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How To

How to Take Care of Puppies

Contributor
By Stevee Martin
eHow Contributing Writer
(10 Ratings)
Take Care of Puppies
Take Care of Puppies

Puppies can be a life-changing experience. Raising a litter of puppies can be similar to raising a newborn baby, as they are very dependant for the first few weeks of life. Caring for puppies can be a challenging but very rewarding experience.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  • Puppy Pen
  • Blankets
  • Puppy Food
  • Milk Replacer
  • Bottles
  • Bowls
  • Toys
  • Collars
  • Leads
  1. Step 1

    Determine if you will need to bottle-feed any of your puppies. Mothers normally produce enough milk to feed a litter of puppies, but if they have been abandoned or need supplementing, you will need to bottle-feed them.

  2. Step 2

    Set your puppy pen up in an area that is quiet and relatively undisturbed. Puppies spend a good deal of time eating and sleeping, so making sure they have a quiet place to rest is important.

  3. Step 3

    Line your puppy pen with blankets to keep you new puppies warm. Puppies have a hard time regulating their body temperature, so keeping them warm is vital to their survival.

  4. Step 4

    Transition your puppies to solid food when they are approximately four weeks old. You can soften the food with water to make a mush if they are unable to chew it. Make sure they also have plenty of fresh water available at all times.

  5. Step 5

    Schedule an appointment with your vet to have your puppies examined at this time as well. Your vet will begin their vaccinations and deworming regimens at this time, as well as examine them for any illnesses.

  6. Step 6

    Place a collar on each of your puppies. It is important that your pups know how to properly wear a collar so that they can be identified and can wear proper registration tags when they are old enough.

  7. Step 7

    Allow your puppies to venture outdoors once they are around seven weeks old. Their vaccinations will keep them healthy at this age and exploring the world will help prepare them for life outside your home.

  8. Step 8

    Screen potential homes for your puppies carefully. You’ve spent a good deal of time and effort raising healthy puppies and you want them to go to the best homes possible.

Tips & Warnings
  • Keep other pets away from your puppies. Many diseases can be fatal to puppies, so limiting their interactions with other pets will help avoid illnesses.
  • Do not over-handle your puppies. Too much human contact can cause the mother dog to reject puppies.
Resources

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