Animals Pets How to Take Care of Newborn Puppies Puppies are born blind and mostly deaf, so they rely on you to meet their needs. By Mary Jo DiLonardo Mary Jo DiLonardo Senior Writer University of Cincinnati Mary Jo DiLonardo has worked in print, online, and broadcast journalism for 25 years and covers nature, health, science, and animals. Learn about our editorial process Updated August 4, 2022 www.photo-chick.com / Getty Images Animals Wildlife Pets Animal Rights Endangered Species In This Article Expand Newborn Puppies How to Feed a Newborn Puppy Bottle-Feeding Newborn Puppies Keeping Newborn Puppies Warm How Often Do Newborn Puppies Poop? Frequently Asked Questions Why Trust Treehugger? If you have newborn puppies either in your home or on the way, you're likely "nesting," getting ready for the tiny, squeaking balls of fur. Where will they sleep? How often will they eat? Will they need blankets? How will you know if they're healthy? This article provides you with important care tips, including feeding, waste management, and much more. Why Pets Matters to Treehugger At Treehugger, we are advocates of animal welfare, including our pets and other domestic animals. We hope our readers will adopt rescue pets instead of shopping from breeders or pet stores, and will also consider supporting local animal shelters. Newborn Puppies Dogs are pregnant for about nine weeks, so that's how long puppies have to develop inside their mothers. When they're born, they still have a lot of work to do. In the sense of development, "a newborn puppy is not unlike a premature child," Dr. Margret Casal, associate professor of medical genetics at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine, explains to PetMD. Puppies are born blind and mostly deaf and without any teeth. But even though they can't see or hear very well, they can make noise. They make mewling, little sounds. Newborn puppies will open their eyes usually between 10-14 days old. Their eyes are a bluish-gray, hazy color and they can't see very well at first. A puppy's vision will gradually improve, and his eyes will turn their true color between 8-10 weeks of age. How to Feed a Newborn Puppy A mother dog's milk gives puppies everything they need for the first four weeks of their lives. Although newborn puppies can't walk, they scoot around on their bellies and instinctively find their mother's milk. Puppies usually nurse every couple of hours and sleep the rest of the time. To make sure puppies are getting enough milk, check them every few hours to make sure they are warm and nursing. If any puppies are crying or seem cold, VCA Hospitals recommends putting them on the mother's back teats because they have the most milk. Also check often to make sure they aren't being pushed away by other puppies. You also can weigh newborn puppies every few days to make sure they are gaining weight. Use a kitchen scale when they are tiny. It depends on the breed, but most puppies should double their birth weight in the first week, according to VCA Hospitals. Bottle-Feeding Newborn Puppies DianaHirsch / Getty Images If something has happened to the mother, raising orphaned puppies can be very heart-warming, but also difficult to do. The puppies must be fed every couple of hours. If you've never done it before, work with your veterinarian or a rescue group that specializes in puppies for advice. You'll feed newborn puppies milk replacement formula that is made just for puppies. Prepare the formula as directed on the package and use the guidelines suggesting how much to give the puppy. Generally, it's 1 cc of formula for every ounce of body weight, according to Best Friends Animal Society. Warning Don't feed cow's milk to puppies. It does not have the same nutrients as dog's milk and does not have enough calories, calcium, or phosphorus for growing puppies. Feed the puppy with a bottle or syringe, slowly offering milk while the puppy is on his stomach. Don't feed him on his back or he could get milk in his lungs. Be careful not to feed him quickly, which could cause choking. Burp the puppy at the end of each feeding by putting him on your shoulder and slowly rubbing his back until he releases air. For step-by-step tips, visit Best Friends for newborn puppy feeding and care instructions. How to Keep Newborn Puppies Warm Newborn puppies like to snuggle for warmth. Anita Kot / Getty Images It's very important that the puppies stay in a warm room. If they are with their mother, they will try to stay snuggled up with her and rely on her body heat and each other to stay warm. They can't regulate their own body temperature, so they depend on outside sources for warmth. Have you ever seen a pile of puppies? They like to snuggle for the warmth and comfort. When the mother leaves to go outside or just get a break, it's important that they have another source for heat. You can either keep the room warm or put a heat lamp over the area where the puppies are being kept. VCA suggests that the temperature be around 85 to 90 degrees F (29.5 to 32 degrees C) for the first few days. After that, it can be lowered to about 80 degrees F (26.7 degrees C) by the end of the first week or so to about 72 degrees F (22.2 degrees C) by the end of the fourth week. How Often Do Newborn Puppies Poop? Newborn puppies need help to go to the bathroom. Their mother does this by licking them, which stimulates them to urinate and defecate. If the puppies are orphaned, you can help them by dipping a washcloth or cotton ball in warm water, then gently massaging their bottoms after feeding. It's very important that you do this because puppies can't do this without help until they are about 3 or 4 weeks old. You no doubt will be wondering when newborn puppies can go outside to the bathroom and play. Puppies need a lot of upbeat interaction with other dogs—especially during the key socialization period when they're between 9 and 14 weeks. But they are also susceptible to illnesses before they are fully vaccinated, which usually isn't until they are around 16 weeks old. Your vet likely will say it's okay for your puppy to be outdoors in your own yard as long as you haven't had a lot of other dogs around. But you'll want to carry your puppy when going for walks or going in and out of the vet's office until he's had all his shots. Frequently Asked Questions Should you touch a newborn puppy? Unless a puppy is orphaned, you should avoid touching it for the first three weeks. Because they can't yet maintain their body temperatures, it's important that they stay near their mother and siblings for heat. Handling them could take them away from their heat source, which can be dangerous. You can generally begin petting and handling them after three weeks. What is a whelping box? A whelping box is a nesting box designed to protect a dam (dog mother) and her puppies during and after birth. The box protects the puppies from the cold and is meant to help keep them from being smothered or crushed by their mother. Should you leave newborn puppies alone with their mother? You should supervise a mother dog with her newborn puppies to make sure she isn't neglectful or aggressive toward them. You should also keep an eye so that no puppies get accidentally trapped under her, which could suffocate them. How do you know when newborn puppies are cold? It's normal for newborn puppies to huddle close together or pile on top of each other for warmth. If a puppy is crying, it could be a sign that it's too cold. Orphaned puppies, especially, need extra care because they don't have the heat source of their mother or siblings. If the puppies are spread out around the whelping box, they're probably too hot. Why Trust Treehugger? Author Mary Jo DiLonardo has become an expert at caring for pets after fostering over 30 dogs and puppies, including many special needs puppies. For more than 25 years, she has covered a wide range of topics focused on the environment, animals, science and anything that helps make the world a better place.