Colton is 10 days old here–SQUEEE! He’s still in the “neonatal” period of puppy-hood which is birth to two weeks. Image Copr. Sapphire Dream Photography via Flickr
What better time to revisit new puppy care and info (not to mention SQUEEE! cute pix!) than the New Year. Some of y’all know that I also write lots of puppy-licious content as the Puppies Guide site owner, and so I wanted to share some of the most popular articles.
Not surprisingly, puppy development information is very popular. What can you expect when you adopted a new baby dog, especially if you must hand-raise the puppy orphan? At what age does the little guy’s eyes open? It’s sooooo cute to see those pictures of “puppy piles” when the whole litter lounges atop each other–but did you realize they HAVE to do that or could die of hypothermia? That’s because a newborn puppy has no internal body temperature control, so the mass warmth of siblings (and mom-dog) keeps him warm.
Image Copr. K. Ruttiman via Flickr
If he’s blind and deaf at birth, how does the baby find his way around? The nose knows! In fact, puppies tend to return time after time to the same nipple at the “milk bar” drawn back by scent. 
What’s the best age to adopt the new puppy? Well there’s some argument about that between dog breeders and behavior consultants. Some breeders want the pup to go as soon as possible–once the little guy can eat solid food–to help promote bonding between the puppy and new owners. Others (myself included) recommend rehoming a bit later so the puppy has a chance to learn important dog manners from siblings and mom-dog. Learn more about newborn puppy development in the first three months in this article.
How hold was your dog when you adopted him? Have you ever needed to hand-raise a puppy? What do you think is the best age to adopt–and why? Please share!
Amy Shojai is a certified animal behavior consultant, vet tech and author of dozens of pet care books. She blogs about cats, dogs, THRILLERS WITH BITE and shiny objects at her BLING, BITCHES & BLOOD blog. You can find out more about her 26 award-winning pet care books at www.SHOJAI.com where you can subscribe to her quarterly Pet Peeves newsletter to stay up to date on pet-centric information. For a daily dose of Amy, follow her on and connect on
All content © 2013 Amy Shojai unless otherwise credited.
