Parental behavior has been extensively studied in females, however, in male rats the effects of fatherhood on cognition and emotional behavior remain poorly understood. This study aimed to evaluate memory, anxiety, and paternal behavior in male Wistar rats exposed to varying numbers of litters. Male rats were divided into three groups: G1 (one litter), G2 (two litters), and G3 (three litters). Paternal behaviors were analyzed in the presence and absence of the female for 10 minutes on postnatal days 1, 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 15, 17, and 19. Anxiety was assessed using the Elevated Plus Maze (EPM), and short-term memory (STM) and long-term memory (LTM) were evaluated using the Barnes maze. In the Bm, training latency decreased by up to 30% in males that cared for litters, showing improved LTM (latency: 8±1 s) compared to non-caregivers (30±5 s). G2 showed a significant increase in time spent in the closed arms of the EPM (290±5 s), indicating elevated anxiety. Likewise, latency to initiate paternal behavior increased in G3 on PND 5 and PND 10 compared to G1, and huddling (pup covering) behavior also increased in G3 regardless of female presence. In conclusion, prolonged exposure to litter promotes the development of active paternal behaviors, associated with increased anxiety and enhanced cognitive performance. These findings suggest that paternity in males not only modulates offspring-directed behavior but also induces adaptive changes in emotional and cognitive processing.