Thread: Motherly instincts?

Ever since Simba first came, Elsa, the youngest of my two dogs has been obsessed with cleaning Simba's bottom. If she hears him in his litter tray she waits for him to come out and then follows him trying to clean him or if she sees him lying down she rolls him over with her nose and cleans him. Simba used to get quite annoyed at this but dispite him clawing at her face and biting her ears while she does it she seems determined to finish the job. He now has practically given up and seems more patient while she is washing him but will often get up after she has finished with a mad flick of his tail to show is disapproval I was wondering why she does this and thought that maybe like a mother dog will clean her puppies she has this instinct to do the same with Simba seeing him as her baby.