Puppies are a lot of work... especially large litters of them!
They are soft and warm, playful and silly, and a whole lot of work. If you are expecting a litter of puppies from your pet, it is best to be informed on care for them. A small litter of puppies requires enough attention as it is but a large litter will need extra care. Large litters can become a strain on a mother dog so it is important to help her out as much as you can.
Instructions
1. Monitor the feeding of the puppies.
Place the puppies close to the mother's nipple as soon as they are born and encourage them to feed 24 hours after birth. This milk, called colostrum, is important to the development of the puppies and is full of antibodies that help support their immune systems. Monitor their feeding and be sure that each puppy is receiving enough milk each day. This can be done by weighing the puppies on a scale and making sure their weight is correct for their age. Hand feed puppies with a small baby bottle containing evaporated milk from time to time. By assisting with feeding, you are taking the pressure off the mother who has to care for such a large litter. Feed them mushy food after two weeks and after 22 days, introduce them to solid puppy food.
2. Monitor the health of the puppies, watching for any sign of illness. Heat the whelping box with a heating lamp, especially for the first two weeks after birth, keeping the temperature around 80 to 85 degrees. Trim the nails of the puppies each week to keep them from scratching themselves, their mother, or each other. If the puppies seem lethargic or they have a loose stool, they could be sick and should be examined by a veterinarian. Check with your veterinarian to know when you should be worming the puppies and when they should receive their shots.
3. Identify the puppies by giving them a color-coordinated collar.
Identify the pups by giving them very lightweight collars. These collars should each have a different color to differentiate each puppy. Write their name on the collar if you need even more help remembering which puppy is which. This will also help when you are charting their weight. When they reach 2 weeks old, put a heavier nylon collar on them to help them adjust to the weight of the collar.
4. Puppies need socialization with people.
Stimulate the puppies by holding them in your hands after they are a week old. Touch them gently, giving them slight pressure on their bellies and feet, getting them used to your touch. Hold them against your chest, allowing them to get used to your smell. This is the beginning of socializing your puppies and giving them the proper attention they need and might not be getting being part of a large litter. Remove the puppies from the welting area when they are old enough to walk around and make discoveries. Lay them next to you on the sofa for five to 10 minutes. Make sudden sounds like clapping and slamming doors to help them get over fearful reactions.
5. Attach a lightweight leash to the collars of the puppies and allow them to walk around with the leash on. Do this occasionally to help them get used to the feel and weight of the leash. Bring crates into the whelping room and place bowls of food inside the crates with the doors of the crates open. This will introduce the puppies to the crate as a pleasant experience so that they can easily acclimate to a crate when they are ready to be trained.
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