While our newborn puppies spend 90 percent of their time sleeping, our mother’s instincts tell her to keep them huddled together for warmth as they put all their energies into gaining weight gradually getting stronger every day.  We keep a heating pad in each whelping area for all of our puppies to keep them warm at all times.  Although the puppies can’t see or hear, their senses of smell and touch guide them to mom’s nipples. During the first few days, her milk will provide them with antibodies that will help them survive for 6 to 10 weeks. She also licks their tummies and genitals to help them urinate and defecate.  I sometimes supplement puppies to make sure that everyone is getting enough to eat during the first week until all puppies refuse any supplemental feedings.  This is a busy time for me as I carefully look after our dogs and their puppies.

By the end of their first week, our pups are beginning to change.  Front legs are able to support their weight making it easier to seek out mom and the next milk feed.  At this stage, our puppies still can’t hear, but they begin to sense vibrations.  A tiny newborn’s legs are so weak they can barely wriggle their way to the nearby nipple and the comfort of their siblings.  During sleep, puppies are developing the use of their legs.  I also pick up each puppy several times a day. This early, gentle human touch will help our puppies bond with people later on.

English Cream Miniature Dachshunds will begin to lose their pink noses at around 7 days old and start to develop the darker pigmentation they have in later life.  At around ten days old, our pups will start to open their eyes.  The world around them will be fuzzy to begin with but their sight will soon improve and help them discover their world.

During the third week, your puppy’s senses open up. They can detect light, dark, and movement and begin to respond to sudden or loud sounds. As they paw and mouth their littermates, they build early social skills. They can relieve themselves on their own now. Although they are not ready to wean, we introduce them to a taste of puppy gruel. By the end of the week, your puppy can crawl, and their tail begins to wag.  Our puppies’ front and back legs are now much stronger and fully able to support their bodies.  Increasingly, they’re exploring their world.   Play begins with their siblings, and they begin to investigate and explore. They are less reliant on their mom now no longer needing to seek her out to keep warm.  We lower the temperature setting on our heating pads at this time as well.  This week, their sharp puppy teeth start to come through; it also means it’s time to begin weaning

Weeks 4 and 5

Quickly gaining strength and coordination, our puppies begin to respond to their environment. They can bark, stand, walk, run, and even pounce. Their mother teaches them to eliminate away from their sleeping area.

They learn to play by wrestling with their littermates. When they’re nipped too hard or are batted back by a defensive sibling, they learn the difference between hard and soft biting. At this point, puppies are forever testing their limits and take turns sleeping at the top and bottom of the sibling pile. Hunting and chasing instincts kick in, so this is a good time to introduce your pup to toys.

The mother dog referees when playtime gets too rough. She may nudge or restrain an errant pup, or she may growl at them, teaching the puppy discipline and acclimating them to the process of training. If they’re not properly socialized, they may have a hard time relating to people and to other dogs, as well.

Our puppies’ senses are now all fully developed. With help and guidance from their mom they are learning through play but this is also a good time to start to introduce new things to the pups.  Experiencing new sounds and being handled will help our puppies feel familiar and confident with experiences they come across in later life.

Periods of socialization need to be positive and appropriate for the age of the puppies to avoid negative experiences or the puppy getting frightened.

Toward the end of this period, it’s time for me to become more involved with our young puppies.  This familiarizes them with the everyday smells and sounds of a modern household, including appliances and assorted adults.

Since they are cutting their first teeth, their mother begins to wean them, and we start feeding them puppy gruel several times a day as well as offering dry puppy kibble.

At this point, the puppy’s muzzle will lengthen, and they’ll begin to look more like an English Cream Miniature Dachshund; their emotions will become apparent, too.  They’ll whine to show fear, whimper when hurt, and bark when they’re excited or want attention.

At this age, the mother is weaning her puppies now, since they have teeth and can eat solid food. She is affectionate and playful with them, teasing them with toys and showing them when to bite and when not to. She lets them know she’s the dominant dog and corrects them sharply if they misbehave.  During week 6 per our veterinarian’s recommendation, we start separating the mommy from her puppies during the day to keep them from nursing and giving mommy a much needed break during the days.  We bring her back to our “Dream Crème” Puppy Nursery at night to nurse during week 6 to help her slowly start producing less milk.  By the middle to end of week 7, our puppies are completely independent from their mothers and getting prepared for their forever families.

Your puppy’s appetite for exploring their environment and learning new things will benefit tremendously as we introduce and give a variety of simple toys to investigate at this stage. They begin to play rough and tumble with their littermates, stealing and sharing toys. By this point, our puppies are spending a short time each day alone with me, playing gently and learning to relate one-on-one in a safe, trusting environment. Our puppies are still ready to explore their world but from six weeks they are already becoming more reserved about new experiences. Socializing is still every bit as vital to ensuring our puppies have positive experiences around new and unfamiliar things, but getting appropriate socialization to build up those good associations remains vital to giving our puppies the best start in life.

There are few things more magical than watching a puppy grow. If you’re really in on all the action from day one, you’ll watch in awe as they open their eyes, carefully (and sometimes not so carefully), explore the environment around them with their nose, and gradually grow into beautiful, healthy, puppies with great temperaments.

By this age, your puppy can remember which behaviors they are allowed and eat and drink freely from their food and water bowls whenever they like.  We start working on potty pad training more now that they are soon going to their new homes and continue to bath, groom, trim their nails, and brush their teeth, so they are used to this when they are ready to leave their littermates to go home with our new Crème of the Crop Families fully capable of taking their place in the family.

I pray that your find this information interesting and informative as you watch our Crème of the Crop Dachshunds’ babies thrive and grow in our innovative, interactive, stimulating (both mentally and physically), safe, warm, comfortable, loving, and nurturing “Dream Crème” Puppy Nursery that we have designed to give comfort and security to both our mommies and puppies as well as giving our puppies the best possible start in life!