Puppies

A puppy’s first weeks of life are crucial to its development. What happens to it, and in its environment, during these weeks is very important and can determine whether the puppy will have a normal life and good health, or, on the contrary, to live afflicted by illness or to suffer behavioural problems.

At birth, the puppy is defenceless. Nearly 75% of premature deaths in dogs occur during the first 18 days of life, often as a cause of the mother’s ignorance or inexperience (neglect or insufficient lactation), or, on other occasions, from the owner (excessive handling of the puppies, etc.). For these reasons, it is good to have the mother and its puppies examined by a vet as soon as possible after the birth. This consultation will also allow you to get answers for any doubts you may have.

Either way, the principal causes of neonatal mortality in puppies are insufficient feeding and the cold. The lack of feeding might be due to ineffective lactation or even the mother having insufficient milk. Although it can also be due to the inability of the puppy to suckle effectively. The cold is also an important cause of neonatal mortality. Puppies are incapable of adjusting their body temperature during their first days of life. If they get cold, they are incapable of suckling, they do not feed, and the mother will stop looking after them. Warming them back up re-establishes their suckling reflex and their general condition.

For the owner, knowing how to distinguish between a healthy puppy and an ill puppy can be very useful. And in certain cases, a question of life and death. A healthy puppy is warm and plump. They demonstrate a good muscle tone and an excellent coloration of the skin. It is quiet and sleeps well. Whereas a sick puppy is cold and thin. Its abdomen is dilated, its muscle tone and the coloration of the skin are insufficient, and they tend to curl up and whine. In the event of finding a puppy exhibiting these characteristics, a vet must be consulted immediately. If in doubt, consult a vet anyway... It is better to be safe than sorry.

But the first weeks of life are determinant, not just for the health (as we have been seeing until now), but also for its social and psychological development. The puppy acquires its social aptitudes between the fourth and twelfth weeks of life. It is during this period that it is most receptive to training and during this period when it socialises with its environment. Therefore, not being in contact with humans during this period will cause it lots of problems in the future when adapting to humans. Not being in contact with other animals (its brothers and sisters, for example), during this period, will result in repercussions in its future relation with other animals during the rest of its life.