Supervising a newborn puppy is a full-time role and it’s vital that you are prepared.
You often hear about the heartbreaking and strait up horror stories about the loss of a pup or even the full litter. Many factors can come into play when these events occur, mostly it can be due to poor education on raising a litter but everything can be situational. One of the most common tragedies is the accidental death of a puppy. Some dams will sit on or lay on their puppies, which suffocates them.
Puppies at birth have the inability to regulate body temperature and rely on their mother for warmth to maintain it. It's important to have a dedicated whelping room that is monitored 24/7 with proper temperature since pups are vulnerable to hypothermia, which can lead to death. Other issues can be the mother dam rejection the pups all together.
Below is a video showing one of our little runaways with two different perspectives. Hypothetically, if no one was monitoring the room, this little one might have suffered complications if mother refused to step in.
Whelping boxes are a great choice with pig rails (also called roll-bars) installed inside it. They protect the puppies from being trapped between the mother and the side of the box. We personally choose to not use them as our girl gets too stressed and uncomfortable, not to mention the box is insanely huge needed for her size! We decided that she gets a whole room to herself, she deserves it.
Is it okay to leave newborn puppies alone with their mom?
Honestly? The responsible way is to NEVER leave newborn puppies alone with the dam. There are many reasons why it’s best to supervise the dam and her litter at all times. Inexperienced dams can quickly become overwhelmed by the new litter and not being present might cause you to miss signs of rejection. Your dam can suddenly fall ill and might need veterinary assistance. A puppy could be squashed or suffocated in a few seconds. Raising the litter properly involves huge amounts of effort from all parties, and you must be prepared to give the litter your full, undivided attention for the next four weeks. You should move your bed into the same room as the whelping area/box and sleep beside it during this time.
Do newborn puppies need supervision?
Newborn puppies need constant supervision!
Not only can they not hear, see, or walk, but they also can’t defend themselves if anything happens to them. Supervising a newborn puppy is the only way to prevent life-threatening accidents and injuries. Puppies can be easily squashed or suffocated if they become trapped under the dam. You will also need to monitor the litter closely to make sure that the individual pups aren’t being rejected by the dam. The dam may single out one pup and reject it entirely.
We always take care of moving the pups to the "puppy love bucket" when mamma has to leave her nest for a poo or pee. This prevents any accidents that can be caused by her from rushing in and crushing a pup. A heating pad helps to keep them warm and safe from any harm.
Newborn puppy supervision is a full-time role and you must be there every step of the way.
Comments