| |
|
BIRTH TO EIGHT WEEKS
All of the puppies born in my house are raised around other dogs, a very friendly cat, and kids. For the first week they are in a kennel ( which I call a little house ) in my room. After that I move them and mommy to a larger "house" in the living room, this way they can see and hear other dogs and noises when their eyes and ears open. When they are old enough, about 4-5 weeks, I introduce them to the other dogs and cat. Eventually they are out of their "little house" more often than they are in it.
There is food in the "little house" for mommy all of the time and mommy also gets extra protein from other sources. The healthier mommy eats, they better for the puppies. Since the food is available all of the time, the puppies can start eating food on their own schedule.
Between the age of 3-5 days I take the puppies in to have their dew claws removed. Dew claws are the nails on the side of the feet, they could have none or they could have one on each foot. I have them removed because in my experience when left they can cause problems. When they are four weeks old I give them their first dose of dewormer. At five weeks old they get their first shot, at six weeks old another dose of dewormer and at seven weeks old they get their next shot. I keep medical records of each puppy which their new mommy and daddy get when they go home.
|
|