Two days Old - the left picture is our Baby Girl Precious The right picture is Angel's 2 day old puppies
There is actually little care during the first few weeks of the puppies life. Angel did most of the work.
Our biggest job was taking care of the mom. Make sure she had enough to eat. We increased her food by about 50 percent. We also made sure she had plenty of water.
She really drank a lot. The little bit that the puppies went potties the mom cleaned up. She would lick them so to stimulated them to go.
We also made sure everyone was eating. Believe it or not, everyone could actually fit at once. There were nine puppies and 10 nipples. Some nipples worked better than
others, so we made sure everyone rotated, making sure all had a fair chance. At this stage the ears and the eyes are closed. They sleep a lot. They ate about every 2 hours and this was totally from the mom.
0 - 2 weeks = Neonatal (courtesy of the humane society of the United States)
Most influenced by their mother.
Touch and taste present at birth.
Puppies Week 2-3
Rottie, Buddie and Puppa Bear Day 15 and they just opened their eyes
The eyes are open! Somewhere around 2 weeks they will open their eyes and their ears. They still pretty much
sleep a lot and the mom does most of the work. The begin to stand, walk a little, wag their tails, and they find their bark.
Just because their eyes are open doesn't mean they can fully focus and see really well. They also begin to lap. We gave them
a shallow bowl to drink water out of. We also tried milk as in cow's milk. I'm told this wasn't the best, but
they liked it.
2 - 4 weeks = Transitional (courtesy of the humane society of the United States)
Most influenced by their mother and littermates.
Eyes open, teeth erupt, hearing and smell developing.
Beginning to stand, walk a little, wag, bark.
By four or five weeks, sight is well-developed.
Puppies Week 4-5
Left Picture - Light Brownie is biting Rottie while Buddy (right) and My Puppy (rear) look on. Also Dark Brown's tail - you can see the diamond = dad's Rhodesian Ridgeback
Middle Picture - Dark Brownie (now baby girl) on Ethan's lap while Shaggy bites Ethan's Sleeve and Rottie looks on.
Right Picture - Buddy attacking the Cat.
OK everyone is getting to be a handful. They are definately mobile now. We added puppy kibble to the milk or water.
They are really getting around. We had them in the kitchen and I ended up cleaning the kitchen floor at least 3 times per day.
They are teething so they also liked to bite.
3 - 12 weeks = Socialization (courtesy of the humane society of the United States)
During this period, puppies need opportunities to meet other dogs and people.
By four to six weeks they're most influenced by their littermates and are learning about being a dog.
From four to 12 weeks they're most influenced by their littermates and people. They're also learning to play, including social skills, inhibited bite, social structure/ranking and physical coordination.
By three to five weeks they're becoming aware of their surroundings, companions (dogs and people) and relationships, including play.
Puppies Week 6-7
Left picture - The cat pretending to be a puppy with Puppa Bear
Right picture - Rottie, Light Brownie, My Puppy, Nobody, Buddy, and Puppa
We finally started to get smart and started keeping them in Angel's cage for small time periods. We were trying to wean them off the mom anyway.
This dramatically reduced the amounts of accidents we had in the house and actually by the end
of week 6 EVERYONE was potty trained. I totally think the cage is what did this.
We also took them to the vets for their first round of shots at this time. We actually had a
lot of folks interested in the puppies so by week eight everyone was ready to go home. Praise the Lord! They
were eating me out of house and home.
3 - 12 weeks = Socialization (courtesy of the humane society of the United States)
During this period, puppies need opportunities to meet other dogs and people.
By four to six weeks they're most influenced by their littermates and are learning about being a dog.
From four to 12 weeks they're most influenced by their littermates and people. They're also learning to play, including social skills, inhibited bite, social structure/ranking and physical coordination.
By three to five weeks they're becoming aware of their surroundings, companions (dogs and people) and relationships, including play.
By five to seven weeks they're developing curiosity and exploring new experiences. They need positive "people" experiences during this time.
Puppies 2-4 Months
Ethan and Baby Girl (Precious)
Of course we had to keep one. The best thing to do is to let the puppy pick you instead of you picking the
puppy. If you look in the middle picture above in the week 4-5, Dark Brownie was sitting on Ethan's lap.
She kept saying 'pick me, pick me.' And we let her stay. These early times are when it is best for
the new owner to bond with the pup. We also continued the puppy kibble and the cage. It actually
gives her a sense of security. Don't forget the second set of shots.
3 - 12 weeks = Socialization (courtesy of the humane society of the United States)
During this period, puppies need opportunities to meet other dogs and people.
From four to 12 weeks they're most influenced by their littermates and people. They're also learning to play, including social skills, inhibited bite, social structure/ranking and physical coordination.
By seven to nine weeks they're refining they're physical skills/coordination (including housetraining) and full use of senses.
By eight to ten weeks they experience real fear -- when puppies can be alarmed by normal objects and experiences and need positive training.
By nine to 12 weeks they're refining reactions, social skills (appropriate interactions) with littermates and are exploring the environment, spaces and objects. Beginning to focus on people. This is a good time to begin training.
3 - 6 months = Ranking (courtesy of the humane society of the United States)
Most influenced by "littermates" (playmates now include those of other species).
Beginning to see and use ranking (dominant and submissive) within the pack, including humans.
Teething (and associated chewing).
At four months they experience another fear stage.
Puppies 4-6 Months
Ethan and Baby Girl (Precious) Again
Angel the mom was pretty jealous of Baby. She actually tried to loose her. She took her deep in the
woods and then came back by herself. The moral of the story is make sure your dog is licensed and
has a collar with one of those name tags with a phone number on it. Baby girl was gone for three entire days!
We thought she was gone for good when someone called and found her. We actually got Baby and her mother fixed after this
experience. Baby is also doing a lot of teething.
3 - 6 months = Ranking (courtesy of the humane society of the United States)
Most influenced by "littermates" (playmates now include those of other species).
Beginning to see and use ranking (dominant and submissive) within the pack, including humans.
Teething (and associated chewing).
At four months they experience another fear stage.
Puppies 6+ Months
Ethan and Baby Girl (Precious) - She's six months old now!
Still teething, but other than that, she is totally bonded to the family. It's neat because she's been
with us since day one. She's really a good girl.
6 - 18 months = Adolescence
Most influenced by human and dog "pack" members.
At seven to nine months they go through a second chewing phase -- part of exploring territory.
Heightened exploration of dominance, including challenging humans.
If not spayed or neutered, beginnings of sexual behavior
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