady Bug had kittens every spring and Nicky just loved Lady Bug and all her litters. He would wash them and sleep with them and if Lady Bug left her bed, Nicky would stay with the kittens until she came back.

[jackie]

horay..great to finaly hear some nurturing stories about male dogs...nate my 110 lb pitty bull dog was raised as a puppy with full grown cats..and they kept him in line then and even when he was miles taller and bls heavier than they were..but every night they all slept in my bed in a cat dog pile...

[Chandira]

Aww.. Thank you Jan. I needed to read a post like this this afternoon! :-)
What a nice reminder of the good things in life.

[Lynn Sinclair]

I love these kinds of stories (and pictures!).

[Coll]

Love these photos and the stories. Such gentle beasts.

[Lora]

I saw a tv program one time about a lion that took on a gazelle of sorts as her "baby" she protected that thing for a year until a whole pack of lions got it. That part was sad, but the story was amazing. Nature has its own bit of glory and wonder that never ceases to amaze.