What Is The First Thing To Do?
When it comes time for your bitch to go into labor, be prepared to help take care of those puppies. The first thing to do once a puppy is born is to make sure that they get cleaned off, the umbilical cord is cut (either by the mom biting it off or you having to cut it), and placed onto mom to nurse. It is so important that they get that first feeding done because they are drinking the mom’s colostrum. This carries a lot of the antibodies that they need to survive on. Nursing right away is good to because it also helps the mom contract for the next puppy to be delivered. It is also crucial that you have a heat source for the puppies as they are not able to regulate their own body temperature for the first two weeks.
Feeding Time
Everyone needs to understand that feeding time is important. You want to make sure the puppies nurse every 2 hours for the first couple of weeks. This way they can grow properly and get all the nourishment that they need to survive. It is also important for mom’s milk supply to stay consistent as well. The body only knows how much milk to continue to produce if the puppies continue to feed, otherwise her supply will go down. The last thing you want to have to do is bottle feed and make a supplement for them to feed off of. Mom’s milk is the best milk for them.
It is also important to make sure mom is drinking enough water and eating enough as well. If she isn’t hydrated and keeping the calories packed, then she won’t be able to provide enough for her puppies. Just like a human needs to eat extra to feed their child, it is the same with a dog.
Keeping The Puppies Clean
The first couple of weeks puppies aren’t able to use the restroom on their own. The bitch will constantly lick them while they are nursing to help them to go. She will clean up their mess as well. This is okay! Do not stop her from doing so. You will want to make sure that every puppy is either licked by the mother or you will need to take a warm wash cloth and rub them to get them to pee and poop. This needs to be done after every feeding with every dog. Once they are about three weeks old they will be able to start going on their own. I know this may be gross to some people, but it is apart of breeding.
After Two Weeks, The Fun Begins….
After the puppies turn two weeks old, they begin to learn to walk, open their eyes, use the restroom on their own, and begin to interact with each other. You will want to continue to have them nurse off mom until about four to six weeks. Of course the longer the better, but once they start getting their teeth you can start introducing kibble to them (whatever brand you choose of course). We like to use Costco brand dog food. Our dogs have done well on it.
Transiting To Solid Foods
We start transiting our puppies at about 5 weeks of age to solid, kibble food. We will use a milk supplement into the food as well for a few days so they can get used to the taste. Once we have done it for a couple of days we set out a bowl of food and a bowl of water. A lot of people make a soft food for their puppies called “mush.” Start off by blending up the kibble food, supplements you want to use, and warm water. The puppies love it. They make a big mess, so be prepared to clean up. Mom will help out as well.
At 6 weeks of age is when we do the their first set of shots at the vet. The dewormer we begin at 2 weeks of age and do it every 2 weeks until we send them home at 10 weeks of age. We will also do their second set of shots at 9 weeks of age before we send them home. After that it is up to the buyers to follow up with vet for the rest of their shots and dewormer. We will also do ear crop (at buyer’s request and it is an extra fee) at 7 weeks of age, which will then give the puppy 3 weeks to fully heal before their go to their forever home.
