Page 349 - (DK) The Dog Encyclopedia

BREEDING

Handling a newborn puppy
Take a moment to check each newborn puppy
over and rub it dry with a clean towel. Then return
the puppy to the mother without delay.

Housebreaking
Accidents will happen but you will be making it
easier for the new owners to complete the training
if you get puppies habituated to using newspaper
when relieving themselves.

As lactation requires a huge amount of quantities at first so that the puppies get
energy, your bitch will need about twice the used to digesting it. Make sure you buy NEW HOMES FOR PUPPIES
number of calories she was consuming prior specially formulated puppy food, which
After investing so much time in the planning and
to whelping, and the meals need to be little is high in energy with the correct balance
rearing of the puppies, you will be very attached
and often. She will also require lots of water. of nutrients. to them. Your next responsibility is to ensure that
As she will be reluctant to leave her puppies, Teaching a few simple rules in the you send them to the best possible homes.
feeding her in the whelping box is advisable. breeder’s home can make the difference ■ Contact breed societies and the American
She certainly won’t need any exercise and between a confident and well-adjusted Kennel Club to place advertisements; you can
also place an ad at your veterinary practice.
will only need to be taken out for short visits puppy and one that is likely to develop
■ Spend time getting to know each puppy’s
to relieve herself a few times a day. behavioral problems. It is entirely possible to
future owner so that you can start preparing
The natural maternal instincts your bitch train puppies before they go to their new
your puppy for its new lifestyle.
has means that you will not need to do homes so that they only relieve themselves ■ Encourage prospective owners to visit often
anything with the puppies initially. They on newspaper. This makes it much easier and give them as much information as possible
should not be interfered with, other than for the new owners to complete their to prepare them. Inform them about general
to be checked over to ensure they are healthy housebreaking. In addition, spending and breed-specific care and training.
and are putting on weight, and that they a few minutes with each puppy every day
drink some of the bitch’s first milk. Called gets them used to being handled, and will
colostrum, this initial milk provides the allow you to train them to do some basic
puppies with essential antibodies and is vital behaviors on command, such as sit.
to their health. Within a couple of weeks The most important factor of training is to
you will need to trim the puppies’ nails to expose your puppies to a range of everyday
prevent them scratching their mother’s skin experiences. It is important to include them
as they suckle. in family activities and help them socialize
with people of all ages. Most puppies go
EARLY PUPPY CARE into a home environment and, therefore,
By the time the puppies are a few weeks old, during these early weeks, getting them used
their care becomes a full-time job. This is the to the sorts of sights and noises that
most important time of the puppies’ lives and accompany the daily comings and goings of
there is much to prepare them for. a household is imperative. When they are
The puppies will soon begin to develop only a few weeks old, puppies will happily
teeth, at which point their diet should accept new experiences with minimal
consist of solid food as well as plenty of reassurance. If a puppy has had good early
chew toys to help the teething process. socialization with the breeder, he will emerge
Introduce solid food slowly and in tiny a confident youngster.

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