A mother dog should be caring for her puppies from the moment that they are born. However, sometimes mother dogs need some help and encouragement in order to feed their puppies enough.
Instructions
1. Take inventory: After the puppies have all been born, and you have taken an inventory of how many girls and boys, place all of the puppies close to the mother, and put their faces to the nipples. They will be able to smell the milk and should begin to nurse.
2. Let the mother dog have some time with them. Sometimes she will still be cleaning up after the birth. Don't stop her from doing so because the things she is eating are very important for her to get the right nutrients to feed her babies.
3. Change the towels or blankets in her birthing box after she's finished. This will make her more capable of concentrating on the puppies.
Her Area
4. Make sure the mother has a quiet place where she can go with her puppies to feed them. This should be a place that is not too hot or too cold. It should also be a place that the mother is comfortable in. This will encourage her to feed her babies more often.
5. Keep her close, if necessary. If the mother doesn't want to be away from you, be prepared to move her nursing box into your bedroom, your office, or even your living room. Some mothers like to be near to their owners.
6. Re-focus the mother dog. If you notice that the mother is spending a lot of time outside of the box, take her and gently put her in the box. You might need to do this several times a day so that she nurses enough.
Growing Up
7. Watch them feed. As the puppies grow, make sure that you are watching them nurse. As long as you see that they are all nursing, you don't have anything to worry about.
8. Pay attention to the runt. If one puppy does not grow as big as the others, or seems weak, take the time to put that puppy directly on a nipple several times a day. You might have to pull the biggest and fattest puppies off of the nipple so that there is room for the smallest. Don't remove the puppies from the box, however, as this might agitate the mother.
9. Keep a careful eye on the puppies and make sure that they are gaining weight.
10. Make sure the mother always has access to her puppies. As the puppies get older, the mother will not spend as much time with them. Make sure that she continues to feed them.
11. Supplement: When the puppies begin to play and explore the areas out side of the box, you can start to supplement their diet with puppy milk and, later, with canned or wet food. As soon as they can leave the box, they will be ready for puppy milk. When they have teeth, they will be ready to try some canned food.
12. Gradually increase the amount of puppy food you are feeding them, and the number of times that you do it per day. As you do this, the mother dog will gradually decrease the amount of times she is letting them feed on her.
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