How to prepare for the birth of your puppies
You’ve hired the stud dog, seen your dog through pregnancy but once your dog has given birth to its puppies, now is the time for the hard work as you have to take special care of them. Caring for puppies can be a huge responsibility.
You need to be organised when preparing for the whelping. Ensure that you have a good sized box that is clean. You need to make sure that your dog is able to move comfortably inside it, but not too big in size. A good measuring guide to use a box that is approximately a foot wider and six inches longer than the sides of your dog.
Once you have got your box, fill it with clean plastic and some newspaper, do this in layers. This is so that when your dog is inside the box with her puppies, you can just take away the layer of paper with the mess on it. Often dog breeders will have their own preference.
You need to ensure that your new born puppies are warm and comfortable and that the temperature inside the box is around 90 degrees Fahrenheit. You will then need to reduce the temperature by 2 degrees each day after. If you notice a puppy that is cold, do not feed it, instead get it warm by tucking it up your top or possibly even your armpit. A cold puppy will cry and will cluster together with other puppies, if they are too hot, then they will separate and look for shade to cool down.
If your dog has a lot of puppies, you should prepare additional feeding, as this will help ensure they all survive. It is also a good idea to do shifts for feeding times. If you find that your puppies will not suckle, then you should feed them via a tube.
The care of new born puppies can be daunting, especially if the litter is considerably large. Ensure that you gather as much information as possible about breeding puppies, especially if you are new to it.
