Caring For Your New Puppy
Puppies need to be with their mothers for 8 weeks to get the best benefits from her. This includes socialization skills, nutrition as well as immunity protection until vaccines can be given. Generally, this is the mother who teaches her puppies how to be a dog. Plus the weeks spent with siblings help with emotional stability development.
But, should you find yourself with a furkid that’s 3 or 4 weeks old, here is some of what you need to know.
Mothers milk is best, but sometimes you need an alternative. Goats milk is the closest milk commercially available alternative to mother’s milk. Cows milk will give the puppy loose stool and cows milk messes up their natural digestion enzymes.
Goat’s Milk Esbilac Powder for Puppies
You are going to need a puppy formula. I recommend the powdered version of the formula because it will keep better than an open can of liquid k9 formula.
You will also need small puppy bottles. I find that 3 bottles are an optimum number. I usually keep one with water, one in use with ground-up puppy food and milk mixture and one drying out after being cleaned.
PetAg Complete Nursing Kits for Animals
I like to use a coffee grinder and grind up some high-quality puppy kibble and mix it with the formula to make a warm kibble and milk mixture.
You are going to need to make the opening in the nipple larger to accommodate this mixture. You may also need to squeeze the bottle a bit to help get the mixture out and into the puppy.
Iams Proactive Health Puppy Dry Dog Food – Chicken
You are going to feed the puppy about once every 3 to 4 hours depending on your puppy’s behaviors. If you see it searching around, it may be looking for momma’s nipples and it may require food sooner. After a day or so you should figure out your puppy’s behavior.
When the puppies are 3 or 4 weeks old and still with the mother dog, she stimulates the puppy to go to the bathroom by licking.
I recommend a warm washcloth to simulate this activity. Usually, 10 minutes after feeding is a good time to start this process. Hold the puppy in one hand and gently wipe the rear end and the pee area until you get a reaction that is needed.
New puppies are vulnerable to exposure to diseases. They should not be in the dirt or grass until vaccines can be given. As they grow and need to go potty, you can use potty pads or incontinence pads or real grass in a box inside the area you are using until they are vaccinated fully.
Hopefully, this area is close to the door that leads outside as this will make the transition to going outdoors to do their business easier.
Fresh Patch Disposable Dog Potty with Real Grass
But if you want your dog to go to the toilet, on the toilet puppyhood is the time to train that behavior.
Yes, I know it seems impossible to have them use a human toilet but there is video proof below.
Here is another solution for smaller dogs
Cats know how to do this too.
This dog learned how all by himself.
If you want a more traditional method, then you need to watch these tips.
Whichever method you teach, be patient. Accidents are bound to happen.
Enjoy the journey into pet parenthood.
