Caring For And Raising Puppies

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.