Newborn Puppies

Newborn puppies usually find their way to their mother and her milk supply almost immediately after birth. This is important to the puppy in several different ways. Firstly, the puppy needs the milk to replace the nutrition he was getting through his mother's blood supply. Some blood may have been lost during birth, and it is important for the puppy to replace that as soon as possible.

Puppies are blind and deaf at birth and the eyes usually open at about 10 to 14 days. The vision is blurred at first and may not clear up for about a week. Hearing begins in about 13 to 17 days as the ear canals open. Pay attention to the nails of the young puppies as they may be sharp and thus may injure the belly of the mother. Trimming may be needed. Most of the time, the puppy will sleep or suckle during the first week of their life. By three weeks, the puppy may be up on it's feet wobbling around. Just be thankful of the sleep periods as they can get quite noisy when they get older.

The puppies need a warm room for the first few weeks until they are able to regulate their own body heat. It is quite a shock to go from the mother's womb to the outside world. Newborn puppies cannot shiver or stand their hair on end to create or conserve body heat. So, keep them in an area or room in which you can keep them warm.