Newborn Puppy Care- Behavior, Growing and Breeding environment

February 10, 2023

The puppies should be guided to drink milk immediately after they are born. During the first hours and days of labor, the mother dog provides the puppies with the vital antibodies and nutrients they need for healthy development.

Behavior

When puppies are born, their eyes are closed so they cannot see. Puppies will still crawl to their mother and siblings for warmth, shelter, and nourishment through smell and touch. Early puppies spend most of their time sleeping.

Growing

At birth, puppies should weigh 1 - 5% of their adult body weight. With the nourishment provided by the mother dog, they gain weight quickly. The amount of weight puppies gain in the first few days of life depends on their breed size. In general, puppies will gain 2 to 4 grams per day depending on the expected weight of the adult dog.

Breeding environment

Newborn puppies are not yet fully equipped to regulate their body temperature, so it is important to keep them in the right environment for the first few hours of life. The temperature of the whelping box should be maintained between 29.5-32°C. Over the next seven to ten days, the temperature can gradually decrease to about 26.7°C. The farrowing box should be located in a well-ventilated area, neither too much air flow nor stuffy.