Once a puppy is born, it should develop quickly.The basic timelines for different breeds and individual dogs are the same.If you have a newborn puppy, you should keep a record of its development.Make sure that the puppy's behavior and body are functioning properly after it is born.As it ages, continue to track its development to make sure that it is progressing properly.
Step 1: Make sure the newborn is doing well.
When a puppy is born, it is important to assess its physical and behavioral status.If it is on the right track, this will let you know.To make sure the puppies don't have any birth defects, look over them.Check the mouth, anus and skull.There are cleft palates and swimmers with flattened and widened chests.Make sure the puppies are breathing on their own.The puppies are staying close to their mother for warmth.Place them on the hind teats if they don't suckle automatically.You may have to bottle feed them if they are still having issues.
Step 2: The puppy's physical development is assessed during the newborn stage.
The first week after birth is the neonatal stage.A newborn puppy is blind and deafness.A puppy with closed eyes and very little movement is normal.A puppy's sense of smell allows it to find its mother in order to stay warm and fed.The puppy will not be able to go to the bathroom on its own.During this phase, the mother dog needs to eliminate her urine and feces.The mother dog is licking the puppy's genitals.
Step 3: Track the puppy's behavior during its first week.
The dog only responds to warmth, touch and smell from birth to two weeks old.The puppy can't regulate its body temperature, so it relies on its mother to keep it warm.A puppy eating a lot and being close to its mother is a good sign.In the first few weeks of life, you shouldn't have to handle the puppy very much.Eating and sleeping should be part of it's behavior.
Step 4: If you have questions, contact your doctor.
If you don't think your puppy is developing correctly, you should talk to your vet.If you don't think your puppy is getting enough food or warmth, then you may need to give it something to eat or keep it warm.
Step 5: After the first week, look for physical development.
The puppy should crawl around about five to seven days after birth.Between five and 14 days after birth, its eyes and ears should open.The puppy will spend less time with its mother and more time outside.
Step 6: Your puppy is trying to stand after the first week.
Your puppy should try to stand up after about a week.The puppy will be wobbly and uncoordinated at first, so it will take another week or so to begin walking.The puppy will explore its surroundings even more once it starts walking.If your puppy is not standing after a week, then you should have it looked at by a vet.You should try to find out why this is a sign of delayed development.
Step 7: The puppy should be inspected after two weeks.
Milk teeth are baby teeth and should start showing up in your puppy's mouth at 14 to 21 days old.The puppy should be able to eliminate its waste on its own after two weeks.When your puppy is over two weeks old, it should begin wagging its tail and playing with its litter mates.It is on a good path.
Step 8: At three weeks old, be sure to socialize the puppy.
It is important for the puppy to be exposed to a variety of people, animals, and environments during the seven weeks and four months of the socialization period.The dog's personality and comfort in new situations for the rest of its life will be impacted by successfully socializing the puppy.In addition to interacting with others, the puppy should be walking easily and playing with its littermates during this phase.Introduce your puppy to new people.Have your puppy meet people of different ages who are wearing different types of clothing.Allow your puppy to walk on carpeted floors.New stimuli should be introduced gradually so that your puppy doesn't get overwhelmed.If you want to socialize your puppy, take it to puppy classes, dog parks, and friend's houses, but only after it has completed its vaccinations.
Step 9: The puppy needs to be fed by four weeks old.
The puppy should have all of its baby teeth at four weeks of age.Gradually, you should switch the puppy to a diet of puppy food.A slow transition allows the puppy to digest the food it is eating instead of its mother's milk.
Step 10: At four to five weeks old, begin house training.
You can begin house training once the dog is about a month old.It can take up to a year for some puppies.The puppy should be with its mother at this point.Taking the puppy out when the mother goes to the bathroom can be good practice.Smaller breeds have smaller bladders and need to go outside more frequently.Smaller breeds take longer to house train.Don't expect too much soon.
Step 11: Determine if the puppy is ready to go to a new home.
Puppies go to their permanent homes when they are eight weeks old.If your puppy has a clean bill of health and is playing and active with its littermates, then it is ready to go to its forever home.This is a point in the puppy's development where it can bond with new humans.Some breeders wait up to twelve weeks to send their dogs to their new homes.This can be a matter of choice.Small breed puppies need a little longer than 8 weeks to mature.