Female dogs can individually recognize and react to their offspring's whining, a recent study led by Mathilde Massenet from the French University of Saint-Etienne found.
The study published by the US National Academy of Sciences analysed 4,400 recordings of 220 whimpering beagle puppies from 40 litters.
The recordings were made in four breeding centres in France.
The researchers employed small speakers to play the whimpering sounds of both their own puppies and other beagle pups to determine whether the mother dogs recognized their own offspring.
The mothers demonstrated a stronger reaction to the sounds of their own puppies, leading to increased caregiving and nurturing behaviours.
Some bitches went as far as to bring the speakers into their baskets alongside other puppies.
The mums also showed a stronger reaction to high-pitched sounds, which younger puppies generally produce.
The researchers concluded that the whining of dog puppies motivates their mums to be more caring.