What Is The First Month Of A Puppy’s Life Like?

When we decide to adopt a puppy and he stays in our house, we see that he is  very fragile and vulnerable,  and we don’t know how we should act with him, how we have to feed him or what care we have to give him. On other occasions, we talk about the different stages of the puppy, but this time we will explain how the first month of a puppy’s life is like.

As with human babies or other animals, the first few weeks of a puppy are essential, in addition to basic care you will also have to educate them and teach them good manners from the beginning.

the birth

By the time the litter is born, you will have to pay close attention to the mother and the puppies. In fact, it is a precious moment and although we are there to check everything, it is the mother who takes care of the whole process. She will clean the puppies at the time of their birth, will give them warmth and will feed them.

It is very important that the puppies are not separated from their mother before they are two months  old, because she will be the one in charge of teaching him how to be a dog. But it’s also good for puppies to get used to the human presence.

The environment

It is essential that the mother and her cubs are as comfortable as possible and that they have a good environment. The first three weeks of the litter’s life are very important, so it is necessary to take the pertinent measures so that no inconveniences occur. The place where the puppies are kept should have a humidity of 55% to 65%, this way you can prevent them from dehydrating.

As with humidity, it is also very important that they are in a place with the correct temperature, which should range between approximately 30°C. Make sure the newborns don’t get cold and don’t shiver.

Newborn stages

Within the first month of the puppies’ life, you will have to differentiate several stages, as the dog needs certain care.

First step

The first stage of the month happens  from the moment he is born, until the moment he opens his eyes, when they are newborns, they do not see and also do not hear. This first phase corresponds to the first 10 days. They only sleep and eat, the food must be provided by the mother, if for various reasons the mother is not in charge of raising the puppy, we will be the ones who will have to do it, with the help of a bottle.

The same happens with the faeces, if the mother is raising the baby, she will be in charge of keeping it clean and dry, otherwise it will be you who will have to do this, but remember that you will always have to keep it them cleaned, thus preventing disease.

Second stage

The second stage is from 11 to 21 days, approximately. At the beginning of this phase, the puppy still needs to be fed, but when it reaches 21 days of life, it starts to ingest solid food.

The puppies will already start to awaken their senses, they will see it for the first time and will start to walk. The eyes are usually light in color and will be covered with a light membrane that will fade over time. They will also start to make their first noises, barks,  and their first teeth will start to appear. This phase is very intimate and also very sweet.

third step

This is the last stage that takes place in the first month of our puppy’s life, which goes from 22 to 30 days of life for the puppy. The first teeth have already started to appear, so he already has to receive solid food, in the beginning, to get used to it, it is possible to mix them with milk, so they will be softer and easier to chew.

As when teeth start to show in children, the same thing will happen to our puppy, he will feel crazy to bite everything, so if you don’t want to be without furniture or shoes, don’t forget to remove all objects from the view your puppy and give him some objects so he can bite.

caring for a puppy

In addition to ensuring your puppy’s basic needs, such as feeding, care or cleaning, you should also provide him with other care, such as arranging for the application of vaccines and taking him to the veterinarian regularly  for examination .

A basic thing for any puppy is to ensure that he has  affection and attention, but do not think that this can prevent you from providing him with a good education.