The first few weeks of a puppy's life are crucial

The first few weeks of a puppy's life are crucial to its development. What happens to the puppy during these very important weeks can determine whether a dog will live a normal, healthy life, or be afflicted by illness or behavioral problems.

At birth, the puppy is defenseless. Around 75% of early deaths occur during the first 18 days of life, often due to the ignorance or inexperience of the mother (e.g., neglect or ineffective nursing) or, in some cases, the owners (e.g., excessive handling of puppies, excessive inbreeding). For these reasons, it's a good idea to have both mother and puppies examined by a veterinarian as soon as possible after birth. It's also the best way to get answers to your questions.

The main causes of neonatal mortality in puppies are malnutrition and chilling. Underfeeding can be due to ineffective nursing or lack of milk in the mother, but it can also be due to the puppy's inability to suckle effectively.

Chilling is also a major cause of neonatal mortality. Puppies are unable to adjust their body temperature in the first few days of life. If they become chilled, they are unable to suckle, stop feeding and their mother ceases to care for them. Warming them up restores their sucking reflex and their general condition.

For the owner, being able to distinguish a healthy puppy from a sick one can be very useful and, in some cases, a matter of life and death. A healthy puppy is warm and chubby. He has good muscle tone and skin color. He's calm and sleeps well. A sick puppy, on the other hand, is cold and thin, with an enlarged abdomen, poor muscle tone and skin color, and a tendency to squirm and whine. In such cases, a veterinarian should be consulted immediately.

The first few weeks of life are crucial not only for the puppy's health, but also for its social and psychological development. Puppies acquire their social skills between the fourth and twelfth weeks. It's during this period that he's most receptive to training and socializes to his environment. So, if he's not in contact with humans during this period, he'll have great difficulty adapting to humans later on. Similarly, a puppy that is not in contact with other animals (e.g. siblings) during this period will have great difficulty getting along with other animals for the rest of its life.