Physically, a newborn puppy is no more than a small living organism whose sole activity is to develop in the warmth and safety of the nest, close to his mother and his litter of brothers and sisters. At 2 weeks, his eyes and ears begin to open. At 3 weeks, all his senses begin to function, and he learns to lop. At first he can only slither and tumble along, but at 3 or 4 weeks he gradually manages to propel himself on wobbly legs, following his mother around, and then playing with his litter mates. He tries to leave the nest to urinate, but he can't control his bladder yet.
Between 3 and 6 weeks, he grows his full set of baby teeth and can be gradually weaned. At the same time, he is given his first puppy shots to replace the protection he is no longer receiving from the colostrum in his mother's milk. Colostrum-derived protection is only temporary. Colostrum is different from ordinary milk in that it contains the antibodies that are present in the mother's blood. When newborn puppies nurse, they absorb these antibodies into their own bloodstream.
At least seven contagious diseases threaten dogs in the United States.
-Distemper
-Adenovirus
-Parvovirus
-Leptospirosis
-Bordetella
-Bronchiseptica (Kennel Cough)
In addition to these, Lyme disease may be present in some areas of the country, and of course Rabies vaccinations are always needed, but not until about the third month of age.
Psychologically, as soon as his eyes are open, he begins to take an interest in the world around him, in his brothers and sisters, and in human beings. These first human contacts are most important, since he is very impressionable. He should be visited frequently, gently handled and caressed. At 4 weeks, most of his brain will have matured, except for the frontal lobes, which govern memory and will not be fully formed for another week or two.
The back of the brain which keeps him awake and alert, and was poorly developed at birth, is mature 4 weeks later, so he will no longer sleep most of the time. Puppies begin to explore and investigate moving objects and sounds about this time also. At 5 weeks, he starts to express his emotions and desires by facial and body expressions, as well as by voice. He loves to carry things around in his mouth, to play tug-of-war and follow the leader, and makes a game of guarding his personal possessions.
At this stage, his mother is in charge of his education. What he needs most is warmth, lots of sleep, plenty of milk and food 4 to 6 times a day and frequent but gentle human handling. He should be protected from over excitement, over fatigue, and fright, as well as the puppy diseases mentioned earlier. He needs constant supervision and encouragement to roam and explore beyond the nest. |
