Bringing up puppies can be a fun and exciting experience. The virtues that one will gain can be rewarding too. But if certain policies are not followed, frustration is guaranteed. It is essential that you take proper responsibility of the pups. There are many things that one needs to do for the new born pups as it is the initial period that is the hardest for both the pups and their mothers.

Initially after the birth, the mother will be at the side of the puppies for a few days. It is necessary that proper care is taken and that the puppies are fed properly. They also need to be kept warm. It is essential that the mother produces enough milk to feed all the puppies.

If the rare event that the mother deserts the kids, it is necessary that the temperature of the surrounding location is carefully analyzed and kept track of and the puppies are kept warm. The recommended temperature is ninety degrees Fahrenheit. It may be lowered in the following days with the consideration that the pups are in good health. Even in cases where there is a large litter, it is still necessary that the room temperature be maintained. The pups may be huddled together and their body temperature will provide some heating effect, but it may not be sufficient.

Mothers always tend to get hyperactive if anyone comes near their kids. It’s the same with dogs. The mother will not allow humans to come close and will even go to the extent of shifting the pups regularly to various locations just to hide them safely away from predators. An ideal solution to this would be keeping the dogs in a dark location, a box perhaps. This will sooth the mothers mind as the darkness will make her feel that the location will be safe and ideal.

Until the pups reach one month of age, the owners have little work to be done. The mother takes exclusive care of the puppies. All that the owner will need to do is to note the growth and health of the puppy watching out for any problems. In the first week, the puppies will reach twice their initial weight and within the second week, they will be able to stand on their own and fully alert. At the end of a month, they become a bunch of cheeky fun loving pups that will play around all day long!

A few days after that, they should start eating solid food. Initial training can be imparted by means of a mixture of solid dog food with water or milk which they will lap up as they normally do. The proportion of liquid in the mixture can be reduced slowly day by day until the dogs consume the food solid without any dilution.

There are certain alarming activities that the mother will peruse. For example, in a bid to train her kids to excrete, the mother will lick the rear or her pups. This acts as a stimulant. She even goes to the extent of eating her kids’ excretion. This is done with another purpose in mind too. It reduces the scent and prevents any warning to predators about their presence. It has been found that the pups initially tend to follow their mothers’ behavior and indulge in this activity as well. This habit is lost as they grow.