Development and Care of Newborn Pups

You’ve planned the breeding carefully, you’ve cared for the bitch throughout, and the whelping date is imminent. What happens now? Just like people, the pups are individuals and develop at their own speed. However, in general, their development will follow this schedule:

The pup’s arrival

Licking from the mother will stimulate each pup’s breathing, which is irregular at first. The pups will have little ability to move, and their main activity during this time will be sleep. They will root with their noses to find their mother’s nipple, establishing the initial bond with the dam, and finding warmth. With the rooting behavior, which begins to disappear at 4 days of life, the pups orient themselves toward any warm object, which is most likely to be their mother or littermates. When they’re not sleeping the pups will be feeding from the mother, in which they use their most active senses at this stage: smell and touch. The pups will also move toward the source of licking directed at their heads and backs, and this also helps them find their mother.

Newborn pups are very care-dependent, relying on their mother for food but also for assistance with elimination, cleanliness, and protection. When the pups are born their eyes and ears are sealed, a sign of an incompletely developed nervous system. Their legs won’t have the strength to carry them yet so they may move by crawling on their belly.

Whelping box: The mother and litter should be kept in a confined area such as a box with sides high enough to keep them inside and to prevent drafts. The bottom of the box should be raised off the floor and covered with padded, disposable, or washable flooring such as indoor-outdoor carpeting and disposable diapers or cotton towels to help them stay as warm and dry as possible. Materials that become slippery when wet, such as newspapers, should not be used as bedding.

The first 3 weeks

Senses: Five to 14 days after whelping, the pups’ eyes open but they have limited vision, a day or so later their external ear canals open. The pups’ main activity during this time is sleep and if they’re not sleeping they’re feeding from their mother. However, in the third week pups sleep a little less, start to recognize movement and light and dark, and may startle at unexpected sounds. By 18 days of age they begin to move around and explore their environment.

Temperature: They are incapable of regulating their body temperature for the first 6 days of life and require an external heat source to stay warm for the first 1 to 3 weeks of life. A puppy’s rectal temperature should be maintained at 96°F to 97°F (35.6°C to 36°C) for the first week of life and at 97°F to 100°F (36°C to 37.8°C) for the second, third, and fourth weeks. The entire floor of the box should not be covered with a warming device, such as a heating pad or heat lamp, because the pups must be able to get away from the heat source if it gets too warm. A ticking clock placed in the box may help to keep the litter quiet if the mother is unwilling to stay with them most of the time.

Vaccinations: Puppies should be checked for gastrointestinal parasites at around 2 weeks of age, and they require fecal rechecks when they return for their vaccinations.

Feeding and elimination: They nurse from their mother every 1 to 2 hours for the first week, and their mother licks their genitals to stimulate urination and defecation.

Week 4 and 5

Puppies are more active at this stage and their hearing and sight more developed. They begin interacting with their littermates, establishing early social skills. Pups become aware of their own strength and learn what is acceptable behavior through play with their littermates. The mother dog’s behavior at this point is important. She will watch her pups play, stopping them if they get too rough, and providing early discipline to the puppies. Early house-training skills develop around this time because the pups can now eliminate without their mother’s help, and start to leave their nest to do so. You should start handling the puppies gently during this period, to help them get used to people.

Week 6 to 8

Puppies are exploring their environment around this time. It’s important to provide them with stimulating toys to help them get used to different things, so that they don’t grow fearful about new experiences. This is all part of their initial socialization.

The puppies are usually weaned during this time however the mother’s role continues to be important. Pups are pack animals, and through early discipline the mother dog establishes herself as leader of the pack, correcting disrespectful or too-rough behavior. If the mother dog is fearful or friendly the pup often learns this behavior.

Heartworm preventive medication should be started at 6 to 8 weeks of age in areas where heartworms are a problem.

Although the above is a very general outline of the pups first 8 weeks, it is clear the role the pups’ mother, littermates and breeder take in forming them. Among other benefits, a well-balanced mother dog provides early discipline that helps the pups accept discipline later in life, and teaches the pups friendly behavior. The pups’ littermates allow them to test their strength, and let them know when they are too rough. The breeder begins the puppies socialization, helping them get used to people, and encouraging them to investigate without fear. This helps the pups to grow into dogs that are friendly, as well as making the transition to a new home and life easier on the pups