Newborn puppies grow so quickly in their first few weeks as they develop from a tiny, sleepy puppy to a lively pup. By the end of this stage of puppy development they should be weaned and less dependent on their mother and interested in everything around them.

Here we'll go through all the milestones and your puppy will go through in the first two months of their life.

Your Puppy at 1 - 2 Weeks

Small breed, new-born puppies weigh around 75-150g at birth with larger breeds weighing in at 250-350g. Whatever their breed, you can expect your puppy to double their weight in the first week of life. At this stage, puppies will be very dependent on their mums for food and warmth and will spend most of their time sleeping and feeding. Their mothers will lick their bottoms to stimulate the puppies to wee and poo.

Newborn pups don’t have strong immune systems and need colostrum from their mothers. Colostrum is the first milk produced in the 48 hours after birth which provides them with their mother’s antibodies. This gives the puppies protection from various infectious diseases.

It's important to make sure that the mother has had all the necessary vaccinations so that her puppies are protected. The mother should also be protected from worms. Puppies should start worm treatment at 2 weeks and continue to be wormed every 2 weeks until they are 12 weeks old.

Puppies get all the nutrition they need from their mother but should be weighed regularly to make sure that they're getting enough milk. An early vet health check for the pups and the mother is recommended.

A newborn may still have some of their umbilical cord attached to their tummy, but this will soon dry out and fall off. To determine if your puppy is male or female, check the area below the tummy button – male pups will have a visible prepuce (the sheath of the penis).

At this stage the puppies will only be able to crawl on their tummies as they're unable to support their weight. They’re born blind and deaf (eyes and ears will be closed). After about 10-14 days, their eyes will start to open. The eyes will be bluish in colour and their eyesight will be hazy.

The sensitive period for puppy socialisation starts at 2 weeks. This is when puppies are most responsive to learning and forming positive associations and bonds with humans or other animals. Puppies should now be becoming used to being gently handled.

Your Puppy at 3 - 4 Weeks

Puppies will continue to grow well during weeks 3 and 4. They start to wee and poo on their own and will be able to control their body temperature so they’re slightly less dependent on mum.

Their baby teeth start to come through (and they may want to chew things). As you can imagine, mum will become less interested in nursing them now that they have their puppy teeth. So, it’s a good time to start introducing small amounts of solid food, but it must be specifically designed for weaning, preferably wet food or dry food softened in water.

From 3 weeks puppies will begin to hear, see and become more mobile. They start to learn how to interact with their mother, siblings and people. They begin to vocalise and wag their tail to communicate!

Puppies will begin to walk away from their nest area to go to the toilet on their own, so a designated area for this should be set up away from their crate or bed. Some newspaper, cardboard, artificial turf or toileting mat will do the trick.

Your Puppy at 5 - 7 Weeks

At this stage, the puppies will still be feeding from their mums but will also be eating solid food 4-6 times a day so are on their way to being weaned. A good quality diet will provide the recommended nutritional and energy requirements for optimal development.

Puppies usually prefer wet food or softened dry food. Fresh water should be available to them all the time. While early socialisation can begin at 2 weeks, the period from weeks 4-7 is known as the first socialisation window. The puppies will still be with their mother and siblings but are rapidly learning about the world around them and finding their independence.

They will begin to bark and growl as they play with their littermates. The breeder should start introducing the puppies to as many new things and situations as possible. Their interactions with other people, other animals, household objects and noises at this stage are very important. They should all be positive experiences so that they grow into confident adult dogs able to deal with any new situations.

Your Puppy at 8 Weeks

Puppies are now weaned from their mothers and become more independent by the day, ready to explore and investigate the world. At this stage they’re now very active and will enjoy lots of rough and tumble with their litter mates. Weeks 7-8 is also the first fear period when they can become wary and fearful of new things, so it's important to not skip the earlier socialisation window to ensure the puppies are happy and confident.

The immunity they received from their mothers will have started to decline so now is the time for your puppy's vaccinations. They’re usually vaccinated against canine distemper, canine herpesvirus, canine parvovirus, parainfluenza and leptospirosis. Dogs must also be microchipped and registered by 8 weeks of age.

This is the time when puppies may leave their mothers and siblings and find new homes - an emotional and exciting time! Good breeders will allow potential owners to visit the puppies and their mother (and ideally father) in their home so you can see the puppy interacting with others before you choose. You can also ask the breeder any questions you may have (vaccinations, worming, feeding times, etc).

The first 8 weeks are very important in a puppy’s life. While the pups will learn a lot from their mums, a good breeder will ensure that they’ve had a good start in life and lay the foundations so that they’ll become healthy, friendly and well-behaved dogs in the future.

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Content reviewed by Vetstream Canis - https://www.vetlexicon.com/treat/canis

Vetstream’s Vetlexicon is the world’s largest peer-reviewed online clinical reference source. All our content is written and peer-reviewed by over 1,000 of the world’s leading veterinarians, ensuring relevance, accuracy and quality.