The Neonatal Stage begins at birth and lasts until around 14 days old or when puppies’ eyes open. The primary goals during this stage are ensuring puppies are given everything they need to thrive during this fragile period where they are physically developing. This includes daily weight and body checks, changing out their bedding, and […]
Puppy Guides
Newborn Puppies: When to Be Concerned
Neonatal puppies are incredibly fragile, so being familiar with possible signs of a failing newborn puppy is incredibly helpful in being able to address issues sooner rather than later. Time really is of the essence when saving a weak newborn puppy! A healthy newborn puppy will cry and squirm when handled and settle down when […]
Building the Foundation for Manners and Training in Young Puppies
During the Transitional Stage and for part of the Socialization Stage, anyone working with puppies under eight weeks should work on building a foundation for basic manners for their puppies and setting expectations for proper interactions with their world. Note, this is not formal obedience training where behaviors are paired with commands. Building this foundation […]
What is Puppy Socialization?
You may have heard the term “socialization,” and many people think that socialization is puppies interacting with lots of people or being friendly with humans and dogs, but it is much deeper than that! Socialization is really socialization AND familiarization, which means learning how to interact with others (animals and people) AND how to interact […]
