Raising Puppies Timeline
Week One (Days 1-7) 5/27 – 6/2
DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES
- 90% of time spent sleeping
- 10% eating
- Susceptible to heat/cold
- Instinctive reflexes: crawl, seek warmth, nurse
- They can right themselves if placed upside down
- Needs stimulation for urination/defecation
- Rapid development of central nervous system
- Need constant care from Mabel
- Rectal temperatures 94-97 degrees Farenheit
- Pups may lose 10% of weight after birth, but will start gaining
- Weight should double by end of week
CARE OF THE PUPPIES
- Chart weight (2x daily)
- Examine puppies daily
- Trim nails weekly
- Keep whelping box around 85 degrees Farenheit (this means if it’s hotter than that out, put a fan in the room or turn on the air conditioning, if it’s colder than that get a heat lamp to put above the whelping box)
- When you handle the puppies, it’s a good idea use a towel when you hold them. The puppies urinate upon stimulation and will inevitably find your attention stimulating!
- Dew claws are removed day 3.
CARE OF MABEL
- Keep Mabel on fluids for first 24 hours (i.e.. chicken broth, etc.)
- Feed three full meals a day after that
- Check mammary glands twice daily (looking for signs of mastitis — swelling, hardness, pus, etc.)
- Keep an eye on vaginal discharge (looking for signs of infection)
- Make sure she eats, drinks, and relieves herself — once her mothering instincts kick in, I may have to force her to leave the puppies to do these things.
TO DO LIST
- Keep detailed records on puppies’ weight and behavior
- Keep charting Mabel’s temperature
- Call puppy buyers with results of whelping
Week Two (Days 8-14) 6/3 – 6/9
DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES
- Eyes should open around days 11-14
- Ears should open around days 13-17
- Temperatures should be around 97-99F
CARE OF THE PUPPIES
- Keep whelping box around 80-83F
- Begin holding puppies in different ways (applying light stress)
- Trim nails weekly
CARE OF MABEL
- Mabel should get three times her normal amount of food
TO DO LIST
- Worm puppies (and Mabel)
Week Three (Days 15-21) 6/10 – 6/16
DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES
- Teeth begin to erupt
- Puppies stand up and start walking
- Begin to lap liquids
- Defecate/urinate without stimulation
- Start becoming aware of environment
- Start playing with littermates
- Develop sense of smell (pheasant wings are added to the whelping box)
- Puppies will start to discriminate as to where to relieve themselves
CARE OF THE PUPPIES
- Start adding stimuli (toys) to puppies’ life
- Start giving specific stresses when handling (i.e.. pinch an ear or toe gently).
- Start giving pups milk replacer to lap for one meal a day — after two days, add some very mushy food
- Weigh puppies every day
- Start weekly grooming sessions (brush, trim nails, look at teeth, etc.)
CARE OF THE MABEL
- Continue as above
TO DO LIST
- Purchase milk replacer to feed puppies
- Worm puppies (and Mabel)
Week Four (Days 22-28) 6/17 – 6/23
DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES
- Begin to eat food
- Begin to bark, wag tails, bite, paw, bare teeth, growl and chase
- Use legs well
- Tire easily
- Depth perception starts
CARE OF THE PUPPIES
- Keep Mabel with them a lot! Things can get overwhelming at this age and Mom will add stability for them
- Each pup gets individual attention
- Offer small amounts of food that is the consistency of cooked oatmeal (puppy food mixed with milk replacer and mashed up in a blender)
CARE OF MABEL
- Start reducing amount of food to discourage milk development
TO DO LIST
- Start limiting Mabel’s access to pups before offering them food
- Worm puppies (and Mabel)
Week Five (Days 29-35) 6/24 – 6/30
DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES
- Group activities and sexual play will begin
- Dominance order starts
- Rapid growth/development
CARE OF THE PUPPIES
- Reduce fluids in puppies’ food
- Make sure other people start coming to see pups
- Begin weaning
- Start working on their instinct to chase (and fetch)
CARE OF THE MABEL
- To prepare for weaning: Day 1 — no food
Day 2 — 1/4 normal maintenance meal
Day 3 — 1/2 normal maintenance meal
Day 4 — 3/4 normal maintenance meal
Day 5 — full amount of normal maintenance meal - Keep her on puppy food for several weeks to help her recover from the strain of breeding, whelping, and raising puppies
- Keep a careful eye on mammary glands
TO DO LIST
- Check vaccination supplies
Week Six (Days 26-42) 7/1 – 7/7
DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES
- Growth and development continue
CARE OF THE PUPPIES
- Offer soft, damp food
- Chart weekly weight
- Individual attention crucial — each puppy gets time away from litter
CARE OF THE MABEL
- Continue as above
TO DO LIST
- Vaccinate and worm puppies
- Introduce to clipped-wing Hungarians (note reactions)
Week Seven (Days 43-49) 7/8 – 7/14
DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES
- Total hearing/visual capacity
- Will investigate anything
- Can’t respond to name yet
CARE OF THE PUPPIES
- Pups are on regular puppy food
- Pups can go to new homes (but they won’t!)
CARE OF THE MABEL
- Keep careful eye on mammary glands until milk is completely dried up
TO DO LIST
- puppies are introduced to the pheasant fields and the pond
Week Eight (Days 50-56) 7/15 – 7/21
DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES
- First fear period
- Start learning name
CARE OF THE PUPPIES
- puppies spend as much time as possible in the fields and pond
- puppies are introduced to the gun (28ga)
- start training puppies commands in small steps
- introduce to the boat/river (weather permitting)
CARE OF THE MABEL
- Continue as above
TO DO LIST
- Arrange pick-up times for new owners
Week Nine (Days 57-63) 7/22 – 7/28
DEVELOPMENT OF THE PUPPIES
- Develops strong dominant and subordinate behavior among littermates
- Begins to learn right behavior
- Motor skills improve
- Short attention span
- Starts focusing attention on owner rather than other puppies
- Separate littermates
- Start house training
CARE OF THE PUPPIES
- Continue lots of individual attention
- started puppies get daily work
Week Ten – sixteen 7/29 – 9/15
- started puppies get daily work on commands.. behavior.. in the fields, boat and water… work with clipped wings and live birds, etc.