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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.
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