Newborn puppy care—how to care for puppies after birth—means warmth, nursing every 2–3 hours, clean bedding, daily weights, plus quick vet help for any weak or cold pups.
What Newborn Puppies Need In The First 48 Hours
The first two days set the tone. Keep the whelping box warm and draft free. Aim for 85–90°F in the box, with a cooler corner so pups can move away if hot. Use an overhead lamp or radiant source, not a direct hot pad on skin. A chilled pup won’t nurse and can fade fast.
If you’re asking how to care for puppies after birth, start with heat, latch, and quiet. Check that each puppy finds a teat within minutes and swallows. Good nursing sounds soft and steady. Watch the dam for calm behavior and steady milk letdown. If a puppy cries, wanders, or feels cool, place the pup on a hind teat where milk flow is often stronger and rub gently until it latches.
Newborn Puppy Care Timeline (0–8 Weeks)
This quick plan shows the routine from birth to the start of life with solid food and basic house training habits.
| Age Window | Care To Do | Targets |
|---|---|---|
| Birth–2 hours | Dry pups, clear airways, confirm nursing starts, count placentas. | Pink gums, steady breathing, colostrum taken. |
| 0–24 hours | Weigh each pup once at the same time daily; track temps; keep box 85–90°F. | Body temp near 95–99°F; urine/stool after dam stimulates. |
| Day 2–3 | Rotate pups on teats, watch for mastitis or rejection, log feeds every 2–3 hours. | Quiet between feeds; weight holds or climbs. |
| Days 4–7 | Trim tips of sharp nails, keep bedding dry, handle briefly once or twice a day. | Weight up 5–10% per day; no crying after feeds. |
| Week 2 | Deworm on vet schedule; eyes begin to open; lower box heat a notch as pups mature. | Temp range 97–100°F; steady weight gain. |
| Week 3 | Add a low “toilet” corner lined with paper; introduce gentle sounds and touch. | More awake time; start toddling; respond to voices. |
| Week 4 | Offer a shallow gruel of puppy food and warm water; keep nursing. | Temp range 99–101°F; weights continue rising. |
| Weeks 5–6 | Increase solid meals; short, happy social time; book first vaccines per your vet. | Meals 3–4 times a day; calm settle after play. |
| Weeks 7–8 | Wean fully; start crate minutes, car rides, grooming touch; match pups to homes. | Eating solid diets; confident with short new experiences. |
How To Care For Puppies After Birth: Week-By-Week Plan
Use a weekly rhythm. Warmth, milk, hygiene, and records carry the litter through the early weeks. Keep one page for weights and brief notes. Patterns jump out when you log the same way every day.
Week 1: Warmth And Round-The-Clock Nursing
Set the box at 85–90°F with a cooler edge. Newborns can’t hold heat on their own. Let the dam handle most cleaning and stimulation. Step in if a pup gets pushed aside. Weigh once daily at the same time; steady gain is the clearest sign things are on track. Check gums for a healthy pink color.
For deeper background on safe heat and thermoregulation, see the Merck Veterinary Manual neonate guidance.
Week 2: Eyes Open And Gentle Handling
Lower the box temperature a few degrees. Short, calm handling builds resilience. Keep nails short so bellies and teats don’t get scratched. Begin a deworming plan as your clinic advises. Keep weighing daily and rotate smaller pups to the best teats.
Week 3: Toilet Corner And Early Social Time
Set up a tiny potty area at one end of the box. Change bedding often. Pups start to toddle and wag; they’ll begin hearing normal home sounds from a distance. Keep sessions brief and upbeat. Let the dam rest between visits.
Week 4: Start Weaning With Gruel
Offer a shallow dish of soaked puppy kibble with warm water. Let pups step in and lap, then wipe paws and faces. Keep nursing; the dam still supplies antibodies and comfort. Expect messy meals at first. Space meals to allow good naps.
Weeks 5–6: Solid Meals, Short Lessons
Shift to three or four small meals of puppy food. Keep water available in a heavy, tip-resistant bowl. Add tiny lessons: come for a clap, sit for a single treat, gentle brushing, and quiet crate minutes with a chew. Keep things fun and short.
Weeks 7–8: Ready For The Big World
Finish weaning. Book vet visits for core shots as advised. Add short car rides, new floors, a few visitors, and soft sounds at low volume. Protect rest time between sessions. Calm pups learn fast and recover quickly from new experiences.
Feeding, Weaning, And Weight Tracking
Healthy litters nurse every two to three hours in the first week. A sleepy pup that skips feeds needs a gentle wake-up and a warm belly. In large litters, rotate the smallest pups onto the best teats so they aren’t shoved out. Keep sessions quiet so milk lets down.
Use a gram scale. Daily gain matters more than any single number. Many pups nearly double birth weight in the first week. If a pup stalls for a day or drops, call your clinic and offer an extra supervised nursing session. Note any trend, not just a lone reading.
When You Need Bottle Or Tube Feeding
Call your veterinarian before starting. If the dam can’t feed or a pup can’t latch, you’ll need canine milk replacer. Warm the formula to body temperature. Feed slow and steady with the pup on the belly, never on the back. Stop if milk bubbles from the nose. Warmth comes first, feeding second. Keep strict cleaning of bottles and nipples.
Clean Box, Clean Hands, Healthy Litter
Wash hands before handling pups and after cleaning waste. Pick up stool right away and swap wet bedding for dry. This protects pups and people. Keep visitors few in the first weeks and ask them to wash up. See the CDC dog hygiene page for simple steps that lower disease risk at home.
Temperature And Feeding Frequency By Week
Match the box temperature and feed rhythm to age. As pups grow, they handle cooler rooms and longer gaps between meals. Check temperatures with a reliable room thermometer and, if needed, a digital rectal thermometer for a pup that seems off.
| Week | Box Temperature | Nursing/Meals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 85–90°F | Nurse every 2–3 hours |
| 2 | 82–85°F | Nurse every 3 hours |
| 3 | 80–85°F | Nurse every 3–4 hours |
| 4 | 78–82°F | 2–3 gruel meals + nursing |
| 5 | 75–80°F | 3–4 solid meals |
| 6 | 72–78°F | 3–4 solid meals |
| 7–8 | Room temp | 3 meals + water access |
Health Red Flags You Should Act On Fast
Call your vet the same day if you see any of these: nonstop crying, milk from the nose, limp body, pale gums, low or high body temperature, diarrhea, or the dam ignoring a pup. Quick action saves lives. Keep a clinic number posted by the box.
Normal Temperature Ranges
Newborns run cooler than adult dogs. Typical ranges move from mid-90s in week one toward about 99–101°F by week four. A pup that feels cold needs warmth before any feed. If a reading is outside the range and the pup seems dull, call your clinic.
Hydration And Potty Checks
After feeds, the dam should lick to help pups pass urine and stool. If she can’t, gently rub the lower belly and rear with a warm, damp cotton pad. Dehydrated pups have tacky gums and look tucked up. Keep records so you notice changes early.
Helping The Dam Recover And Care Well
Feed the dam a high-quality puppy diet until weaning ends. Offer small, frequent meals and fresh water. Keep the area quiet so she can rest. Check her teats twice a day for heat, pain, or clumps that may signal mastitis. Clip long belly hair so pups can latch easily. Short walks and brief breaks help her reset.
When Mom Needs A Hand
Some dams tire or run short on milk with large litters. Lend a hand by rotating pups, topping up the smallest with milk replacer, and giving the dam short breaks to eat and go out. Keep sessions calm so her milk lets down. Weigh the smallest pups first each day.
Socialization That Fits The Age
From week three onward, add brief, gentle experiences. New textures underfoot. A soft brush. A few novel sounds at low volume. Short visits from adults who can sit quietly. End while pups still feel confident. Keep sessions short and positive.
Common Problems And Fixes After Whelping
Here are frequent snags and what to try before you make the call. If a step fails or a pup worsens, call your clinic without delay.
Pup Feels Cold
Move to a warmer spot in the box. Tuck against the dam or use gentle radiant heat. Recheck in ten minutes, then offer the teat. Feed only when the pup is warm and alert.
Not Latching
Try a hind teat. Express a drop of milk to spark interest. Steady the head and body so the mouth lines up. If no latch after a few tries, offer warmed replacer and call your vet team.
Dam Won’t Let Pups Nurse
Give her a quiet space and a brief walk. Check for pain in the teats or belly. Hand-feed pups while you seek help from your clinic.
Loose Stool
Swap any soiled bedding. Keep pups warm. A single soft stool can pass. Repeated watery stool, blood, or a dull pup needs a same-day call.
Simple Kit For The Whelping Area
Keep these within reach: gram scale, bulb syringe, clean towels, blunt-tip nail scissors, digital thermometer, puppy milk replacer, bottles and nipples, disinfectant safe for pets, and plenty of washable bedding. A small notebook or spreadsheet keeps all the details in one place.
Safety, Hygiene, And People In The House
Set rules for visitors. Wash hands, wear clean clothes, and handle pups while seated. Keep kids supervised. Pick up waste fast and take it outside. Good hygiene keeps both pups and people healthy.
Your Records And When To Call The Vet
Log birth order, weights, any supplements, and notes on each feed. Bring the notebook to every checkup. Call the clinic for weight loss, breathing noise, swollen teats on the dam, or any pup that falls behind the litter. Err on the side of a same-day visit when a pup looks dull.
Where This Guide Fits With Trusted Sources
This plan aligns with veterinary references on neonatal warmth, feeding rhythm, and simple hygiene. Your clinic remains the final stop for case-by-case decisions and timing of deworming and shots.
You’ll see the phrase “how to care for puppies after birth” used in this guide where it helps readers match the topic they searched. You’ll also see it in headings so the steps are easy to scan.