The raising of puppies can be an exhilarating and
rewarding experience. It can also be an experience wrought
with frustration if some guidelines aren’t adhered to or if
certain aspects of the duty are overlooked. There are a
number of things that you can do for the puppies and their
mother to help make their first days, weeks, and months
together healthy and happy ones.
The mother dog will spend the first few days after giving
birth with her new puppies. It is important to check on
the mother and the pups to ensure that the puppies are
being kept warm enough and are being well fed and to make
sure that Mommy is producing enough milk and is comfortable.
If the mother leaves the puppies it will be very important
to monitor their temperature closely. It is imperative
that the pups be kept warm and their area should be kept at
a temperature of ninety degrees Fahrenheit for the first
four days of their young lives. The temperature can be
decreased gradually after that. Remember that a large
litter will still need to be kept warm, but that the
puppies’ body heat will help keep them warm as they huddle
together.
The mother will be very protective of her pups and may
display signs of anxiety when people come around the
puppies. Some dogs will move the puppies from place to
place in an effort to hide them from predators. This is
instinctive behavior. Keeping the mother and her pups in
an enclosed box may curb this problem as the darkness will
ease the mother’s mind and make her feel that she’s found
an ideal location for protecting her babies.
During the puppies’ first month there should be little
need for the owner to do much of anything for them. They
will be cared for exclusively by the mother during this
time. The owner’s role should be one of monitoring the
pups’ progress and growth rate. The puppies should double
their weight in about a week. By two weeks of age the pups
will be alert and attempting to stand on their own. By the
time they’re a month old the pups should all be able to
walk, play, and run around. Now the fun starts!
By about four and a half weeks, the puppies should be
eating solid food. One way to train them in doing so is to
start feeding them a mixture of canned or dry dog food
mixed with a little water or milt to soften it. The pups
will lap this up like they are drinking, but will be taking
food in at the same time. Day by day the amount of liquid
being used should be reduced until eventually the pups are
eating the canned or dry food on its own.
One activity that a new mother will engage in will
sometimes alarm dog owners. In an effort to teach her pups
how to urinate and defecate, mother may lick the pups’
hindquarters. This stimulus will make them “go.” The
mother will often eat the pup’s excrement. She does this
to both keep the pups’ area clean and eliminate the scent
of her pups’ droppings that could alert predators in the
wild. The pups will sometimes mimic this behavior and eat
each other’s excrement for a short time. Most puppies will
cease this behavior by the time they are weaned.
