Physical and Behavior Development: Newborn Puppies
From the moment of birth, a puppy is changing and developing day by day, week by week, in many different ways. Whether you are a seasonal breeder caring for a litter of newborn puppies, or first-time owner of a diminutive puppy, there’s no denying that this experience will somehow influence your view and knowledge on dogs.
The process of a dog’s development from puppyhood to adulthood is very much centered on “personality.” There are many factors throughout a dog’s life can have an impact on his behavior. And the first most important personality development begins when the puppy emerges from a warm, safe, dark environment—its mother’s womb—into a world filled with multitude of new stimulus.
Physical and Behavioral Development of a Newborn Puppy
During the first 21 days, puppies are totally dependent on their mother for food and care. It is very crucial that puppies remain with their mother. If they are taken away from their mother during this period, the puppies may have problem developing into well-adjusted, mature dogs.
Although the momma dog is highly competent of nursing, caring, and teaching her pups without much of our assistance, nevertheless we should assist both the mother and her pups in any way to make their journey as pleasant and less traumatic as possible.
I will elaborate the necessary human intervention in all stages of the puppy development below and in future articles.
Physical and Behavioral Development of a Newborn Puppy from Birth to 10 Days Old
Sense of Sight, Hearing, and Smell: Puppies are born blind, deaf, and anosmic* at birth and will remain so for the next 10 to 14 days. Because they can’t see, hear, and smell*, newborn puppies have very little concept of their surrounding and about themselves—identity, what am I? 
* At this stage, puppies can’t connect smell to things (living or non-living). Of course, they are able to sniff out air in their nostrils right after the membrane is removed and soon they seek out for milk and begin to suck eagerly. Why only the teats puppies are able to detect? I’m afraid I don’t have the answer to that. Faith in God’s creation is what I can say.
Vocalization: The only sound the puppies can make at this point of time is probably whining, very soft cries. Usually, the first short burst of cry can be heard after the mother removes the membranes from the pup. Other than that, there should not be any vocalization at all until they are much older (21 days old) unless they are deprived from food, warm, or being hurt.
- How You Can Help: Do not ignore any vocal sound made by the puppies. Investigate them immediately. Due to their needs for food and warm from their mother, some alpha pups will push the meeker ones away from their living source. Make sure that every pup has its fair share and no one is hurt during feeding time.
Motor Skills: In a normal healthy litter, all newborn puppies are capable of crawling, sucking, licking, and withdrawing from “pain.”
Source of Food: As said earlier, the momma dog is entirely responsible for feeding her babies. Each newborn puppy will “sniff” and crawl its way to the teats shortly after its mother removes the membranes and umbilical cord.
- Behavioral Development: During this juncture, the first signs of the litters’ personality and hierarchy status are noticeable. The mother’s teats are arranged in pairs along the length of her belly, with the better supply of milk available around the middle teats region. Many will be jostling for access to these prime feeding areas. Usually the stronger ones (alpha dog) get there swiftly. The less fortunate ones (secondary to alpha) will only have access to the outer teats; and the meeker ones (lowest rank in the status) might be forced away from the teats altogether. The success or failure of the puppies in getting to these prime teats will have an impact on their personality.
- How You Can Help: Make sure the whole litter is suckling properly and have access to their mother’s milk at all times especially larger breeds nursing more than eight puppies. Dogs or puppies don’t know how to play fair, so it’s our job to make sure that none is deprived from their mother’s milk. Do a feeding rotation often and allow the meeker ones have access to the prime areas occasionally so that they get to taste quality nutritious mother’s milk.
Source of Heat: Newborn puppies cannot generate and retain heat neither can they shiver properly. They are unable to make their hair stand on end to trap an insulating layer of air. Puppies’ heat regulation is very poor and their body temperatures fluctuate readily with that of their surroundings. A mere drop of 37°F in temperature can be a matter of life or death for the tiny ones. Therefore, contact with their mothers is vital for their survival.
- How You Can Help: Puppies needs for consistence warmth is undeniably crucial and you HAVE to play an active role during this period especially in colder months. There are a number of ways you can keep a newborn puppy warm, from hot-water bottle to infra-red lamps (I will share more detailed methods in future breeding and reproduction post.) For now, we will focus on the natural heat that is from the mother. Make sure her meals and potty areas aren’t too far away from the whelping box. Assure her that her babies are away from busy human traffic or intruders so that she is able to eat and relief herself with least amount of stress. Make sure her temporary departure is no more than 20-30 minutes long. Check that there is no pup hung onto her teats while she makes her exist from the whelping box!
Elimination: Puppies at this stage has no elimination reflexes. Therefore, it is the mother’s role to stimulate her puppies (licking their genitals) to defecate and urinate. She will then eats their feces and licks up the urine to keep the den clean and free from germs. It is critical for the mother to keep her puppies clean constantly, who might otherwise die of diseases.
- How You Can Help: Practice good hygiene habits by keeping the whelping box clean and dry regularly. If there is any debris (i.e. dry feces or milk) left on the puppies’ coat, wipe them away immediately with cotton wool soaked in lukewarm water. This is an excellent time to get the puppies used to human touch and basic grooming habits.
Sleep and Rest: There aren’t many activities you can expect from newborn puppies. Just like babies, puppies have an amazing capacity for sleep. Well-fed puppies do little other than sleep and root to the teats for milk for the next 10 days.
My advice to beginner breeders is to enjoy this moment to the fullest, take it all in, and be grateful for the wonderful birth. You so need it because in weeks to come, you will be busy managing those furry little “monsters” from feeding to training. 
The Complete Series on Stages of Dog’s Development
- Physical and Behavior Development: Newborn Puppies
- Physical and Behavior Development: Puppy at Week 2
- Physical and Behavior Development: Puppy at Week 3
- Physical and Behavior Development: Puppy at Week 4
- Physical and Behavior Development: 1 Month Old Puppy
- Physical and Behavior Development: 2 Months Old Puppy
- Physical and Behavior Development: 3 Months Old Puppy
- Physical and Behavior Development: 6 Months Old Puppy
- Physical and Behavior Development: One Year Old Dog
Jul 3rd 2007
11:24 AM
I was always struck by how strong the different personalities of my little Poodle puppies were even from the same litter. From the beginning they were little individuals.
Jul 6th 2007
8:43 PM
Indeed! I suppose that makes it more interesting to get to know the whole family.
Jul 9th 2007
6:14 PM
I like your blog it has a lot of good information
God bless
http://www.mydoggilicious.com
Jul 27th 2007
11:32 PM
If you get the tails docked and dewclaws removed, the pups scream bloody murder. The mother can hear the pups from several rooms away and recognizes the cries. She was real upset.
Jul 29th 2007
9:19 PM
That wasn’t my experience at all. The veterinarian and her team made three quick snips, the puppies made three little screams each, and fell back asleep. The mother was there watching and just relaxed when it was quickly over.
Jul 31st 2007
1:09 AM
Whilst our Corgi X Cavallier was pregnant I had a lot of people tell me that the number of teats a bitch has is the number of pups she will have. Our new mum had 10 teats, and being a small dog, I totally dismissed the thought that she would have 10 pups. To our amazement, she did have 10, and is being a beautiful mother to all 10! Is there really any substance to this myth, or is this all just coinsidence? Thanks for a great blog, very user-friendly!
Aug 4th 2007
1:29 AM
Hello Nicole,
First off, congratulations to you and the momma dog and to the wonderful birth of all ten pups!
As to your question about “teats equal pups” myth, I’m must admit this is my first time hearing it. To my knowledge, I’ve to say this is purely a coincidence. From my experience working with dogs, I’ve yet to come across any female dog with odd number of teats on their belly. Nonetheless, I’ve seen and heard many momma dogs delivered puppies in odd numbers. Take some of my dogs for examples. Snowie, Maltese, had 3, 1, and 3 pups in her three pregnancies. Cherie, Golden Retriever, had 9 pups in her first and only litter. Mimi, Beagle X Smooth Fox terrier, had 5 pups.
Also, if my memory serves me well, there’s a Rottweiler in Scotland or Finland who gave birth to twenty-to-thirty-some pups in one litter. It’d be very astonishing to see her had that many teats.
Thanks for your kind words, and I hope you’ll visit us more often.
Jun 19th 2008
12:37 AM
we just got a puppy and was told she was born april 14, 2008 but people are saying she is alot younger. my question is when do they get there signt. she has an appt. with a vet on sat. another thing is she still has no baby teeth. she is eating puppy formula and soft food mixed.
Jun 25th 2008
1:24 AM
Hi Lisa,
If your puppy was born on April 14, that would mean you got her at 9½ weeks old. At this age, her physical appearance will look very similar to an adult dog but in smaller version.
At 4th week, she should have baby teeth. If she’s not having them, I suggest you not feed her any solid food yet, although puppies should expose to some solid food at about 6 to 8 weeks.
I’m not sure I understand your question “when do they get there signt?” If you’re referring to sight, well, by the end of 2nd week or a little later, her eyes should open.
Sorry I couldn’t reply to you in time before her vet visit. Hope this helps a little.
Aug 5th 2008
11:18 AM
I dont have a reply but i have a question please email with the answer
My boston terrier just gave birth you 4 puppies and one does not stop crying we took them to the vet she said they look healthy and fat so they said they are eating good. He just wont stop crying what could be wrong????? please help
Sep 15th 2008
4:34 AM
Hello! I found this site when I was doing a google search on when puppies get their sight. I think I read that their eyes open at around 2 weeks, but I was actually wondering the following…
1st QUESTION: When can puppies see clearly?
2nd QUESTION: At what age do they actually gain full control of their eyes?
3rd QUESTION: If a tiny puppy’s hind legs look a bow-legged is this normal? I heard once that bones at that age were still somewhat flexible, and similar to cartilage, but I have no idea if this is actually a fact!
If someone would PLEASE answer these questions ASAP it would be GREATLY appreciated! We have purchased a puppy from a breeder and will take him no matter what, but she just sent a picture of him when he was about 3 weeks old, and one eye was looking at the camera, while the other was off to the side…and his tiny little back legs looked bowed! Also, in the other pic is a side view and he is staring off into space!
I hope this is normal–we already love him so much, and as I said will get him anyway, but this literally woke me up tonight worrying over it!
Thank you!
Sep 16th 2008
7:35 PM
Hi Shannon,
Here are the answers to your questions.
1st and 2nd: Between 12 to 21 days, puppy’s eye open and gradually gain greater control of them.
3rd: No, at 3 weeks of age, they begin to develop their motor skills—typically around 18 to 19 days. They’ll gradually begin to walk from week 4.
Their bones are still growing until adulthood around one or two of age, depending upon the size and breed of the dog.
According to your description of the puppy, bow-legged and cock-eye are not signs of a physically able puppy. He may post some challenges for dog owners. He may also face some minor challenges but will eventually overcome the obstacles and not feel himself any lesser than other able dogs.
I once adopted a Shih Tzu cross from an abuse owner. Both of his front legs were badly turned outward. During his 2 years living with me, he never once “complained” nor shunned himself from any activities.
If you are willing to overlook his physical beauty and face the challenges along with him then I suppose love conquers all.
Good luck!
Oct 20th 2008
11:57 PM
i have a 2 week old litter of 7 labradors last night 2 developed diahorria could this be what mum has eaten ?
Oct 30th 2008
5:39 PM
Hi Heather,
It’s not likely to be caused by what the mom has eaten. Did you give the pups anything other than the mother’s milk?
Jan 17th 2009
12:35 PM
HI!
I work at a school, and we had two pitbulls prowling around the school campus for about two months. Finally, they came closer to our doors, and the school had to call animal control. While we were waiting for the animal control to arrive, we had discovered that the mom had babies about three days earlier. So we put the mom with the babies so she could continue to feed them. When the animal control arrived, they only took the mom and the other pitbull and did not take the babies with them. We called and asked that they take the babies with them too. They would not. So, I took three newborn pups home. I went straight home, found a decent box and put the heating pad in it then towels over it and put the pups in. I then got newborn puppy milk and baby animal bottle and started feeding them one by one. After each feeding, I used cotton balls, wet them with warm water and gently stimulated their genitals and helped them pee and poop. Fed them every two to three hours. They are now 7 days old, and doing real good. My question is, should I take them to the vet to ensure that they are healthy? Please advise. Thanks!
Jan 18th 2009
8:08 AM
Hi Carrie,
It’s not very crucial at this stage if you don’t sense something amiss. However, you do have to bring them in for vaccination at week 5 and thereafter. But before this, you have to worm the puppies at week 3 and repeat this every 3 weeks until 3 months of age. Your vet will be able to give you more info on vaccination and worming procedure.
To remove the dew claws, this the time to do so; actually it is best done when they’re at day 3 to 5.
Hope this helps and good luck.
Jan 28th 2009
12:21 PM
Hi,
My dog had puppies on the 17th of January. They are being fed well since they are all quite chubby but sometimes they seem to cry and whine alot even when Mom is there. The room they are in is very warm.Im going to try a hot water bottle
to see if that helps at all.The whining is sometimes incessant and Mom doesnt like to sleep with them for very long even though the pool they are in is quite large and accommodates her quite well. The funny thing is that they do not always sleep together they seem to go off by themselves and sleep. If they were cold wouldnt they all huddle together for warmth.
Jan 30th 2009
11:13 PM
My dogo argentino x american bulldog just give birth to 5 amazing puppies through cesarian section operation. Since its her first time having this angels we have to guide her all the way and since she is operated we need to keep her away to from puppies to make sure her wound will heal faster. We put a 25watts lamp inside the puppies box to make sure they are warm and every two hours we will take them to their mother for their milk. It’s their 6th day now and the mother don’t produce enough milk for all her babies. as much as I want to give her more food to make her produce more milk but the vets says no or else her wound will open. She got calcium vitamins, vitamins C and other milk-producing vitamins but she doesn”t produce much milk. My vet adviced to give the pups babies milk formula since puppies milk formula is hard to find in the Philippines. But what milk I have to give? I mean I want to be sure and needs other people’s idea on this matter. I don’t want to put my angels at risk.
Feb 21st 2009
12:58 AM
HELLO,I BOUGHT A 2 MONTH MALE PITBULL,BUT THE QUESTION IM HAVING HIS HIND LEGS ARE BOWED OUT WEN HE WALKS,ITS LIKE HES CARING A HOLESTER ON HI WAIST,DOES ANY ONE NO IF IT WILL GO AWAY IN TIME,THANKX PETE
Mar 3rd 2009
4:27 PM
I need some advice. My pit mix delivered 14 puppies (she was huge) and we lost 2 at birth. The other 12 are growing strong. However, I do have one that I am concerned about. As they started walking, I noticed that he is having a problem holding himself up on his front paws. He cant seem to keep them both in front of him. He either leans to the left or right. Has anyone else seen this issue with their puppies?
Mar 16th 2009
3:18 PM
ma dog is dead
May 1st 2009
4:30 AM
I haven’t noticed if anyone has commented back on any of these, but like Maryanne’s comment from above… my dog just had 9 puppies on April 27th and they cry A LOT & seem to be very loud. From the websight- it says that is not normal. Someone please help!
May 1st 2009
6:46 AM
Hi Peyshance,
Have you investigated the surrounding? For examples, no edgy corners around the bedding area; check mom’s nails aren’t too long or coarse to touch etc. Double check that all puppies aren’t deprived of food, water, warmth for too long period.
Are they eating well (eager to eat)? Do they cry after they’re fed? Have they eliminated yet?
Jun 2nd 2009
12:09 PM
I have a foster dog and pups here (from day 2). They are now 19 days old. I’d like to move them from the small unused bathroom they’ve been in for warmth and separation (in the bottom of a large varikennel for pups and mama down to my kitchen area inside an expen with the kennel inside of it. Some sites say 3 weeks is a time for no changes or stress. Would moving them be too stressful? Also at what point do they start self regulating temperature?
Aug 4th 2009
3:19 AM
Please help!Waiting for my new chinese crestend pup.At the moment they are 2 weeks old.Litter off 6 pups. The owner keeps me updated on there progress.Said that she must be honest with me regarding the pup I want. A real cry baby.If there is crying going on be sure it is my pup.Out off all 6 she is the only one crying, if you pick her up she is crying,the only time she does not cry if she drinks or sleeps, but for the rest off the time she cries…Is this normal?Will she grow out off this?
Sep 13th 2009
3:32 AM
Renee, I am curious as to how long you have been breeding and what breed. I have been breeding close to 30 yrs and dogs my whole life, 50yr. I have shown dogs professionally also. Puppies and smell and taste at birth. Otherwise they would not be able to find mom’s nipples. Plus they would eagerly nurse form a bottle no matter what you put in it. When you give newborn antibiotics ( Rx by a vet) they not only try to push them out with their tongue, they also wrinkle up their nose. Toy breeds are grown by 6-9 months as far as bone developement. Many toy breeds come into season the 1st time at 6 months of age. Large and giant breeds ate 1 1/2 to 3 yr old for mature growth. Your site is very helpful to a newbie but not all your info is correct. Toy puppies are very vocal as newborns. Some more then others. I currently have a litter and everytime Mom gets out of the box 1 litter girl lets me know. They are 3 weeks old. This is not Mom’s 1st litter and she had a cry baby in the 1st litter too. No reason just outspoken. Every puppy like every human baby is different. SOme don’t like to be handled at an early age and scream bloody murder. Just a phase. As long as your puppies are warm, nursing and growing they will grow out of this phase too. Just my experience with breeding show and pet puppies.
Nov 28th 2009
5:17 AM
My 3 year old Bishon Shih Tzu cross just had her first litter. 6 puppies. There is one very large one that is very vocal, even when it’s nursing. The dam carries it out of the welping box and tries to nurse it away from the others. Is this normal? Even after it’s fed, I will put it back into the box with the others, and she is packing it off again within a few minutes. It seems to be gaining about 1 oz each day. (so do the others)Why does this one receive special treatment?
Nov 29th 2009
12:56 PM
Our (long-haired) german shepherd gave birth to three puppies on nov. 25. sadly, there were four stillborns! this doesn’t seem normal. the remaining three seem perfectly healthy, but should i be concerned?
we also have a screamer, but he seems to be doing just as well as the other two.
Nov 29th 2009
1:18 PM
Hi Kyle,
I’m sorry to hear about the lost but congrats on the other three healthy pups.
As to whether if it’s normal to loose four stillborns (outnumbered the livings), to be honest, this is by far very unheard of…for me. I don’t think I should speculate why is this happening. Maybe you should not breed her anymore just in case any complication might happen to her or/and other pups.
Again, congrats. Hope the mother is in good shape and is nursing them well.
HTH
Nov 29th 2009
2:17 PM
I had never heard of losing so many either. Perhaps it was because she is already seven and only having her first litter. She is doing great. Also… its been three days and she hasn’t left the box at all… not even to defecate. Is this normal?
Jan 31st 2010
10:50 AM
Can newborn puppies perceive light before their eyes open? My sister & I have a debate about this as she is taking numerous close up pictures & videos of them from the time they were born. I am concerned about their vision.
Thank you for any assistance you can offer to settle this matter.
Jo Law
Feb 2nd 2010
12:48 PM
It is possible, depending to how many day-old they are.
I’m not very sure nor an expert on this whether you can impair their vision with “numerous” flash shone on them. But I do know that some dogs (especially toy breeds) have very light-sensitive eyes. Prolong exposure may cause watery eyes. (I’m currently writing an article on pet photography, should be up in a day or three).
Is it possible to take photographs of them using natural lighting so that no flash is needed.
HTH
Feb 18th 2010
8:58 AM
Hi i just got a 13 day old italian mastiff cane corso she was with her mother for 11 days now i been bottle feeding her puppy formula is it normal for her poop to be a mustard color with like little seeds?
Mar 6th 2010
2:00 PM
hi i breed bulldogs and my bitch gave birth to her 3rd litter yesterday and boy were we in for a suprise.
she had 12 puppies and yeah i no averge for bulldogs is 11.
but her first litter she had 10 one still born and one failed to thrive and died 2 days later.
second litter she had 8 live and one the runt died a week later.
the mother has 10 teats all full of milk but with 2 more pups what can i be doing to make sure they all are feeding enough.
i dont think she will be to keen on me halving the pups into 6 each and sticking them on in shifts which i thought about but would like to no if i did this how many feeds aday do each pups need has anyone done this that has some good advice as i dont want to lose any of them.
and i have started to write up a chart to weigh each of them and had to go buy some textas so i can mark each pup because there all just spots and white and there is no way i can chart each of them and remeber other wises.
im a 24 hr aday at home mother so i am with them the whole time infact there in my room next to me computer where i am at all day and nite i watch things on my computer so the kids are in the loungeroom watching the tv or playing there computer games there.
im a light as sleeper so i was up at every whimper of a sound of any of the pups and they are now all still alive 24 hours later.
please any help email me andrea69au@yahoo.com
Mar 6th 2010
2:07 PM
kyle a dog can lose all pups past one that died inside her and or when she has a big pup that was suck for to long inside her eg some bitches will have a few pups then stop labouring for a while as she attends to her other pups and to long a time between births is a reason why people lose pups.
if she stops labouring and its about an hour since last pup max id ring the vets to have them tell u what to do.
on the other hand my bitch had her first litter of 10 pups and took her 11 hours her last litter yesterday of 12 pups too her 9 hrs
Mar 7th 2010
12:28 AM
Hi Andrea,
Congrats to your new 12 pups!
As you have experience from previous 2 litters you’re aware that the stronger or dominating ones will rush to the upper teats before anyone else does. Just make sure the ones who got the lower teats have the chance to suck on the upper teats once the “stronger” ones finished.
As to how many feeds a day, it should be between 4 to 6. Having said, the bigger ones might want an extra one or two more. My foremost concern is that the mom must gets proper nutritional meals between feeds so she has enough milk to go a few rounds. She will be more exhausted than usual so make sure she’s comfortable and her stuff (food, water, potty pan) are within close range.
Rotating 6 pups is a good idea. Just make sure the two rounds aren’t too far apart. Preferably immediate after if mom isn’t too tired. Otherwise, it would be hard on you to keep tabs. Alternatively, you can have 10 first and once the upper ones finished, move the 8 up and the other 2 to the lower teats and gradually move them up. Doing this way can be very tiring for you as you have to stay watchful throughout the process. Do make sure no pups is pushed away by the stronger ones.
Identify 12 few weeks-old pups can be very difficult. You might want to use ribbons/crunchy/headbands and embroider initials on them. Make sure they aren’t too tight around their necks.
You’re doing a wonderful job by keeping records of their weight.
Good luck and best wishes to your newborns!
Mar 8th 2010
12:59 PM
thank you so much renee.
all 12 pups still alive day 3 except today at 8am they woke me with a couple in destress crying alot so i rushed out and got some di-vetelact from the vets its a low lactose animal supplement if u havent heard of the brand before.
so i fed the 2 crying and this afternoon sent mum outside for a break and fed the whole 12 (not fun after the first 1 lol)
i rang the rspca up (its a public hoilday here)
to ask them if they had any rough idea about how much each pup should be given and they dont have any just offer till they refuse.
but some wanted to eat while others didnt and wouldnt lashed on nipple of bottle so i got them to drink sort of old fashion farm way of getting calf to feed from bucket but using a syringe and my finger.
the pups weigh between 150 grams till about 250 grams and only fed the lot today to make sure there were no hungery ones.
will mainly just feed all 7 small ones and watch the others till im sure who is ok.
mother is coping fine she is a good mother.
has a huge area in a playpen cornered off half a room.
because i fed the pups i had a pile moved to one end and left 4 where she was coming back in the ones i had abit of trouble forcing to feed.
she fed them and one started crying in the other pile and she got up nosed around them found who was crying and picked her up and moved her to the pile she had and just laided it near her head where it went back to sleep.
i have had to have airconditioner on and off over the last few days as she seems to pant heaps and heaps and stops when i turn that on.
its not directly on the pups but an old window one that blows across room so as its end of summer here and very humid at the moment dont think there is any problems with runing it on and off for her.
im feeding mother heaps i made up and froze a huge container of dry puppy food and wet puppy food and rice and have been feeding her that microwave warmed mixed with all the roast left overs i had yesterday of vegies and gravy and potatoes and pork so it smelled wonderful and she is loving that.
making her 3 large bowls aday and she eats until she is full and i give the rest to daddy dog in the backyard who thinks all his christmases have come at once too.
anything else u can think of that mite help make things easier?
says on the tin feed newborn puppies 4 times aday
should i fed them 4 times or maybe 2 times and keep watching how there going.
thanks once again for replying to me. as i went to a dog forum and they were useless saying take them to a vet and ect.
and why i didnt have an xray ect ect.
this is the mother dogs 3rd litter she is 3 yrs old.
her first litter i spent 100s at the vets making sure she wasnt going to have troubles xrays well ultrsound as she went 10 days over due and had them of all days christmas day. in 2008
her last litter middle of last year not a problem in the world she had them 4 days over due no hard labour and she is a good mother till they become about 3 weeks old where u have to tell her to get in there and feed them.
she used to go lay on my couch and the pups would be screaming and she would be snoring and not caring abit about them crying till she seen me come and would then jump in with them.
so she is a bit of a monkey there.
thank u for your help god bless and i will keep u updated
Mar 8th 2010
1:53 PM
Hi Andrea,
Good to hear all 12 pups are alive and well, and mom is doing well too.
Nothing much I can think of right now. But have a couple suggestions:
Feed mom oatmeal between meals so you can use less or no rice with the dog food.
Make sure the pork is thoroughly cooked. Preferably chicken…add this on top of the dog food. Mom needs a little more protein than usual.
Avoid using microwave if you can. If you need to reheat, try steaming.
Check the pups (especially those away from mom’s side) regularly that they are warm, comfy, clean, and dry.
You seem to have bred her every heat since she turned one. Why not give her a break or best let this be her last?
Good luck, yes keep me posted.
Mar 8th 2010
5:15 PM
yes she has breed 3 of her 5 seasons she has been in, but this time wasnt planed she got out of the house while i was out on christmas last year when a window was open in a kids room with a screen and she pushed it open enough to get out.
she is a pure american johnson bulldog and so is my male both with papers and i only own the 2 and this is my begining as a kennel which is named barkley’s american bulldogs. there not caged nor puppy mill dogs or pups my male GRK Jackdaniels and WILDSIDES catalina Rose are both my familys pets. which is why she got out of the house to be back with her mate, they aint happy to be apart.
since the ressession hit the same month her first litter was born ive never made any money what so ever on the pups that were supposed to be worth $1500 au dollars such a joke but some breeders get that.
both my dogs are from title champison parents one is australian champion i am joined to american bulldog registy and have been invited to show my dogs as one was bred by registy owner.
all my pups have gone to good homes and they update me all the time on how there going and send me pics.i sold most of mine from a couple from 800 dollars 1 $1200 the rest were only 250 to 400 dollars with there full papers from both the last litters.
because i had alot of trouble last time i was resting her when she got out.
on top of that im a single mother and we are moving house around the time they are going to be 6 weeks old so there was no way i wanted to have a litter.
what with there needles costs worming fleaing and microchipping and the big one feeding them there is no money in breeding them.
but the dream was there to begin with that at least once a year i mite have enough money from it to fix my car and pay for expences that i struggle with being a single mother who is a carer of 2 children with disabiltys.
anyway the more i write the worse i think it makes me look.
and i am a animal lover that is surrounded by animals we take in that no one wants including wildlife birds that no one will take on eg we have a blackbird we raised from 3 at the most days old.
have a chook that was bashed and throw around in the housing area we live near.
we had 2 lambs we bottle fed that had been stolen from a paddock near here that were dumbed at a bus stop still with there cords fresh and covered in muck.
once they were weaned from bottle we handed them to rspca so they could home them as they have a no kill and we wanted the best home possable for them.
anyway the rice was only added to the food as i had used rice the same day in our meal and mixed it all up at alot more of the other dry and tin then rice.
the pork was just from our left overs i have always been told to feed mother for the weeks before giving birth to be on a good puppy food and thats what im doing adding more things to keep her wanting to eat all the time.
she is fusy over dry food.
heating it was only cause it was frozen to make sure nothing went off.
she is always been used to left overs from us too as i have 4 kids and myself so there is always something left on plates
Mar 8th 2010
5:34 PM
Andrea,
Sorry if I had came out the wrong way, but be certain I’m not judging you (am not in the position to judge).
Again I apologize.
Hugs to all your newborns!!!
All the best to your endeavors.
Mar 8th 2010
6:01 PM
nah thats cool i no how its frowned on to be a breeder.
but i just wanted to point out was all that my bitch catalina will be desexed one day soon and kepted because she is our family.
and the reason i was desperate to get help for these pups isnt money its life when the last litter had the runt die at 1 week old it was very depressing as we spent so much time on making sure he fed and tried hand rearing him when we noticed him sick one morning, wasnt sick as in vomiting or anything like that he was just weak as and in alot of trouble.
he always seemed to be feeding but had not grown a bit since birth so there had to have been a big problem with him
he died groaning in pain the vet thought he mite have had an infection in his belly from unbilicord.
Mar 17th 2010
9:14 AM
just letting u no all pups are still doing great there 12 days old and eyes are all open or starting to on the rest.
11 pups are all big and strong and one is still a fail way behind them but we have been bottle feeding her in the morning and nite and throwing her on when the others aint feeding.
gone from only drinking 25mils to a whooping 70 mils a feed was over nite one day that she started pigging out like that
Mar 18th 2010
2:32 PM
my daugther took these couple of pics today and will take some of them all laying together with mum tonite. these links should work and everyone can see the pups
http://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs424.snc3/24486_10150136456845492_532900491_11783960_4003029_n.jpg
http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs424.snc3/24486_10150136455515492_532900491_11783952_7806152_n.jpg
http://photos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs404.snc3/24486_10150136455500492_532900491_11783951_449316_n.jpg
http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs444.ash1/24486_10150136455530492_532900491_11783954_4324691_n.jpg
Apr 10th 2010
4:17 AM
Hi there
We have 2 new additions to the family!!! Two little chorkies born last Thursday, so 1 week old now. They are both a little snuffly. I took them to the vet and they said it was nothing to worry about and was probably just mucus which would clear up when they are up and about. She gave them a shot of antibiotics just incase. They are both still snuffly bit are feeding. They have almost doubled their birth weight in the week. Has anyone else ever had this problem?
Thanks
Jun 27th 2010
4:01 AM
We had a group of four beautiful Pure bread Parson Jack Russell pup born on Sat. of last week. I did not plan this group. Unfortunately I didn’t even realize the mother was pregnant until a few days befor birth. Her stomach did not get big. I thought it was a false pregnacy.
Our gorgeous Tika was visited by her BROTHER about two months ago during her heat cycle. We kept them seperated, but he managed to bread with her through our chain link fence while we were at the creek. Our vet told us not to worry about the pups being normal, however, I do not think inbreading is good. The puppies seam very healthy, thank goodness. Both the mom and her brother have a very strong bloodlines, with several champion dogs, including working class.
Does anyone have commennts on the whole inbreading as far as health and developement?