So You Bred a Litter of Pups

So your bitch has had a litter of puppies. You may have done this deliberately, or had an ´accident´ but they are here now and you have to do your best for them. The care puppies receive when they are very young is some of the most important they will ever have and will hopefully help set them up as healthy, happy dogs for the rest of their lives.

Health

Worms are a common and serious health issue for pups. They are passed from the bitch to the pups in the milk, so unless the bitch has been properly wormed during her pregnancy, the pups will almost certainly have worms and severe infestations can cause significant gut damage and even death.

Pups should be wormed every fortnight between the ages of 2 weeks and 8 weeks old and then monthly until 6 months of age. They should always be wormed with a product from a vet, not from a pet shop as these are unlikely to be strong enough to fully clear infestations. The dose of wormer needed will change as they grow, so they should be weighed each time they are wormed, vets are generally happy to dispense wormers provided they have checked the litter over at least once and this is also an ideal opportunity to pick up on any health issues they may have.

You must also ensure the pups are free from fleas. Fleas can be a real burden and heavy infestations can make them anaemic. There is a flea spray which you can buy from your local vet which can be used to treat pups from 2 days of age and it is active for 3 months. It can also be used on the bitch.

Feeding

For the first four to five weeks of life puppies rely on their Mother for food, so ensuring she gets the correct nutrition is vital. The best food to give a nursing bitch is a good quality puppy food. The energy demands on her are so high she simply wouldn´t be able to eat enough adult dog food to meet them. Puppy food is not only very calorie dense, it also has high levels of calcium, minerals and other nutrients all of which are required for pups to grow properly .

The best quality foods are not found on the supermarket shelves but rather in your vets, who will also be a fabulous source of advice, or larger pet stores. When it comes to weaning the pups, the best diet to give is a porridge made from the same puppy food as Mum has been eating, which means the pups are more likely to accept it, mixed with a puppy milk replacer. Many people chose to add ´extras´ to the mother´s or pup´s diet, such as scrambled eggs, mince meat or porridge. However, this can be difficult to get right, time consuming and expensive, particularly for inexperienced breeders, and not really necessary so long as they are fed good quality puppy food.

Socialising

Possibly the most important part of a puppy´s early life is their exposure to the world around them. The environment they are brought up in and the people they meet will determine how they cope and behave for the rest of their lives.

Firstly, the best place for a litter to live is in the heart of the home where they will be exposed to all the sights, sounds and smells of family life. It can be easier to keep them in a quite room or shed but imagine a young pup not only leaving the litter and its mother for the first time but also suddenly landing in a busy household. They should, within reason, be handled by many different people; men, women and children. It is also vital they do not leave until 8 weeks old as they will learn so much from their mother and litter mates during the final weeks.

It is also important to realise that, to dogs, people not only come in different shapes and sizes but can also change their appearances significantly. So, try to expose them to things like sunglasses, umbrellas, hoodies, all kinds of of hats and big jackets. Also, meeting older people who use sticks or are in a wheelchair is very useful.

Of course, the socialising of a puppy doesn´t stop when they leave the litter and it is important you educate their new owner on how best to continue this process. Once a puppy has settled into their new home, again they should meet as many new and different people as possible and after their vaccines are finished they should go out and about and meet the world as much as possible; busy streets, parks, playgrounds and markets. They should also be introduced to known adult dogs as soon as possible, there is nobody better than a sensible adult dog to teach a puppy some manners!

Breeding a litter of puppies can be a rewarding process but it is also very hard work, expensive and can be stressful. You must be able to give the pups the best possible start in life, ensure they go on to loving and responsible homes and be prepared to take them back again if there are any problems.