©Freestocks.org / Pexels

Newborn puppies vary in size according to breed (or mix of breeds), with smaller breeds weighing around 75-150 g at birth, and larger breeds 250-350 g. Whatever their starting size, puppies should double their weight in their first week of life! They will get all the nutrition they need from their mother, but regular weight checks are needed to make sure they are eating enough. It's also recommended to get mother and pups booked in for an early health check with your veterinarian. At this age, puppies spend most of their time asleep or feeding and are heavily dependent on their mothers, especially for food and warmth. They also need to be stimulated to pass wee and poo for the first few weeks and their mother will do this by licking around their bottom. In the first week they may still have some of their umbilical cord attached to their tummy, but this will gradually dry out and fall off. To determine the sex of the puppy, check the tummy area below the belly button. The puppy is male if it has an obvious prepuce (sheath of the penis). At this stage, puppies are unable to support their own weight, so move by crawling around on their tummies. They can paddle their limbs but not support themselves until after two weeks of age. Puppies are born completely blind and deaf (eyes and ears closed at birth) but do have the senses of taste and touch. Their eyes will start to open around 10-14 days but will be blueish and hazy in appearance, and their eyesight will gradually improve until around 8 weeks of age. Newborn puppies do not have well developed immune systems but will share their mother’s immunity to some diseases as they are able to receive antibodies in the milk produced in the first 48 hours after birth (colostrum). It is important that the mother is up to date on vaccinations so that the puppies are also protected. The mother should also have been treated for worms to prevent her passing these on to the puppies, but the puppies should also be treated at around 2, 5 and 8 weeks. Talk to your veterinarian about a suitable deworming product and protocol. From 2 weeks puppies become increasingly responsive to learning and forming associations. Start socialization during this sensitive period so that your puppy learns to form positive associations to humans and other animals, and bonds well with them. By now the puppies should be used to being handled.

Puppies continue to grow well over the next few weeks. They begin to be able to control their body temperature and they can wee and poo by themselves, which means they become slightly less dependent on mum. They will start to walk away from nest area in search of somewhere to toilet on their own. Puppies need opportunities to leave the nest to prevent them from soiling themselves or their sleeping area. Preferences for elimination substrates may develop by 8 weeks. Consequently, early experiences with substrates will influence adult dog recognition of elimination substrates later in life. It may be problematic when certain substrates are used, such as elimination pads for puppies, because they look similar to rugs, towels, or bathroom mats. The future desired elimination substrates for the puppy should be provided as early as 3 weeks of age. Set up a designed toileting area for them to use and away from their bed. Puppies are born without teeth, and their baby teeth come through at around 2-4 weeks (watch out for chewing at this age!) and the mother becomes less enthusiastic about them nursing so they may begin to wean. Now is a good time to start introducing small amounts of wet food or softened dry food. Make sure you choose food that is specifically designed for weaning. Provide suitable and safe toys for chewing purposes. By 3 weeks, puppies can hear, see and move around more. The world opens up to them and they start to pay more attention: observing what is normal and learning to interact with their mother and siblings, but also with people. They begin to bark and wag their tails: important methods of communication for dogs.

Weaning should now be progressing, with the puppies still nursing but also eating solid food 4-6 times a day. A good quality, complete diet specifically for ‘weaning’ or ‘growth’ should be used, to give the correct balance of energy and nutrients for optimal development. They will still need to be eating wet food or softened dry food, and they always need access to fresh water. Weeks 4-7 is known as the first socialization window. Puppies need to remain with their mum and littermates for stability, but they are rapidly learning all about the world and finding their independence. At this stage puppies must have lots of positive interactions with different types of people of all ages, other animals and household objects to ensure confident adult dogs who are able to deal with situations they encounter in their later lives. Puppies now become more vocal, growling and barking, and they learn to play with their littermates, including developing the use of play stances such as the play bow, and bite inhibition.

Puppies are usually fully weaned by around 7-8 weeks of age and become much more independent, hugely keen to explore the world and confident in their interactions with people and animals they know. Around 7-8 weeks they experience their first ‘fear period’ where puppies will become wary of new objects, animals and people, so a good amount of socialization should happen during the earlier socialization window to help build confidence before this. The immunity from diseases that they received from their mothers will start to reduce around this time, so it's important that they start their own vaccinations. Puppies are usually vaccinated against canine distemper, canine herpesvirus, canine parvovirus, parainfluenza and leptospirosis. Some breeders will have started the vaccinations before the puppies go to their new homes, but others leave it to the new owners to arrange. Check with your breeder and obtain a vaccination card if they have one. Dogs must also legally be microchipped and registered by 8 weeks of age, which is usually done by the breeder and then transferred into the new owner's details. This is the age when puppies normally leave their mothers and siblings and move into their new homes. It's an emotional but exciting time for puppy and owner. Good breeders will arrange for potential owners to visit the litter and ideally both parents so that puppy interaction can be observed before choosing a puppy to take home. This also allows the new owners to bond with their puppy before they join their family. This is a good opportunity to ask the breeder about deworming, vaccinations, feeding times and any other questions you may have.