Archive for the ‘Puppy Care’ Category

Puppy Care

Thursday, November 29th, 2007

Alda cleaning a pup 

The newborn puppies are weighed daily for the first five days of their lives to ensure they are gaining weight properly. The puppies spend their first three weeks in the wading pool with their mother and littermates to nurse. At 3 weeks of age, they are put on the floor on shredded newspaper. At this time they start eating solid food and are slowly weaned. Each puppy is identified after birth by a shaved area on the shoulder and/or hip; this shaved area is used for identification until the pups are moved to the puppy kennel. They eventually receive permanent identification tattoos in both ears. (From Guide Dogs for the Blind)