There might be a lot of questions swirling around your head if you’re planning for your first litter of puppies. Being a first-time breeder can be overwhelming if you don’t know what to expect. We will provide guidelines that will help you provide a healthy and stimulating environment for your puppy and build a strong and loving relationship with him.
Puppies Breeding for Beginners
Raising puppies is a fun and rewarding experience, but it requires patience, perseverance, and basic knowledge. Here's a comprehensive guide for beginners:
Preparing for Your Puppy:
Choosing the Right Puppy: Before bringing a puppy home, research breeds that suit your needs and lifestyle. Talk to breeders and dog owners, and interact with the puppy in person to ensure it's comfortable with you.
A Sleeping Place: Prepare a comfortable and safe sleeping place for the puppy, such as a crate or a comfortable bed.
Essential Equipment: Obtain food and water bowls, a collar and leash, age-appropriate toys, and grooming supplies (a brush, shampoo, nail clippers, a toothbrush, and toothpaste).
Home Security: Ensure any hazardous or chewable items that could harm the puppy are removed.
Proper Nutrition:
Puppy Food: Choose a puppy food appropriate for its age, size, and breed. Consult your veterinarian to determine the best type and amount of food for your puppy.
Under 3 months: 4 meals per day.
3-6 months: 3 meals per day (morning, noon, evening). From 6-12 months: 2-3 meals per day.
Tip: Ensure fresh, fresh water is available throughout the day. Avoid sudden food changes to avoid digestive upset.
Basic Training:
Start early: The younger the puppy, the easier it is to train.
Be patient and persistent: Training requires patience, persistence, and consistency in commands and signals.
Positive Reinforcement: Reward your puppy for good behavior with food, play, or praise.
Potty Training:
Consistent Routine: Take your puppy to the bathroom spot immediately after waking up, after every meal, after playing, and before bed.
Immediate Reward: Reward with praise and a small treat immediately after relieving yourself in the correct spot.
Avoid Punishment: Never punish your puppy if he makes a mistake; simply clean the spot thoroughly and try again.
Crate Use: A crate helps your puppy learn bladder control, as dogs don't like to urinate in their sleeping area.
Obedience Training:
Choose a Short Name: Choose a short, appropriate name for your puppy that is easy for them to hear and understand.
Establish House Rules: Before bringing your puppy home, determine what is and is not allowed in the house.
Crate Training: Start crate training immediately. Throw tasty treats into the crate and praise the puppy when they enter. Practice closing the door for short periods and gradually increase the duration.
Leash Walking: Get your puppy used to walking on a leash beside you to reinforce your position as leader.
Socialization: Expose your puppy to a variety of people, environments, and other dogs from an early age to help them socialize.
Health Care:
Vaccinations: Ensure your puppy receives all necessary vaccinations on schedule, including the rabies vaccine.
Worming and Parasite Control: Ensure heartworm, flea, and tick prevention, and administer deworming doses.
Grooming and Care:
Bath: Bathe your puppy regularly using a dog-specific shampoo.
Fur Care: Brush your puppy's fur regularly to keep it clean and healthy.
Nail Trimming: Trim your puppy's nails regularly to avoid problems.
Ear and Teeth Cleaning: Keep your puppy's ears and teeth clean.
Health Monitoring: Monitor your puppy closely. If he becomes lethargic, depressed, has diarrhea, or any other signs of illness, take him to the veterinarian immediately.
Activities and Exercise:
Daily Play: Set aside time to play with your puppy every day. Games help promote mental activity and skill development.
Regular Exercise: Puppies need regular exercise to maintain their health and prevent obesity. Start with short exercises and gradually increase the duration. Choose a safe place to exercise and vary activities such as walking, running, and playing with a ball.
Was the Runt Conceived Later Than His Littermates?
Probably not. Runt puppies most likely are the same age as their littermates but had poor placentation. Bitches release all their eggs over a 24-hour span. Even if the conception of that small pup occurred later than the conception of the other puppies, all pups float around free for 17 days before implantation and formation of the placenta.
How Soon Should Puppies Nurse After Birth?
Puppies cannot make their own antibodies at birth, so it is important that they receive their dam’s first milk, colostrum, which is rich in disease-protecting antibodies. Puppies can absorb these antibodies from their intestinal tract for only about the first 24 hours of life. Don’t be concerned if your bitch does not nurse until all the puppies are born. This is a common behavior that generally causes no risk to puppies.
What Do You Feed a Pregnant Dog?
A growth or performance food is best to feed a pregnant bitch because they are nutrient-dense and thus require less food to sustain her increasing energy needs. Particularly later in the pregnancy when her uterus takes up much of the space of the abdomen, she may have trouble eating a significant amount of food. At whelping, a bitch should weigh 5-to-10 percent more than before breeding. Try to avoid obesity as it is associated with difficulty whelping, increased birth defects in neonates, and stillbirths. Likewise, a thin body condition can cause conception failure, loss of pregnancy, and low-weight pups.
