Week One of a puppy's life – feed, sleep, repeat During this first week, all their energy will be devoted to sleeping and feeding so that they gain weight and become strong. It's a busy time for human helpers with sleepless nights on the cards to ensure that puppies and mums want for nothing.
Healthy newborns should have a healthy suck reflex, a normal and functioning urethra and anus, no cleft palate, pink and moist gums and mucous membranes, and a healthy coat. Dr. Klein, our Chief Veterinary Officer, recommends purchasing a baby scale to monitor weight gain in each puppy.
Physical Development
At one week old, puppies' eyes are still closed. Their eyes will begin to open in the second week of life, usually between 10 and 16 days of age. However, they won't be able to see clearly at first. The eyes will gradually open wider, revealing grayish-blue eyes with a hazy appearance.
“The neonatal period from birth to 3 days of age is a critical stage for puppies,” cautions Dr. Smith.
You will know whenever they are hungry and starving because they will begin to move around and cry, but it is best to feed them on a schedule. If you are acting as a substitute parent, make sure the newborn pups won't be able to suck air while bottle-feeding.
Puppies less than two weeks of age should be fed every 3-4 hours. Puppies two to four weeks of age do well with feedings every 6-8 hours. Weaning, as described below, should begin at three to four weeks of age.
Be aware that exceeding the stomach capacity (amount per feeding) may put the puppy at risk of aspiration, vomiting, diarrhea, and gas build-up in the stomach and intestines.
Puppy difficulty at ages 2-3 months
A smaller percentage of owners voted 8-12 weeks as the toughest age.
By about three weeks of age, you can—and should! —begin gently handling the puppies1 for short periods for reasons other than basic health care. Once the puppies have their eyes open, you can try carefully picking them up, holding them for a bit, and placing them back in the box.
Puppies: Puppies should nurse vigorously and compete for nipples. Newborns can nurse up to 45 minutes at a time. Be sure to watch puppies nursing at least once a day, if the mother will permit it. Check that everyone is nursing and that there isn't too much jockeying for position.
If the puppies huddle close to each other under the heat source, it may mean they're too cold and are trying to use the group's body heat to stay warm. If the puppies are scattered in different areas of the box, it could mean they're too hot.
Puppies start drinking water at around 3 - 4 weeks of age, at the same time they switch from milk to solid food and once their teeth have started to grow.
The first two weeks of life for a puppy are called the neonatal period. Puppies are born with their eyes and ear canals closed, and their main activities are sleeping and nursing. They cry or whine to seek contact or care from their mother.
It is recommended, particularly with a first-time mother, to check the puppies every few hours to make sure they are all suckling and are warm and content.
Take care not to overheat the puppies; newborns cannot move away from the heat on their own. Stimulation for elimination. For the first two weeks of life, puppies are stimulated by their mother to encourage urination and defecation. In the absence of their mother, you will have to provide the stimulation.
Continually holding your dog can make them begin to feel as though they are human and can encourage behavior that causes dominance struggles within your home. Your dog should understand that their place is on the floor where they are not equal to you.
Puppies explore the world through their mouths, just like human babies. And just like human babies, they can become overstimulated - when this happens, they can get very bitey, and it can be difficult to calm them.
In most cases, you can expect a newborn puppy to open its eyes when they're about 10 to 14 days old, but can take as long as 21 days. This may take a bit longer for some puppies. While some puppies open both eyes at the same time, you may notice that your puppy opens one eye first, then the other one a bit later.
Around 16-20 weeks of age, your puppy's brain is around 80% developed. By this point, they'll have a pretty distinct personality.
The most challenging time of raising a puppy is the adolescent period. Dogs become “teenagers” and seem to forget everything they have ever been taught. This period is individual to each dog, but it may begin when he's about eight months old and continue until he's two years old.
The phrase “Puppy Blues” refers to feelings of anxiety, depression, or both related to acquiring a dog under the age of one. Symptom severity may change daily, but overall, these feelings interfere with your ability to function daily. Nearly 70% of puppy owners reported symptoms of anxiety, depression, or both.
Older puppies may cry because they're bored or lonely. But crying in newborn puppies is generally due to one of a few issues: Hunger. Make sure each puppy is nursing properly and is getting enough nursing time.
Hence a puppy should receive 13 ml of formula per 100 g body weight per day during the first week of life, 16 ml per 100 g body weight per day during the second week, 20 ml per 100 g body weight per day during the third week and 22 ml per 100 g body weight per day during the fourth week.
If the puppies are not getting enough to eat, they will be restless and cry a lot, and of course, they will not have full bellies. It is at that point that you have to try to feed them some extra milk.