Newborn puppy care can be a demanding task, but one that you surely won’t mind as the rewards are so great! You must remember that your puppy is like a baby, you must be patient and gentle with her and always treat her with kindness no matter how exasperating she can be! And like a baby, your puppy has special needs in her diet and grooming as well as training.
One of the most important aspects of newborn puppy care is to realize that a newborn puppy needs special food. Once he is weaned from his mother, he can start to eat dog food and by the time you buy him from the breeder he will be used to eating a certain brand. Find out what that brand is and make sure you start off feeding him the same food he is used to. Even if you want to switch to another brand, you must do this gradually as any sudden changes in food will be upsetting to his digestive system. Puppies have different nutritional requirements than adult dogs so you must feed him a specially formulated puppy food that is high in protein and calcium You can check with your vet to find out what brand he or she thinks is the best for your type of dog.
Newborn puppy care can be expensive – if you have bought a dog that will grow to be very big, you may need to buy smaller version of everything and then buy the larger sized versions when he is grown. You may be able to buy a full size crate and section it off so it seems smaller with special panels, but the bowls, toys and bed need to be the right size for your puppy. Make sure you get your puppy on a feeding schedule and that he has plenty of water at all times – no matter how many times he knocks the bowl over!
Basic grooming also has a place in your newborn puppy care routine. Even if your dog doesn’t yet need a hair cut, this is the time to get him used to brushing and bathing. Be gently but firm and reward him when he does good – this way when he is grown he will look forward to his grooming and that will be a lot easier on both of you! Also, be sure that your puppy is cared for properly so that he has no external parasites like fleas. Be sure to use specially formulated puppy shampoos and brushes when he is little. Include nail clipping in the grooming routine – be very careful not to cut too close to the vein or this will hurt the dog and he will be quite reluctant to submit to clipping in the future.
And the most vital part of newborn puppy care is to get your pet to a veterinarian and follow all recommended procedures and make sure he gets all the necessary vaccinations and other medications on time.