The First Few Days With Newborn Puppies

As a breeder you likely spent the last nine weeks preparing in anticipation for the arrival of your litter of puppies. You may already know how many puppies to expect and the sex of each of these puppies or you may be awaiting the surprise of finding out how big your litter is and how many dogs and bitches it will produce. Regardless of the amount of information you have available to you before the puppies are born, if you are a new breeder and this is your first litter, you are likely nervous as well as excited about the birth of the puppies. This article will provide useful information which will help you to survive your first few days with your newborn puppies.

A couple of weeks before your bitch is due to deliver you should set up your whelping box. This is the area where your bitch and her puppies will spend the first few weeks of the puppies' lives. Once the puppies become more mobile and adventures they can be free to explore other parts of the house as well as the backyard but will not likely leave the whelping box in the first few days. For this reason the whelping box should be a secure location large enough to accommodate the bitch and the puppies and should include bedding that is soft and warm. This bedding may be replaced with newspaper during the actual whelping process but once all of the puppies are delivered and cleaned up the soft, warm bedding should return because the puppies will be very susceptible to cold during the first few days. Breeders should also keep a small, warm box nearby to place the puppies in while the bitch is busy whelping other puppies. This will help to keep the puppies warm while the mother is not available to them.

The first week with newborn puppies is not exactly a fun filled one for the breeder. This is because the puppies are not very active. During the first week they will likely sleep for approximately 90% of the time. During the 10% of the time the puppies are awake they will likely be nursing. The puppies will have a few basic instincts. These instincts will include nursing, crawling and seeking out warmth by snuggling with the bitch and the other puppies.

Although the puppies are not very active during the first week of life this does not mean the breeder has no responsibilities. The breeder should be weighing the puppies daily to ensure they are thriving. Puppies may lose approximately 10% of their birth weight but they should quickly begin regaining this weight as they start to nurse. Their birth weight should approximately double by the end of the first week. Puppies that are not gaining weight may either not be nursing properly or may be rejected by the bitch for some reason. In either case the breeder may need to intervene for the well being of the puppy. If the puppy continues to not be able to nurse a veterinarian may recommend the puppy be bottle fed with a milk substitute.

Newborn puppies require stimulation to urinate and defecate during the first two weeks of life. The mother typically provides this stimulation by gently licking the puppies to encourage these activities. However, the bitch and puppies should be monitored carefully to ensure this is occurring. If it is not the breeder will have to intervene by using a wet washcloth to simulate the licking action of the mother and stimulate the puppy to urinate and defecate. Also, because these activities will take place in the whelping box, this area should be cleaned regularly and the bedding replaced as necessary.