This is my second time raising newborn puppies. The experience is incredibly rewarding but also very stressful. There are moments in which I think I will loose my mind, but also times when I think this is one of the best experiences of my life! Here is a list of 10 things I have learned during the process of raising newborn puppies.
1. Toilet Habits
This was something I didn’t know before raising newborn puppies for the first time! During the first few weeks of a puppy’s life, the mother takes care of all their toilet needs. She licks their genitals to stimulate their toilet movements. Without this, the puppies would not be able to go to the toilet. In the early days of life, toilet waste goes straight into her mouth. Once the puppies are more active, she will find the toilet waste in the bed and clean it herself. This is a disgusting fact I now share with everyone!
2. They Sleep A Lot!
During their first two weeks of life, before they open their eyes, puppies sleep 90% of the time. Growing is an exhausting process so puppies spend most of their early days sleeping. They will huddle together to keep warm and for comfort.
3. Puppies Can’t Regulate Their Own Body Temperatures
Puppies must therefore be protected from all drafts. In the colder months, you might need to purchase a heater to keep the room and whelping box warm. Alternatively, a heat mat placed in the middle of the whelping box works well. By placing it in the middle of the box, the puppies can move to the outer edges of the box if they feel too warm.
4. It is important to socialise Puppies from weeks 4 to 12
This period of time is essential for the puppy’s social skills and their social development. During this time, puppies need to receive lots of human affection and cuddles to ensure they grow to be well-adjusted dogs. Puppies may not have the opportunity to socialise with other dogs at this time, but that’s fine. Ensure they are familiar with humans and the human touch.
6. Puppies Feed Every 2 Hours
During their first few weeks of life, puppies will feed from their mother every 2 hours or so. If the puppies are not waking up to feed every couple of hours, a trip to the vet might be needed. Not only do puppies gain food during feeding times, but also have valuable nutrients which will build their immune systems.
5. Puppies Double their Weight in the First Week
Feeding every two hours means the puppies can really pile on the pounds. In their first week of life, puppies will double their weight. It is important to weigh the puppies regularly, every 2 days is ideal during their first 2-3 weeks of life. After this time, the puppies do not need to be weighed as often, but it is good practice to weigh them regularly, especially during weaning to ensure they continue to increase in weight.
6. Puppies cannot see or hear for the first 2 weeks
Although they can make noises to attract their mother’s attention, newborn puppies cannot see or hear in the first two weeks of life. During this time, the puppy’s eyes will be closed.
7. All Puppies are born with Blue-Grey Eyes
This is one of my favourite facts to tell people when I discuss raising newborn puppies. All puppies are born with similar coloured blue-grey eyes. Their true eye colour doesn’t develop until around 10 weeks of age.
8. Nursing Dogs Need to Switch to a Puppy Food Diet
During pregnancy, breeders switch their bitch to a puppy food diet. This is because puppy food is filled with nutrients and minerals that will help the puppies and mother throughout pregnancy. It is also recommended that the nursing bitch remains on puppy food during nursing. Again, this gives the bitch plenty of nutrients and calories which will help her produce good-quality milk for her litter.
9. The Mother might Regurgitate food for the Puppies
Not all mothers do this, but some do! With both litters, our dog, Biscuit has regurgitated food for the puppies from around 4 weeks of age. We must act fast to remove it so the puppies don’t eat the food! Typically, she will eat and then go to feed the puppies. At this time, she then vomits in front of the puppies. Usually, she will eat this undigested food herself before the puppies even notice it,
10. The teats closest to the back legs produce the most milk
If a puppy is struggling to gain weight or to feed, it is good practice to place them on the teats closest to the back legs as these produce the most milk.
To find out more information about the birth of our most recent litter, see The Birth of our Cavapoochon Puppies.
