Puppy development stage: Neonatal Period

I have several “second puppies” in both litters as well as “first Liberty Labradoodle” owners. I like to explain development as we go to my puppy owners so they know what is going on during the 8 weeks they are growing here.

Both the litters are in the neonatal period which runs about 10-13 days. They are considered “whelp” (think newborn) until they have their eyes and ears open. At this stage, the puppies just have a keen sense of smell. Eyes will open starting around the 10th day, but they don’t see well, they gradually see. Then their ears will open. It is so funny when they hear their voice for the first time! But I am getting ahead of myself. I tried to record that time as a video snippet. I have my favorite times or ah hah moments that they go through. Hearing for the first time, first one to use the whelp box “door” and escape, first time on grass, first time going up a hill with a bunny hop, first time making it up steps,first time going through the tunnel, lots of little firsts.

At this stage they have to stay warm in order to process their milk at the milk bar. Mom has to clean them in order for them to eliminate. The puppies at this stage don’t hold heat very well so they huddle and mom covers them in an effort to keep them warm. That is why we have a heat lamp above them at this stage.

They grow so quickly; at this stage you don’t see their coat wave and they have short muzzles that will get a bit longer over time. Their ears seem stuck together and eyes are closed very tight. But aren’t their paws and puppy nails cute?

Both our moms have shifted roles as first time mothers. They go from loving doodles to concentrated, faithful “attention to everything puppy’ mode. They are on alert while their puppies sleep. They come to visit us on the couch or in the bedroom but then dart back to their whelp if they hear a peep. If people come to the door they both stand up and are on alert. We discourage visitors at this point. It is best to keep the house warm, calm and let the moms recover, rest, feed and repeat.

Here Millie, done with whelping has her head resting through the puppy door in the whelp box.

(We added the door to help the puppies learn about going out to go potty at a very early age. And they do!)

Even at this early stage we try to handle them daily to get them use to people. Studies have shown puppies not handled react with agitation from the human touch. We stroke them and massage their tummy. We will introduce some mild stress later during the second week. But again, more on that later.

The time from when eyes start to open to ears is then called the transitional period. Where the whelp starts the transition to a puppy. But we will cover that as we go.

No matter how many litters we have had (usually 3 to 4 a year) the development amazes me. Think of it. In two months they are fully developed puppies ready to leave the nest. Amazing.