Care of Young Puppies

ONE element which enters into modern breeding of which we have made no mention, is the changed environment which domesticity brings with it. The dog is no longer a wild creature, and the changes which come with his altered way of living may well enter into and interfere with nature’s plans. Even when breeding under ideal conditions, your predictions will sometimes miscarry.

In carefully thought-out matings there are two factors to keep in mind at all times. The first is that the pedigrees of the sire and dam must be suitable. The second is the health of both dog and bitch at the time of mating, and the health of the bitch all through her pregnancy.

A well-formed litter cannot be expected if this very important group of factors is overlooked. The physical condition of the puppies at the time of weaning will depend en¬tirely upon your care and feeding of their dam. This, of course, does not take into consideration the chance of accidents or infection.

Immediately following their birth until the time of weaning, the puppies are fed on the milk of either their mother or their foster mother. If this milk is not present in the necessary quantity, and does not supply them with the needed food elements, their health will suffer.

When it meets these requirements, mother’s milk is the ideal food for all young animals, and the milk of a bitch properly fed and cared for will give the best possible results with the puppies.

A comparison of bitch’s and cow’s milk has already been made. This difference meets the requirements of their young. It takes a calf forty-seven days to double its weight, while a puppy does so in nine days provided the bitch is fed in such a way that she is able to supply the necessary nourishment. This means not only the nour¬ishment to keep the puppy fat, but also to supply the bone-building foods and minerals which will go into form¬ing his skeleton.

The mating may have been designed to produce a heavy-boned specimen, but if the dam is not fed in such a fashion that she will be able to supply the calcium necessary to build this heavy bone struc¬ture, all the work and thought will have been wasted and the resulting puppies will be a disappointment.

It sometimes happens that the dam is unable to feed the puppies. This may result from various reasons, and when it does, the logical answer to the problem is a foster mother. Bottle feeding always entails a lot of extra work, and at the best is unsatisfactory. Nevertheless, it is sometimes a very important link in carrying the puppies over from the time their dam is unable to feed them until a foster mother may be obtained.

A supply of milk powder should be in your possession. When bottle feeding becomes necessary, this powder may be used when mixed according to directions on the package. The same care must be taken as when mixing Junior’s formula. If no milk powder is available, con¬densed cow’s milk may be substituted. This should be diluted with about one part of boiled water to two parts of milk.

Any small bottle which may be sterilized can be used, provided the neck is the right size to fit a rubber nipple. An ordinary baby’s nipple is all that is necessary, but be sure it is made of heavy rubber.

The light ones draw together and give much more trouble when feeding the puppy. When more than one puppy is to be fed, a bottle large enough to hold food for them all may be used. The nipple should be scalded between pups, and the milk must be kept at the right body temperature.

For the first week puppies should be fed once every two hours; the time may be lengthened to once every four hours by the end of the second week. The amount to be given at each feeding varies according to the breed. Toys should receive about one-half teaspoonful, terriers and spaniels about one teaspoonful, collies and setters two teaspoonfuls, and the larger breeds three.

During the time the puppies are being bottle-fed they must be kept in a warm box near a fire, or in a box with a hot-water bottle. They must be cleaned several times a day. Since the dam is not with them, that is a job the breeder must undertake with absorbent cotton. If a mild antiseptic is used, the puppies must be thoroughly dried. Raising a family of youngsters on the bottle is a lot of work, in fact, it is a full-time job, and it does not pay a very high rate of dividends.