PEI Animal Rescue & Information

Week One (Days 1-7)

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES

+ 90% of time spent sleeping
+ 10% eating
+ Susceptible to heat/cold
+ Instinctive reflexes: crawl, seek warmth, nurse
+ They can right themselves if placed upside down
+ Needs stimulation for urination/defecation
+ Rapid development of central nervous system
+ Need constant care from bitch
+ Rectal temperatures 94-97 degrees Farenheit
+ Pups may lose 10% of weight after birth, but should start
gaining again
+ Weight should double by end of week

CARE OF THE PUPPIES

+ Chart weight daily (2 x daily first 2 days)
+ Examine puppies daily
+ Trim nails weekly
+ Keep whelping box around 85 degrees Farenheit (this means if
it’s hotter than that out, put a fan in the room or turn on
the air conditioning, if it’s colder than that get a heat
lamp to put above the whelping box)
+ When you handle the puppies, it’s a good idea use a towel
when you hold them. The puppies urinate upon stimulation and
will inevitably find your attention stimulating!
+ If your breed requires tail, ear, or dew claw docking,
schedule this with your vet.

CARE OF THE BITCH

+ Keep dam on fluids for first 24 hours (i.e.. chicken broth,
etc.)
+ Feed three full meals a day after that
+ Supplement with 250 mg Vitamin C twice daily
+ If puppies are fussy, supplement bitch with Vitamin B complex
+ Check mammary glands twice daily (looking for signs of
mastitis — swelling, hardness, pus, etc.)
+ Keep an eye on vaginal discharge (looking for signs of
infection)
+ Make sure bitch eats, drinks, and relieves herself

TO DO LIST

+ Keep detailed records on puppies’ weight and behavior
+ Keep charting bitch’s temperature
+ Call puppy buyers with results of whelping

Week Two (Days 8-14)

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES

+ Eyes should open around days 8-10
+ Ears should open around days 13-17
+ Temperatures should be around 97-99F

CARE OF THE PUPPIES

+ Keep whelping box around 80-83F
+ Begin holding puppies in different ways (applying light
stress)
+ Trim nails weekly

CARE OF THE BITCH

+ Bitch should get three times her normal amount of food

TO DO LIST

+ Continue as above

Week Three (Days 15-21)

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES

+ Teeth begin to erupt
+ Puppies stand up and start walking
+ Begin to lap liquids
+ Defecate/urinate without stimulation
+ Start becoming aware of environment
+ Start playing with littermates
+ Develop sense of smell
+ Puppies will start to discriminate as to where to relieve
themselves

CARE OF THE PUPPIES

+ Start adding stimuli (toys) to puppies’ life
+ Start giving specific stresses when handling (i.e.. pinch an
ear or toe gently).
+ Start giving pups milk replacer to lap for one meal a day –
after two days, add some very mushy food
+ Weigh puppies every 2 days
+ Give puppies a dirty shirt of yours to play with
+ Start weekly grooming sessions (brush, trim nails, look at
teeth, etc.)

CARE OF THE BITCH

+ Continue as above

TO DO LIST

+ Purchase milk replacer to feed puppies

Week Four (Days 22-28)

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES

+ Begin to eat food
+ Begin to bark, wag tails, bite, paw, bare teeth, growl and
chase
+ Use legs well
+ Tire easily
+ Depth perception starts

CARE OF THE PUPPIES

+ Keep mom with them a lot! Things can get overwhelming at this
age and Mom will add stability for them
+ Each pup needs individual attention
+ Offer food that is the consistency of cooked oatmeal

CARE OF THE BITCH

+ Continue as above

TO DO LIST

+ Start limiting bitch’s access to pups before offering them
food

Week Five (Days 29-35)

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES

+ Group activities and sexual play will begin
+ Dominance order starts
+ Rapid growth/development

CARE OF THE PUPPIES

+ Reduce fluids in puppies’ food
+ Make sure other people start coming to see pups
+ Begin weaning
+ Play radio at normal volume near pups for 5 minutes at a time

CARE OF THE BITCH

+ Start reducing amount of food to discourage milk development
+ Keep a careful eye on mammary glands

TO DO LIST

+ Discuss vaccination schedule with veterinarian

Week Six (Days 26-42)

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES

+ Growth and development continue

CARE OF THE PUPPIES

+ Offer soft, damp food
+ Chart weekly weight
+ Individual attention crucial — give each puppy time with you
away from litter

CARE OF THE BITCH

+ To prepare bitch for weaning: Day 1 — no food
Day 2 — 1/4 normal maintenance meal
Day 3 — 1/2 normal maintenance meal
Day 4 — 3/4 normal maintenance meal
Day 5 — full amount of normal maintenance meal
+ Keep bitch on puppy food for several weeks to help her
recover from the strain of breeding, whelping, and raising
puppies
+ Keep careful eye on mammary glands

TO DO LIST

+ Continue as above

Week Seven (Days 43-49)

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES

+ Total hearing/visual capacity
+ Will investigate anything
+ Can’t respond yet to name

CARE OF THE PUPPIES

+ Pups should be weaned and on regular puppy food
+ Pups can go to new homes

CARE OF THE BITCH

+ Keep careful eye on mammary glands until milk is completely
dried up

TO DO LIST

Week Eight (Days 50-56)

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES

+ First fear period
+ Starts learning name

CARE OF THE PUPPIES

+ Don’t ship puppies
+ Can start training puppies in small steps

CARE OF THE BITCH

+ Continue as above

TO DO LIST

+ Continue as above

Week Nine (Days 57-63)

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES

+ Develops strong dominant and subordinate behavior among
littermates
+ Begins to learn right behavior
+ Motor skills improve
+ Short attention span
+ Starts focusing attention on owner rather than other puppies
+ Separate littermates
+ Start house training

CARE OF THE PUPPIES

+ Continue lots of individual attention

Week Ten (Days 64-70)

DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES

+ Safe to ship puppies by air