Facts about puppies and how to care for them
The puppies are cute, cuddly and adorable. They come in all sizes and colors and grow rapidly the first few weeks of life. A pup was born after approximately sixty-three days of gestation. They are born defenseless but with some natural instincts. They begin nursing almost immediately after birth and spend most of their time eating, sleeping, and warming themselves. They can smell and search for the scent they are looking for, but they cannot open their eyes until about the first two weeks. They quickly mature from that point into curious and playful juvenile dogs.
The pups should remain with the nursing mother until approximately seven weeks of age. After they are one month old, adding solid foods to their daily regimen will help them stop nursing. A puppy will grow rapidly in the first three months of her life and develop coordination and social skills. They will learn a lot from their littermates and then, once in their new home, from their owners. Socialization is very important for a puppy. Between the ages of eight and twelve weeks, offering a puppy new situations and having him around people helps foster healthy interactions.
Very early in a puppy’s life house training should begin. Teaching a puppy to go outside requires patience and constant repetition. Just like babies, puppies wake up in the middle of the night and the first thing that needs to happen is for them to get outside. This can be frustrating for an owner, losing sleep training a puppy, but will eventually create a well behaved house trained dog. Feeding should be scheduled and outdoor trips should follow feeding. Puppies grow fast and need adequate nutrition for their bones and organs, so buy quality puppy food intended for young, growing dogs.
Take a puppy to the vet within the first six to eight weeks of life. Have their first round of vaccinations to protect them from disease. Puppies should be dewormed at this age and periodically thereafter. Young dogs are susceptible to diseases like Parvo at a young age. Vaccinating a puppy can prevent it from contracting this airborne virus. Heartworm prevention must begin early and continue throughout the dog’s life. Talking to a vet will help decide the best time to spay or neuter the young dog. Making sure to spay or neuter them can prevent unwanted pregnancies and more puppies, as well as protect dogs from breast, uterine, and testicular cancer.
Having a puppy is rewarding and exciting. Watching him grow into an adult dog that is a constant companion will offer the pet owner years of happiness. Puppies require a lot of work and care at first, but it’s all worth it when they look up with those big puppy dog eyes that can melt almost anyone’s heart.