Newborn puppies (eye care, ears, weight gain, puppy development, social being, behavior, bad habits). When do puppies open their eyes after birth? How long does it take for dogs to open their eyes

Newborn puppies are born blind, so they are completely helpless and vulnerable. Mom takes care of them, feeds, licks, takes care.

Owners who have a dog whelped for the first time are worried when the puppies open their eyes. This usually happens 10-14 days after birth, regardless of the breed of dog. The owner should be aware that the opening occurs from the inner corner and further to the outer, until the entire palpebral fissure opens. Sometimes one eye opens completely first, after a while the second. During this period, pets should be protected from bright light. At first, the baby will be able to distinguish only light and darkness. Only with time will he begin to see like an adult dog. And although the question of how many days puppies open their eyes has a clear answer, nevertheless, it must be borne in mind that, anyway, each animal has a number of its own characteristics. In general, this process has its own significance for the animal.

Why do puppies' eyes take so long to open?

The eyelids of puppies continue to develop even after birth, and their full development plays an important role in the health of the animal. After all, the eyelids perform several functions:

protect the cornea from external influences;
contribute to the production of tears, and those in turn help the eye to cleanse naturally;
prevent dry eyes.

That is, when puppies open their eyes too early, certain consequences are possible. For example, if they do not produce tears in the right amount, this will lead to the so-called "dry eye". This state cannot be left to chance. Antibiotic treatment and the application of special ointments are usually required.

Problems that can prevent the eyes from opening

Sometimes the owner is not in vain worried about the question, how many days after birth the puppies open. There are some reasons that can interfere with this process. That is why pets need to be carefully monitored. If on the 15-18th day the puppy is still blind, then it would be better to contact the veterinarian to assess the condition of the pet. Since this may be a variant of the norm, the following problems are also possible.

The birth of puppies is a joyful and exciting event for which you need to prepare in advance. In order for newborn babies to feel protected and be in comfortable conditions, you must purchase a bed for them and their mother, an electronic heating pad and scales, and artificial milk in advance. We invite you to learn how to care for puppies in the first days and weeks of their lives.

What to do after the birth of puppies?

Take time off from work so you can spend as much time at home as possible. So you can watch how the bitch behaves, especially if this is her first litter. Make note of the important moments of your mother's behavior. If you plan to regularly breed puppies in the future, the experience gained will be invaluable to you.

With a normal birth, and if the bitch is already experienced, it will not be difficult to take care of the babies, because from birth they already have some reflexes. An adult dog has a very strong maternal instinct. If this is not the first brood, the bitch will carefully care for the children, carefully licking them, protecting and feeding them.

Newborn puppies. Care in the first days of life

Newborn puppies are blind and deaf

Babies are born blind and deaf, however, thanks to instincts, from the first hours of life they are able to find their mother's nipple on their own. The feeding process usually looks like this: the puppy clings to the chest and begins to massage the area around it with its front and hind legs with pushing movements. This contributes to the production and supply of more milk. An important point: it is necessary to put babies to the chest in the first hours after birth so that they eat nutritious colostrum. It contains many vitamins, proteins and other useful substances. The immunity of babies will be strengthened, and various infectious diseases will not be terrible for a growing body.

In the first few days after birth, puppies cannot empty their urinary and intestines on their own. The bitch does it for them, diligently licking the babies and eating all the discharge. Therefore, newborn puppies lie dry and clean, and there are no marks on the couch. Blind and deaf babies mostly just sleep and suckle, rapidly gaining weight. If the puppies do not squeak, then they are full.

Bitch after childbirth

Try to be around for a few days after giving birth

If the bitch had a caesarean section, in the first days after the operation, she will not be able to take care of the offspring on her own. You will have to take on this responsibility. Massage the baby's tummies with a damp, warm cloth. Recovering from anesthesia, the bitch may be shocked: where did so many new residents come from? There is a high probability of such a development of events if these births are the first for her. When the puppies start crawling on it and looking for the nipple, it can be unnerving for the bitch. Therefore, when the animal has completely recovered from anesthesia, place one puppy in its bed and watch the reaction. Only if everything went well, you can move all the other babies there. The mother will behave with them cautiously and a little aggressively until she gets used to it. Therefore, try to constantly be around for a few days after giving birth. If this is not the first litter, she will accept them normally and will properly care for puppies, even with an unhealed suture. In order not to harm the mother, you can keep her newborn children separately for several days, in a box with a heating pad, putting them to her only for the feeding period.

If the bitch has no interest in babies, she may be sick. Call your veterinarian right away for an examination.

Helpful Information: A mother should not be left alone with her puppies if this is her first litter. Not every dog has a maternal instinct; without supervision, it can harm babies (bite off limbs or even eat them completely). Fortunately, this rarely happens. Most often, after a few days, the mother gets used to her role.

Feeding newborn puppies

Puppies often don't gain weight in the first few days.

Puppies are born with an inborn sucking reflex. However, weak babies who are unable to grasp the nipple themselves should be held until they have had their share of milk. Bring them to more "full" nipples. First, mash the bitch's breasts and express the colostrum so that the puppy can smell it. So it will need to be fed for several days. Then the puppy will get a little stronger and will be able to eat on its own.

Helpful Information: Healthy babies have a strong grip on the nipple, they lift their tails up, sleep well, and have wet noses. If there are lethargic and inactive ones, they must be shown to the veterinarian.

It is very important to weigh a newborn puppy and monitor how he gains weight and how much food he takes at a time. If the baby is very weak and cannot even suck out drops on his own, he will need to be fed every 1.5 hours from a pipette, syringe or nipple. To do this, express mother's milk and give the puppy little by little. For the first time, 1 milliliter will be enough.

When the puppy is a little older, increase the amount of milk to 5-10 milliliters. You can only do this after 2 weeks.

Often in the first few days after birth, babies do not gain weight, and sometimes they can even lose a little weight. But after a couple of days, positive dynamics should appear. If this did not happen, it means that the bitch does not have enough milk to feed the children. You will have to additionally feed the growing organism

Often the mother has an excess of milk, which remains after feeding. To avoid congestive mastitis, check your dog's chest regularly and pump any leftovers. This may be due to the fact that she gave birth to only one puppy, which is simply not able to suck out all the milk. The nipples most commonly pulled by puppies can be swollen, hard, and hot. The owners, who encounter the brood for the first time, sometimes forget to inspect the upper glands, which the babies do not touch. However, milk may also remain there, this must be monitored. Regularly inspect all nipples, massage them and express milk residues.

Thermoregulation of newborn puppies

In the first week of life, babies do not have the correct thermoregulation system. Even if they are cold, there will be no trembling in the body. So you will have to monitor the temperature in the couch if they grow separately from their mother, or control that they are always next to their mother. In order for the temperature to be normal and the puppies not to freeze, it is necessary to lay them close to each other. If the couch is colder than + 30 ° C, there is a possibility that the kids will freeze.

Short-term weak hypothermia will not harm the health of the puppy, but, on the contrary, will strengthen the immune system. So the puppy will gradually get used to growth in natural conditions. But longer hypothermia can endanger the puppy's life. This problem can be solved by placing an electric heating pad in the bed with the kids. Remember that it does not need to be installed on the entire area on which the puppies live. If the bitch gets hot, prepare a place where she could move without leaving the children.

First week of life. How to properly care for puppies?

In the first weeks after birth, puppies mostly eat and sleep.

Around the 8th day, it is necessary to cut the puppy's nails for the first time, and then repeat the procedure every week. This must be done so that the baby does not scratch the delicate skin of the mother around the nipple while sucking milk. Cut off only the sharp edges, the so-called hook tips.

Newborns may have health problems in the early days, so they need to be closely monitored. With the appearance of intestinal infections, an unpleasant sour smell will appear in the couch, and yellow marks from the disorder will remain around the priests. Then weaker puppies can die literally on the first day.

Helpful Information: Inflammation of the umbilical stump can be the main cause of infection. Bacteria can enter when a bitch with bad teeth chews and licks the umbilical cord. For prevention, lubricate the stump with greenery several times a day.

In the first weeks after birth, puppies mostly only eat and sleep. Do not be alarmed if the babies twitch during sleep - this is normal. In the first weeks of life, their eyes and ear canal are closed.

Babies open their eyes for the first time from the 11-15th day of life. Rumor appears a little later, on the 18th day. The normal body temperature for a newborn is 34.5-36°C.

The third week of the life of babies is full of interesting events and new discoveries, as they are already starting to walk and explore the territory not only in the couch, but also outside it. At this age, they become already very pretty, playful and active. They begin to get out of their corner and go to the toilet (tray, diaper or newspaper).

At the fourth week of life, the first teeth begin to erupt in puppies. The fangs come out first. This usually happens on the 21-25th day. As soon as the first teeth appear, it is allowed to start feeding the puppy. Over time, mother's milk will gradually begin to disappear, so if the baby by then gets used to a different diet, this will not be stressful for him. At first, give only special milk, and then, as you grow older, add other healthy foods to the diet.

First food for puppies

Feed your puppies only one type of food at first.

Weaning is an important and even critical period for a puppy, which can be harmful to health. But everything will be all right if you know how to do it right and carefully monitor your diet. This period will be especially dangerous for weakened and retarded puppies. Try to gradually make changes in the diet of babies.

It is very important that puppies are initially fed with only one type of complementary food. This should be done no more than once a day. Let the growing body get used to minor changes so that there are no problems in the future. Make sure that the babies absorb the new food well, and only then increase the dosage.

Gradually expand your puppy's diet

The next step is to offer the puppies additional food twice a day. Then gradually expand the diet and feed already three times a day. Gradually increase the amount of new food until you are completely weaned from the bitch. You can completely remove babies from mother's milk at 5-6 weeks. We emphasize once again: it is very important to do everything gradually so as not to harm the health of the puppies. Warm up complementary foods to the temperature of mother's milk (approximately + 38 ° C).

Boiled chicken fillet can be added to the diet. Rabbit meat is also ideal for feeding. At the age of 5-6 weeks, babies need to be fed 5 times a day, of which 3 - dairy products, 2 - meat with porridge. Sometimes you can give puppies some boiled fish. Be sure to look at the pieces well before giving them to the little ones so that there are no bones.

It is mandatory to feed puppies with fermented milk products (cottage cheese and bifilin). Boil an egg several times a week and feed only the yolk to the children. You can also dilute the diet with rice porridge with meat. It is important that the rice is boiled and does not clog the stomach of the puppies. For a change, include special soaked dry food in the daily menu of babies.

When using premium food, no nutritional problems will arise, but only if you consistently and correctly follow all the recommendations for using this product. Around this time, the bitch will already be tired of her children and will spend time with them only at night.

Proper care of puppies in 1-2 months

It is important that the baby receives the exact dose that is appropriate for his weight and age. To do this, carefully read the instructions before carrying out the procedure. In any preparation there is a leaflet in which everything is described in detail.

Helpful Information: Puppies instinctively don't go to the bathroom where they eat and sleep, so have a litter box ready for them to urinate. At the age of two months, the baby prefers to always empty himself in one place.

At 2 months, it becomes clear what character the baby will have in the future.

On the 45th day of life, puppies are activated, get used to the world around them. At this age, they can be given nicknames. They already recognize the person who looked after them all this time, and as a token of gratitude they lick their hands and play with him. Only at 2 months it becomes clear what character the baby will have in the future. From about this age, it is necessary to devote more time to puppies, to play with them, since the character depends not only on the features laid down by the genes, but also on the experience of communicating with a person. After 2 months, grown up, active and playful babies can go to new owners.

Video. Husky puppies: the first weeks

Use our tips and you will be able to raise healthy and energetic puppies, successfully coping with any potential problems.

When there are puppies in the house, An attentive host asks a lot of questions: how do they develop when they start walking, why are they born blind? What are the stages of turning a defenseless and helpless baby into an adult and strong dog?

There are several classifications of the stages of development of puppies, but, in fact, they all come down to certain periods of formation of the dog's body systems. How puppies develop after birth in a detailed review below.

According to the classification proposed by scientists of the Institute of Physiology. I.P. Pavlova, allocate four stages of development of puppies from birth to puberty. The average duration of periods depends on the breed of dog and is individual for each individual:

1 - 18-21 days. The stage of unconditioned reflex adaptation. Born blind and deaf, puppies have a sense of smell, sense of smell, vestibular and skin-temperature apparatus work. In the absence of the mother, the puppies huddle together to keep warm, because they cannot yet be constant. They can crawl, find nipples, suck. In this period hearing appears, eyes open, babies try to walk, play, they have reactions to a threat. The sucking reflex begins to disappear.
18-21 - 30-35 days. Stage of conditioned reflex adaptation. Teeth erupt, chewing movements are traced. Enzymes necessary for the assimilation of meat food are formed. Smell, hearing, vision have almost reached their full maturation. Now the puppy begins to distinguish objects of the world around him. New reflexes appear and improve. The dog is no longer so dependent on the mother. The young animal enters another community and learns to live by its rules.
5-6 - 8-12 weeks. exalted stage. Physiologically, the animal is almost formed, but its growth is still very intensive. At this time, puppies are taken away from their mother. The nervous system of a dog is highly influenced by the environment. For better socialization of the dog, you should try to avoid factors that traumatize the psyche of the animal. This is facilitated by human communication, a variety of environments. You can start teaching your pet some commands. Up to 4 months, all babies are similar: they are affectionate and curious.
3-4 - 6-7 months. The stage of formation of typological features of the nervous system. If before all the puppies behaved very similarly, now they begin to differ from each other. As for physiology, the teeth change, the mother's immunity no longer works. Own immune system is not fully formed. It is at this time that it is needed.

When do the eyes open?

Puppies are born blind, their eyelids are underdeveloped. When do puppies open their eyes after birth?

Most puppies open their eyes at 10-14 days.

This may happen a little earlier or with a delay of several days, but does not affect the physical, mental or reflex development of the dog in any way.

More often both eyes open at once, sometimes with a difference of a day or two. This is normal and is not a pathology. At first, the dog distinguishes only light and darkness. Toddlers will begin to fully navigate by sight and hearing by about the 25th day. By the end of the period of unconditional reflex adaptation, the puppies are already beginning to gradually distinguish between the periods of day and night, crawling out of the "nest".

If by the 18-20th day the dog's eyes have not opened, then you need to help. Try washing your eyes with boiled water.

Not all dogs are born healthy. General health problems can also affect the organs of vision. If the eyelids have not opened by the 30th day, or inflammation, conjunctivitis is observed, it is necessary to show the pet to the doctor.

Do not try to open your eyelids yourself.

In some cases, for example, with an inversion of the eyelids, an operation is prescribed.

First steps

The newborn is able to crawl a little to get to the nipples, to reach his siblings (crowding reaction) when the mother is away. Until the dog can walk, in a dream he constantly touches his paws. This is the only alternative to force the muscles to train.

Such a dream is called active.

When do puppies start walking? On the 18-21st day of their life, small dogs begin to stand on their paws, sway, walk a little. Puppies are no longer so helpless - they see and hear. And now they are trying to get out of their lair, playing and biting each other.

Switching to adult food

In the first days of their lives, puppies depend on their mother. Newborns can only crawl to a warm mother, find nipples, suck milk.

At 18-21 days, the sucking reflex gradually fades away and the next transitional period begins.

There is an interest in meat, solid food. Now the reaction to irritation of the oral cavity is not sucking, but chewing movements. Enzymes responsible for the digestion of meat food mature in the dog's body. The first teeth erupt. Some bitches regurgitate pup food.

The sense of smell, hearing, vision of your pet is already quite mature. It is during this period that the transition from dairy to mixed nutrition begins. Complementary foods should start with liquid or mushy feeds.

Whether it will be or depends on what you plan to feed the dog in the future. At first, the dog does not really pay attention to the innovation, since the main food for him is still mother's milk.

You can't force a puppy to eat food.

You can gently poke it with its muzzle into a bowl of food or put a tiny portion in your mouth. Canned food should be mixed in a ratio of 1: 1, dry soaked in three parts of water. Raw frozen beef is scraped off with a knife, rolled into small pea-sized balls. Complementary foods are introduced gradually, observing the reaction from the gastrointestinal tract of your pets.

From the very beginning of the introduction of complementary foods an adequate supply of fresh drinking water must be provided.

When do puppies start eating on their own? From about a month old, puppies can already eat from a bowl on their own. The owner should make sure that all the kids are full, because stronger dogs will eat food from weaker ones.

Need on the street

Up to 4 months, a small dog still does not know how to endure due to its physiology. He is already beginning to understand where to go, but he does not have time to run. At this age, it is impossible to scold a puppy. Otherwise, he will simply do his business faster and more inconspicuously, but all on the same floor. When do puppies start to tolerate going to the toilet? It is worth stocking up with patience and rags - puddles at home can be even up to 9-12 months.

Potty training (walking outside, tray, diaper) should be done regularly after each meal, after sleep. If the puppy began to worry, turn around - urgently go to the potty. It is recommended to praise the dog, offer treats after each accomplishment.

Remember that you can't do it all at once. Patience and attention are the keys to success. Sometimes even strong nerves. Do not delay this matter, because the older the dog, the more difficult it is to teach him to relieve himself where necessary.

Knowing the stages of puppy development will help a caring owner to raise a healthy dog, understand its needs at different stages of animal development.

Additionally, check out a short video on how puppies' eyes open:

When puppies open their eyes, they gradually begin to explore this world and learn everything that surrounds them. But how this happens and what generally happens to the body in the first 30 days of its life, every dog breeder should know.

And it doesn’t matter whether you are a professional or an amateur - every caring owner should know what can threaten a puppy in the most critical days of his biography and how to help a baby. In what interesting things happen to puppies in the first month of life, we will deal with you together.

When a small miracle of the birth of puppies has come to your house, a new world opens up not only for the kids, but also for the owners. Indeed, for many, this will be a novelty, it is important to be prepared for this moment and stock up on useful information. Do not be surprised, but babies will be born without the ability to see or hear anything. This is absolutely normal.

The very first thing you should know is that in the first days a puppy needs only 2 things: warmth and food. If everything is more or less clear about food, then the issue of heating should be considered. The fact is that all the puppy's systems, after being born, begin their work, so to speak, in test mode.

And if in a more understandable language - all body systems are just trying to start working. And all systems need some time to adjust. The thermal management system is no exception. And while she is learning to work properly, the puppy needs the warmth of his mother. It is not advisable to wean the puppies from the parent in the first days.

Also, in the first days, the mother herself takes an active part in starting the body systems of the cubs. The defecation and nutrition systems are constantly stimulated. The sense of smell during this period in puppies is also quite poorly developed.

The only scent they can distinguish is that of their mother. after some time, they can crawl near their mother, constantly maintaining their temperature from touch, and can attract the attention of the parent with a squeak.

Transition period

This period is characterized by the activation of most body systems and the beginning of functioning to a greater extent than before. On what day can the beginning of the period be assigned? It is impossible to say for sure, because many factors can influence this. How many days after birth?

At about 10-20 days, the dog's body is slightly transformed:

Usually by the 13th day the puppy is already making its first attempts at walking. He does this with small steps and quite often falls, losing his balance. The cub can move not only forward, but also backward, and at the same time the puppy stops crawling.
Around the 20th day, teeth begin to cut, which stimulates the process of chewing and biting.
The puppy starts wagging its tail. But this movement has a reflex character.
On the 14-19th day, the baby develops hearing, but the puppy cannot recognize the distance to the source of the sound and the direction from where it comes from.
And most importantly, on average, for 10-15 days, the eyes of the dog open.

This process begins from the inner corner to the outer, until the eye opens completely. The opening does not happen immediately, but gradually and completely individually. For example, at first, only one eye can open in a puppy, and the second only after a couple of days. And sometimes they open at the same time.

It is very important for the owner to know that when the puppy's eyes are opened, he still does not really see. The eye is just adapting to the light, just like the brain is just beginning to try to process visual information. At this time, you need to protect the puppies from getting into the eyes of bright light.

In the early days, this can be very damaging to the dog's retina. Do not be afraid if the puppies do not react to light for the first few days. For 1-2 days they may not distinguish between light and darkness at all. A little patience, and soon the system will work as it should. But this can happen both in a few days and in a few weeks.

First 20 days

Many owners are interested in the question on what day the puppy's eyes should open. A specialist or a breeder can answer you more precisely regarding each breed. Indeed, within the breed, these terms may vary slightly.

It may also depend on . Puppies that have spent a little more time in the womb than they should, after giving birth, respectively, will open their eyes faster. The physical condition of the newborn can also play a role - a weak puppy can open its eyes a little longer.

On average, experts call the figure 10-15 days. At this time, the opening of the ears approximately begins. In some dogs, this can happen even on the 17th day, and they can fully hear only by the 4th week. Exactly, as with the eyes - the opening of the ears is also a purely individual matter.

If on the 18th day after birth the eyes of the puppies are still closed, then you can help the baby by washing the eyes with boiled water. But even in this case, you should not be afraid, because there are cases when the puppy opens its eyes by the fourth week, when they already begin to walk quite well.

Of course, with open eyes, the process of learning to walk will go a little faster. As you can see, it is impossible to give an exact date in this question either.

Why don't the eyes open right away

Nature arranged it so that the eyelids, in the womb, do not have time to fully develop. And the process of development continues after birth. Their full development plays a very important role in the life of a puppy.

The eyelids of a dog perform the following functions:

protect the eye from drying out;
protect the cornea from mechanical damage and debris;
produce tears to clear the eye.

If the puppy's eyes open too early, this may indicate a violation of the development of the eyelid. And in order not to aggravate the situation in the future, then such a puppy must be shown to a specialist.

Eyes do not always open on their own. There are a number of factors that can negatively affect this process, and co-problems are one of the factors.

The reasons that do not allow the eyes to open in time may be:

Bacteria entering the eye.
Conjunctivitis.
Various accumulations on eyelashes and eyelids.

You should not raise a panic, and if you find that the dog has some kind of ailment in his eyes, know that all this is being treated.

But it is better not to delay the treatment, but to respond as quickly as possible.

If we are talking about conjunctivitis, then the puppy's eyes should be regularly washed with a solution of furacilin. Along with this, it is worth using drops with antibiotics. It is not advisable to use drugs of this kind more than 6 times a day. After the procedures, the eyes will certainly open.
If the accumulated secretions interfere with the opening of the eyes, then they must be removed with ordinary cotton swabs, which are dipped in warm boiled water. Do not worry, this procedure is completely harmless for the baby.
A bacterial infection can be of a completely different plan. A qualified veterinarian will help you diagnose the enemy and prescribe the right treatment.

And once again it is worth repeating that each puppy is unique and the timing of opening the eyes for each individual will be different. Panic is not worth beating, but for fear of infection, it would not be superfluous to show up to the veterinarian.

DOG BREEDING – Hilary Harmar

Eye care
Puppy's eyes usually open between the tenth and thirteenth day. True, it happens that puppies are born with their eyes already open, but they never survive.
The eyes begin to open from the inner corner and the gap gradually increases until the entire eye opens. Sometimes one eye opens earlier than the other. At this time, puppies should not be kept in bright light. At first, puppies distinguish only light and darkness, and the vague outlines of objects. It is usually only between the fourth and fifth weeks that puppies begin to see well. Surprisingly, but once puppy open eyes , he for some reason learns to crawl backwards. I always think it might be a delayed reaction to seeing his owner for the first time!
Ears
The ears, closed at birth, begin to open around the tenth day. In some long-haired breeds, wool begins to grow in the ear canal already at this age. If this is not followed, then the so-called “sulfur” accumulates in the ear canal, glues the hair growing there and the passage, thus, can completely close with a dense cork. To prevent this from happening, the hair from the ears must be gradually removed, pulling out a few hairs at a time.
Weight gain
Puppies grow quickly and should gain weight evenly. The only reliable way to tell if puppies are doing well is to weigh them every other day for the first two weeks and once a week after that. If a puppies gain weight sleep contentedly after suckling or eating, actively seek food, then they are normal healthy puppies. If you take such a puppy in your arms, it will wriggle elastically and push hard. When puppies lie limp in their arms and seem lifeless, it is safe to say that they are developing poorly.
puppy development
The puppy is developing very fast. mentally and physically. A two-week-old puppy is easy to teach to suck from a bottle, he quickly gets used to hands. If a puppy of this age is provoked by any of its siblings, it is simply amazing how ferociously it will roar.
Between the second and third weeks, the puppy begins to hear, but, oddly enough, the age at which puppies begin to hear differs significantly between breeds.
By the end of the third week, the puppy learns not only to lap up liquid, but also to eat solid food. Not only can he crawl forward, backward and in circles, but he can also stand on his four legs.
The third week for a puppy is especially full of events, since at this age he begins to walk, he can urinate and poop on his own. At this age, he becomes very attractive, begins to play, swinging his front paws, and can even wrestle with his brothers and sisters. The fourth week is the time when the puppy's first teeth appear. These are the upper fangs, which usually appear on the 20-24th day. When the puppies reach this age, the mother will begin to regurgitate semi-digested food for them, which is completely normal and natural. Their sharp little teeth give her a signal that the children have grown up and need more "adult" food. When she does this, the puppies are happy to absorb this semi-digested and prepared for their small ventricles, but still already “adult” food. That's what a lot of bitches do. But, of course, not all. Puppies quickly learn to demand regurgitation from their mother, and for a dog breeder, all this is a sure sign that the puppies are ready to receive complementary foods. In no case should a bitch be scolded for spitting up or otherwise prevented from doing so. Puppies need it.
social being
When a puppy turns 21 days old, he literally suddenly becomes a social being, fully aware of the individuality of not only his brothers and sisters, but also his mother and his owner. He looks at other people, at dogs and other animals, and for the first time realizes that this is all something that goes beyond his own family. Perhaps the most thrilling and amusing thing to do is to see a puppy wagging its tail for the first time, and it's certainly a clear sign of enjoyment. A dog's tail wagging is probably analogous to a human smile, but dogs "smile" much more often than humans! The puppy begins to wag its tail for the first time between the third and fourth weeks. The age of the first "smile" largely depends on how developed the puppy is and how many opportunities are presented to him to be satisfied. At this age, the puppies become curious and more independent, and the mother leaves them for longer periods of time, knowing that her offspring will not be miserable without her.
At the age of two months, the puppy prefers to always urinate and poop in the same place on one of his "scented" points, and this place is chosen as far as possible from his food bowl. It is normal for puppies to urinate about every two hours, regardless of their size. This is useful to know when you start to train your puppy to get out of the house. After three months, the periods between urges to urinate gradually become longer.
Behavior
The mental and social development of puppies continues to progress, and by the age of three to four weeks they begin to play simple games, such as "tag", running after each other. And already at this early age, the leader in the pack is usually determined. At the age of five weeks, puppies rush together to meet their owner or even just to find out if something interesting is happening at the end of their run or somewhere nearby.
By seven weeks of age, puppies definitely become little personalities, to the point where they often start attacking each other, because one pup can be a big bully and a real aggressor compared to all the others. In breeds known for their fighting nature, especially terriers, it is necessary to separate puppies at an early age and keep no more than two puppies in one paddock at a time. If the "fighters" are left all together, they can sometimes arrange a massacre to the death.
Observing the behavior of puppies is the most enjoyable pastime. I can spend hours watching their charming pranks, their relationships - they either lick and clean each other's ears, or bite their tails while playing. Raising puppies becomes even more interesting for the breeder if he records the antics and general behavior of each litter and observes all the changes in the fascinating stages that the puppy goes through as it develops.
Bad habits
Some puppies have a habit of sucking on anything that comes close to them. It can be a paw, a tail, an ear, or even a penis of a male brother. If sucking continues even for a short time, it can cause great harm. Grown up puppies with such habits need to be separated, with age it goes away.