A Puppy Primer

By Debbie Best

When my friends decided to breed their dog, it prompted memories of my long ago experiences with puppies--the joys and the challenges. I remember those warm, roly-poly little bodies that were so cuddly, and I can almost smell that delightful puppy breath. But having puppies is one thing. Giving them a proper start in life is another. So, Sadie will help me with some Puppy 101.

Sadie, a beautiful liver roan German Shorthaired Pointer, belongs to Brent and Jessica Rudewick of Edmond. And she recently gave birth to a litter of precious, healthy puppies. At 3 years old, Sadie is a first time mom. Brent acquired her as a puppy a month before he and Jessica were married. Sadie's quite adaptable, and her friendliness knows no boundaries. As a youngster, she was brought along on a rafting trip down the Illinois River. Jessica recalls, by the end of the ride, everyone on the river knew her name. Sadie even jumped into a couple of boats that floated close by.

As responsible breeders, Brent and Jessica thoroughly checked out and carefully chose the male that would sire the pups. Sadie is long and lean, while the chosen mate, Axel, has a shorter nose and a blockier build. "We studied his papers, looked at his appearance, considered his mannerisms, how well he listened and how he behaved around Sadie," says Jessica. And a match was made.

An important facet of dog breeding is making certain there will be appropriate homes for the innocent and dependent lives being brought into the world. Brent and Jessica had good homes lined up for most of the future offspring before they were born. Sadie was given extra vitamins, and she breezed through the pregnancy. In fact, the athletic "mom-to-be" remained extremely active until the last week and a half. In preparation for the highly anticipated moment, the Rudewicks presented her with a welcoming and accessible "regulation-style" whelping box. But Sadie--ever one with her own ideas-rebuffed the box and chose the comfortable, familiar double bed in the guestroom where the pampered pooch normally sleeps.

According to Jessica, when Sadie started labor at 6 p.m., she raised her head like she was listening to something and then began panting rapidly. She also started pacing back and forth. As the contractions came closer and closer together, she whined a little. The first puppy was born around 8 p.m. The tenth and last puppy came at 11 the next morning--a long exhausting night for Sadie and Jessica and Brent.

After a puppy's arrival, the mother should pull off the amniotic sac, chew the umbilical cord in two and lick the puppy, stimulating the newborn's respiration and circulation.

"Sadie was a great mom from the beginning," says Jessica. "She did almost everything by herself. The only thing we did was tear open the sacs around the puppies' faces; she seemed to start at the wrong end."

Six males and four females later, Sadie and Ogar, Flair, Hans, Maximus, Winston, Hunter, Dottie, Abby, Daisy and Cassie were transferred to the lonely whelping box. Were Brent and Jessica surprised by the number of squirming siblings? Not really. Jessica says, "We knew German Shorthairs average 8-12 puppies, so we were prepared for the possibility. For some reason though, after the fourth one, I thought that was all. But they kept coming and coming. I was glad all the puppies were alive and healthy. So many books tell you all the things that can go wrong. I was very grateful that Sadie was okay, very tired but fine, and that all the puppies were fine too." (Imagine having to come up with 10 names, a job in itself.)

Born with eyes and ears closed, fragile, helpless puppies grow and develop at an incredibly rapid rate. The significance of raising them right can't be overstated. Critical and important stages in a puppy's early development influence its adjustment to people, other dogs and the world around it. There's much breeders can do while puppies are in their care to give them a good start and ensure they become excellent, well-adjusted pets.

During the first or neonatal stage from 0-2 weeks, a warm, secure and quiet environment with mother and littermates is all that's needed. Unable to regulate their own temperature and elimination and incapable of learning during this phase, puppies exhibit only reflex responses to touch, taste, smell and warmth.

Jessica kept careful watch, "The biggest ones definitely had the advantage. We tried to keep a close eye on who was eating and who wasn't." (Sadie didn't…shall we say, have enough plates at the dinner table for everyone to eat at once.) "So I would separate the puppies into two groups and let them eat that way, especially the first week. After that, I let the smaller ones eat first. Then, after they had nursed for a few minutes, I let the bigger ones 'attack,' and it was every pup for themselves!"

A transitional period occurs between 13-20 days when eyes and ear canals open, but use of these senses is limited. Puppies begin to stand on wobbly legs, and tails begin to wag.

Day 21 is a banner day--eyes and ears are now functioning. A staggering walk can carry the puppy outside the nesting area to eliminate. On a limited basis, owners should carefully handle the little bundles of joy to get them used to humans. Jessica says her puppies' personalities started becoming evident by the time they were moving around and their eyes were open. "They started responding when we came into the room. We couldn't sneak in and take a peak any more; they wanted to play and be held."

There's a socialization or awareness period from 3-12 weeks when puppies discover their world and become aware of their surroundings. They may start eating from a pan at three weeks when baby teeth are coming in, and they will probably be weaned by the end of the fifth week.

"At first, feeding them was a mess," says Jessica. "The puppies weren't sure what the heck that stuff was. They would stand in the pan, lie in the pan; one even went potty in the pan. We put a little food on their noses so they had to lick it off. Sometimes they'd eat it, sometimes they'd walk away. Once they realized they were supposed to eat the stuff, they liked it."

Be careful during the fourth week. Extremely impressionable puppies can be easily overwhelmed. Loud noises or fast movements startle them. Rough handling or emotional upsets may leave a permanent negative and fearful imprint on them. Puppies need their mothers most during the fourth week and shouldn't be removed from her for any length of time.

However, at one point, Sadie decided to remove herself (mom needs a spell now and then, you know). She would go around the double bed, opposite from the puppies' box, crawl between a chair and the nightstand, and curl up under the nightstand.

"It was the funniest thing," says Jessica. "There were scratch marks in the carpet, so I don't know if she was trying to dig a den or maybe thinking about moving her babies. But she never moved them, and whenever we couldn't find her, she would be under the nightstand, taking a break from all those bottomless pits."

By 5-6 weeks, puppies are learning how to be dogs from interactions with their mom and littermates, and they've established a pack hierarchy or pecking order. Puppies need this bonding time when dominant and submissive gestures are learned, as well as greeting patterns and play gestures. In Sadie's brood, Dottie was the leader--very dominant and aggressive toward her brothers and sisters. Others picked on their siblings, but some were more laid back and stayed away from the play fighting.

Jessica told me she greeted her puppies every day at 7:30a.m. "I said good morning, then I'd open the door, and they would race after Sadie into the backyard. It was so cute, like a mini stampede."

At this stage, they're recognizing people and responding to voices. They should be receiving some individual attention each day, and very gentle, simple training can begin. This is a good time to examine ears and teeth, massage the puppy and caress the feet (getting it used to being handled will make nail trimming and vet exams easier in the future). Sadie's pups were pointing at six weeks. "I couldn't believe it!" says Jessica. "Their instincts were amazing."

Some breeders place puppies at six weeks, but this absolutely should not be the case. The critical time for social development, physically and psychologically with their littermates, would be missed. Acquiring a puppy at this age should be strictly avoided. Give it another week. Seven weeks is the ideal time to adopt, because the puppy is now adaptable to new situations and ready to transfer affection from its mother and form a lasting bond with new humans. Pups shouldn't be placed during the eighth week either, because it's another fear imprint stage. Any traumatic experiences may permanently affect them. A conscientious breeder knows not to ship during this period and waits till the ninth week when the puppies are more responsive to people again. Of course, during this time, they should be handling and socializing the dogs, as well as conducting simple training.

The departure of Sadie's pups was bittersweet. "They were a lot of fun," says Jessica, "also a ton of work. I cried when they left; if we'd had the room, we would have ended up with eleven dogs."

They did end up with two dogs. "We kept Maximus because he was my baby, and he's very sweet. He was the runt, and we paid special attention to him, taking him aside for special feedings."

Important developmental stages will continue in a puppy's life well after it settles into its new home until it matures into an adult. The new owners must continue the responsibility of seeing to it the dog is handled with care. That includes: proper obedience training, socializing with people and other animals, daily exercise, providing chew toys, grooming, maintaining good health with a nutritious diet and necessary veterinary visits, giving the dog a safe environment (hopefully indoors and not alone in the yard) and above all, love.

I've since visited little Maximus. He's as good-looking, spunky and friendly as his mom. Max ran right up and sweetly greeted me with sloppy but enthusiastic kisses, like he'd known me all his life. Mother and son are getting along famously and are thoroughly enjoying each other's company. During my visit, Sadie, in her never-ending search for our feathered friends, showed me an unexpected and acrobatic talent for climbing trees. Now that's taking the term "bird dog" to the extreme! Judging from Max's keen interest and the way he watched her so admiringly and barked so encouragingly, I think he'll soon be following mom into the trees.

Editor's note: While the PetGazette advocates spay and neuter, and believes breeding should be left to professionals, Jessica and Brent did it right. So we present their story as a model. They did their homework--checking pedigrees and the breed standard before choosing a mate. They provided a nurturing environment and good homes for the puppies. Before you decide to breed your pet, consider this: YOU are responsible for the wellbeing of the offspring. Are you contributing genetically sound animals to the breed? And can you guarantee them good homes for their lifetime?

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