Your German Shepherd Puppy Month By Month

Contents at a Glance

Months 1 & 2 The Littermate

Your puppy is born! She grows quickly during these first 2 months. She can smell and taste right away, and she can see and hear by week 3. Her mother provides most of her care, and her mother and littermates are her first teachers.

Month 3 Your Puppy Comes Home

You choose your puppy this month! This chapter explains what to expect when he comes home, including his first visit to the vet and his sleeping routines. You also begin crate and housetraining this month.

Month 4 The Social Shepherd

Teething begins in month 4, so watch out! You also begin to socialize your pup, introducing her to lots of different people and puppies. She also begins to learn obedience skills as well as the importance of playtime.

Month 5 The Student

In this chapter, we share the pros and cons of spaying and neutering. During this time, your pup’s coat changes from a puppy coat to an adult coat. You also learn to establish some household rules during this time.

Month 6 A Busy Brain

We study your pup’s senses and ways to work with them this month and look at health challenges you might encounter. Obedience training continues this month, and we share advice for dealing with common behavior problems.

Month 7 Your Tween

Puberty happens, even in your dog, so we look at how to deal with it this month. His adult teeth are in—so beware chewing! Vaccinations should be complete by this time, too. Training and exercise remain important, as is emergency first aid.

Month 8 Your Teenage Puppy

Adolescence is a challenge, but there are ways to make it better. You might notice your pup’s coat color changing this month—that’s normal. It’s important to challenge your teenager with training—and reward with praise, treats, and chews!

Month 9 In Search of a Leader

Adolescents can be bold yet cautious, and we give you tips for dealing with this behavior in this chapter. We also look at how adult dogs demonstrate leadership and how you can be a leader for your puppy.

Month 10 Ready for Work

This chapter covers a variety of topics, from comparing your puppy to the breed standard, to symptoms of common injuries, to finding a job for your teenager, to dealing with separation anxiety.

Month 11 Your Brilliant Puppy

Speed and coordination start to appear this month. We look at some ways to plan for potential disasters and offer tips for traveling with your dog. You also polish his training skills in this month and teach him some fun tricks.

Month 12 (and Beyond) Approaching Adulthood

We wrap up this month with advice on sizes and weights, common ailments she might face, changes you’ll see as adulthood approaches, your changing relationship with your pooch, and more.

Appendixes

A        Glossary

B        Body Condition Assessment

C        Poisonous Plants

D        Household and Yard Hazards

E        Resources

           Index

Contents

Months 1 & 2: The Littermate

Physical Development

From Birth Through Day 14

Days 15 Through 28

Days 29 Through 42

Days 43 Through 60

Health

The Mother Dog’s Care

Breeder Vigilance

Nutrition

Mother’s Milk

Supplementation

Weaning

Grooming

Social Skills

Behavior

The Importance of Mom’s Teaching

Littermates Teach, Too

Month 3: Your Puppy Comes Home

Preparing for Your Puppy

Puppy-Proof Your House

Puppy-Proof the Yard

Your Pup’s Professional Staff

Choosing Your Puppy

Where to Find a Puppy

What Is Important to You?

Let the Breeder Help You

What Age Is Best?

Physical Development

Health

The Breeder’s Health Records

The First Visit to the Vet

Vaccinations and Vaccination Schedule

Internal Parasites

Nutrition

Food from the Breeder

Feeding Practices

Water

Grooming

Social Skills

Socialization Basics

Your Puppy and Children

Behavior

Sleeping Routines

Curiosity

He’s Biting!

Training

Training Techniques

Crate Training Your Puppy

Prioritize Housetraining

Housetraining Accidents

You and Your Puppy

What to Expect

Be a Parent

The Benefits of Organization

Month 4: The Social Shepherd

Physical Development

Teething Begins

Those Floppy Ears

Health

Recognizing Signs of Health Problems

Dealing with Fleas

Taking Care of Ticks

Nutrition

Appetite and Growth Spurts

The Basics of Nutrition

Eating Disorders

Grooming

Grooming Your German Shepherd Puppy

Establishing a Grooming Schedule

Social Skills

Introducing Other Puppies and Dogs

Meeting All Kinds of People

Introducing One New Thing Every Day

Behavior

You and Your Shadow

Bravado and Fear

Vocal Discovery

Training

Collar Touch

Puppy Classes

Housetraining Problems

Using the Leash Outside

Teaching the Sit

Teaching the Stay

Teaching Watch Me

The First Come Technique

The Second Come Technique

Teaching No Pull

You and Your Puppy

Month 5: The Student

Physical Development

Teething Continues

Now, About That Tail…

Health

Deciding to Spay or Neuter

Heartworm and Preventatives

Nutrition

The Dog-Food Industry

A Quick Look at Commercial Foods

Homemade Foods

Grooming

All About the Coat

Brushing Your German Shepherd Puppy

Cleaning His Ears

Social Skills

The Jolly Routine

Understanding Your Puppy’s Body Language

Working on Social Skills with Kids

Behavior

Understanding the German Shepherd Mind

Oh, No, He’s Bored!

Talk to the Paw

Behavior Myths Debunked

Bad Behaviors Are Not Outgrown

Training

Household Rules

Teaching Down and Stay

Playing a Scenting Game

Talking to Your Puppy

Dealing with Mistakes

You and Your Puppy

Understanding His Prey Drive

Giving Your Puppy Some Alone Time

Food-Dispensing Toys

Protecting Your Puppy

Month 6: A Busy Brain

Physical Development

The Eyes and Vision

The Ears and Hearing

The Nose and Smell

Health

German Shepherd Health Challenges

Dealing with Mange and Mites

Combating Dangerous Insects

A Word on Joint Supplements

Nutrition

Overfeeding—Don’t Do It

The Finicky Eater

Creating a Good Eater

Grooming

Shedding and Your Puppy

Dealing with Hair in the House

Social Skills

Living with Humans

Correcting Unsocial Behavior

Behavior

Playing Too Roughly

Jumping on People

Digging in the Yard

Dashing Out Open Doors

Barking Barking Barking Barking Barking

Stopping Chasing and Nipping

Using Your Schedule

Don’t Be the Problem

Training

Enrolling in Basic Obedience Class

Going It Alone or with Help?

Training Tips

You and Your Puppy

The Frenzies

Enjoying Quiet Time

Month 7: Your Tween

Physical Development

Female Sexual Maturity

Male Sexual Maturity

Health

Debunking Health Myths

Recognizing an Emergency

Calm, Assess, Call, and CPR

Enrolling in a Pet First-Aid Class

Creating a First-Aid Kit

Nutrition

Who’s in Charge of Pet Foods?

What’s on a Label?

Choosing the Best Food for Your Puppy

Grooming

Cleaning Those Pearly Whites

Dealing with Tangles and Matts

Social Skills

Making a Good Impression

Introducing a New Animal

Behavior

Dealing with Protection and Aggression

Redirecting a Protective Puppy

Controlling an Alarm Bark

Training

Practicing His Skills Often

Teaching Cooperation, Not Confrontation

Introducing Stairs

You and Your Puppy

Exercise Is Becoming More Important

Playing Tug-of-War

Varying His Toys

Entertaining Your Pup with Simple Toys

Month 8: Your Teenage Puppy

Behavior

Understanding Puppy Adolescence

Bite-Inhibition Lessens

Dealing with Leg-Lifting

Resource Guarding

Surviving Adolescence

Physical Development

Health

Growing Pains

Changing Sleep Habits

Nutrition

Training with Treats

Feeding Chew Treats

Preventing Begging

Grooming

Rub-a-Dub-Dub

Scratching and Chewing

Social Skills

When She’s Unsocial Toward People

When She’s Unsocial Toward Dogs

A Canine Good Citizen

Training

Using Her Training

Giving Your Puppy Permission

Mistakes Are Experiments

You and Your Puppy

Month 9: In Search of a Leader

Behavior

Being a Good Leader

Nothing in Life Is Free

Dealing with Temper Tantrums

Working Through Fear Aggression

Physical Development

Getting Lots of Exercise

Increasing Bowel and Bladder Control

Health

When Your Puppy Is Limping

Keeping Up with His Energy and Stamina

Nutrition

Determining His Caloric Needs

Putting Your Overweight Adolescent on a Diet

Grooming

Grooming in the Spring

Grooming in the Summer

Grooming in the Fall

Grooming in the Winter

Social Skills

Introducing Mother Nature

Helping Him Through Fearful Moments

Training

Continuing Using the Crate

Making Come Fun

Teaching Stand and Stay

Teaching the Emergency Down

Practicing, Practicing, and More Practicing

You and Your Puppy

Month 10: Ready for Work

Training

Finding What Motivates Him

Enrolling in Class…Again

Training for Life

Teaching Heel

Making Heel Fun

Preparing for Off Leash

Practicing Stepping and Jumping

Practicing Climbing

Continuing the Crate

Physical Development

The German Shepherd Breed Standard

Looking at Colors

Other Variations

Health

Dealing with Common Upsets

Treating Your Puppy

Nutrition

Feeding More Fats

Adding Home-Cooked Foods

Knowing When to Make Changes

Grooming

Giving Her Waterless Baths

A Look at Shampoos

Making Your Own Shampoo

Social Skills

When People Don’t Like Your Dog

When Your Dog Doesn’t Like Someone

Behavior

Working Through Teenage Regression

The Need to Be Needed

You and Your Puppy

Speed Walking

Getting the Newspaper

The Military Crawl

The Leg Weave

The Step Weave

Month 11: Your Brilliant Puppy

Physical Development

Health

Considering Pet Health Insurance

Planning for Disasters

Nutrition

A Closer Look at Natural Dog Food

A Look at Organic Pet Foods

A Look at Human-Grade Foods

Buyer Beware

Grooming

Getting Out Oil and Grease

Removing Gum and Other Sticky Stuff

Parting with Paint

Getting Out Glue

Removing Burrs, Foxtails, and Seeds

Dealing with Porcupine Quills and Cactus Spines

When He Smells Like a Wet Dog

Social Skills

Begin Traveling Young

Before You Travel

On the Road

Making Travel Fun

Behavior

Dealing with Jealousy

Putting a Stop to Crotch Sniffing

Understanding Panting

Understanding Yawning

The Wagging Tail

Rolling in Bad Stuff

Dealing with Mounting

Eating Cat Food and Feces

Burying Bones

Drinking from the Toilet

Making a Bed

Training

Environmental Enrichment

Polishing His Training Skills

Practicing His Leash Skills

Practicing Quick, Straight Sits

Practicing Faster Comes

You and Your Puppy

Keeping Your Calm

Using Time-Outs

Out and About

Keep Him Moving

Don’t Forget to Play!

Month 12 (and Beyond): Approaching Adulthood

Physical Development

Health

Establishing an Adult Vaccination Schedule

Testing Titers

Discussing Vaccinosis

Adult Health Problems

Nutrition

As Your Puppy Grows Up

Dealing with Food and Health Issues

Grooming

Getting the Skunk Out

Outfitting Your German Shepherd

Social Skills

Mixing Teenagers and Adults

A Social Conundrum

No Isolation, Please

The Joys of the Daily Walk

Behavior

Reading Her Body Language

Enjoying Her Sense of Humor

Everything in Its Place

Giving Her a Job

Training

Participating in Performance Sports

Agility

Conformation Competition

Herding

Obedience Competition

Rally

Schutzhund

Search-and-Rescue Volunteer Work

Therapy-Dog Volunteer Work

Tracking

Working Dog Association

Breed-Specific Legislation

You and Your Puppy

Stand by Your Rules

When Can You Relax?

Your Changing Relationship

Appendixes

A        Glossary

B        Body Condition Assessment

C        Poisonous Plants

D        Household and Yard Hazards

E        Resources

Index

Introduction

As a dog-crazy child, Liz read all the books about Rin Tin Tin, Strongheart, and the German Shepherd Dogs of The Guiding Eye. She thought German Shepherds were a breed apart, above and beyond all other dogs.

So it stands to reason that her first dog as an adult was a German Shepherd. Watachie was a challenging puppy and chewed up her sofa one day while she was at work. She didn’t know anything about raising a puppy, so it’s not surprising he was destructive. Shortly after the sofa incident, they enrolled in an obedience class. Watachie and Liz graduated first in that class, even though he was the youngest puppy in class and she was the youngest owner. Over the next few years, he earned his American Kennel Club Utility Dog (UD) title with multiple High in Trial awards along the way. He was a certified search and rescue dog, and they participated in numerous sports. If Liz could figure out how to teach him, Watachie would learn it and do it.

With the tips and advice in this book, you, too, can have a German Shepherd like Watachie. In the following chapters, we share with you the journey a German Shepherd puppy takes from birth to 1 year of age. Huge changes take place in just 12 months.

We talk about what happens when your puppy is still at the breeder’s home and offer tips on choosing the right puppy for you. We discuss how old the puppy should be when you bring him home and what may happen if he’s too young.

Then, month by month, we explain all the various things that happen with your puppy, including physical development, health, nutrition, social skills, behavior, training, and much more. All these can be complicated subjects individually but when your puppy is growing and changing so rapidly, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

The Extras

Throughout this book, you’ll find extra tidbits of information. Here’s what to look for:

DOG TALK

These are definitions of some terms you might not be familiar with.

HAPPY PUPPY

These sidebars will help make your German Shepherd puppy a happy dog.

TIPS AND TAILS

These hints can help you deal with specific puppy-raising situations.

Trademarks

All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be or are suspected of being trademarks or service marks have been appropriately capitalized. Alpha Books and Penguin Group (USA) Inc. cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark.

Months 1 & 2

The Littermate

Welcome to the first 2 months of your German Shepherd puppy’s life! In this chapter, we explain what your pup experiences from birth through the end of her eighth week. Although you won’t be a part of her life right now, and you may not even meet her until later, it’s important to understand what’s going on now because it impacts her life with you after she joins your family.

Most canine experts feel that who a dog is when she’s full grown is a result of 40 percent nature and 60 percent nurture. The nature portion consists of the dog’s breed, genetics, and her individual inheritance from her parents and ancestors. The nurture part is made of her experiences after birth, including her mother’s care, her littermates, her breeder’s care, as well as her health, nutrition, and later, veterinary care.

Although it might not seem like what happens during these first few months before your puppy joins your household should be important, it really is. These first 2 months or so set the stage for the rest of your puppy’s life with you.

Physical Development

Amazing changes occur during the first 2 months. At birth, puppies tend to weigh about 1 percent of the mother dog’s prepregnancy weight if she has a litter of 6 to 8 puppies. If she has fewer puppies, they may be bigger; if she has more, they may be smaller. However, the 1 percent figure is an average, and smaller and larger puppies are also normal.

From Birth Through Day 14

Newborn German Shepherds look like black fur–covered sausages. They’re firm and warm, and their skin is tight. Your newborn puppy can lift her head, although she’s very shaky and wobbly. Her eyes are closed, she can’t hear yet, she doesn’t have any teeth, and the only senses she’s using now are her smell, her taste, and her ability to feel her mother and littermates’ body warmth.

Newborn German Shepherds have tiny ears that are folded over, and their tails are small and lack the longer coat they’ll grow later. When picked up, your puppy curves into a comma shape; this is normal.

During this neonatal period, your puppy cannot eliminate on her own and needs her mother’s help. She licks the puppy’s belly and genitalia to stimulate both urination and defecation.

HAPPY PUPPY

The most important thing your puppy needs right now is her mother. Her mother feeds her, cleans her, warms her, and provides security so she stays calm and can sleep and grow as she needs to.

At this age, your German Shepherd puppy needs a warm environment. She can maintain her body temperature only about 10 degrees above that of her surroundings for a very short period of time. So if the mother dog leaves her puppies to eat or relieve herself, and the room where the puppies are is cool—even if it’s in the lower 70s—your puppy will quickly get cold.

Your breeder keeps the room where the puppies are, or the whelping box area, quite warm. She places a heating pad or a heat lamp in the area to ensure the puppies stay between 85°F and 90°F.

While burrowing under her littermates for warmth or moving to find her mother’s nipple to nurse, your puppy uses swimming motions with her legs. Most of her strength right now is in her front legs. By the time she’s 5 to 7 days old, she can lift herself up on her front legs. Her back legs are still too weak to support her, though.

During this stage, 90 percent of your puppy’s time is spent sleeping. As she’s sleeping, she may twitch and kick and appear as if she’s dreaming—perhaps chasing tiny rabbits. (It’s unknown if puppies are actually dreaming.) This sleep pattern is called activated sleep. All that twitching and kicking while she’s sleeping helps your puppy strengthen her muscles. When she’s developed enough to stand, that sleep exercise helps make her muscles strong enough so she can hold herself up.

DOG TALK

The neonatal period is the first 2 weeks of a puppy’s life. A whelping box is a low-sided enclosure for the mother dog and her puppies. It’s made to be a secure place for the puppies when they’re born and also contain their inquisitiveness when they’re old enough to go exploring. Activated sleep consists of kicking, twitching, stretching, and other movements during sleep. This is normal for newborns and helps them develop muscle tone.

Between 1¹⁄2 and 2 weeks old, your puppy’s eyes and ears open. Her eyes are blue, and it takes her a couple days to actually focus her eyes and see clearly, although many puppies can track movements almost right away. Loud noises may startle her as she gets used to listening.

Days 15 Through 28

At 2 to 2¹⁄2 weeks old, your puppy is beginning to eliminate on her own, and when she can take a few wobbly steps, she’ll try to walk away from her littermates to eliminate. This is actually the first demonstration of that instinct to keep her sleeping area clean.

TIPS AND TAILS

It’s important that the mother dog and puppies have enough room in the whelping box so the puppies can wander away from each other to eliminate. If the puppy doesn’t have enough room and learns to eliminate where the puppies are sleeping and playing, housetraining will be difficult later.

Toward the end of this period, your puppy is sleeping less and becoming more active. She’s walking better now and although she’s still not very coordinated, she isn’t falling down nearly as much as she was just days ago.

By about 4 weeks, your puppy has a full set of very sharp, needlelike baby teeth. Often the mother dog begins weaning the puppies at this point because those baby teeth can hurt her as they nurse.

Days 29 Through 42

By day 29, male German Shepherd puppies may weigh about 9 pounds. Female puppies may weigh, on average, 7 pounds.

Your puppy is walking and even trying to run—or at least move faster. She may even attempt some small jumps or pounces. She’s also becoming more interested in exploring things around her. Her senses are becoming more important to her, especially as she uses them more. She’s moving her head more as she learns to focus her senses.

Newborn puppies cry only when cold, hungry, or distressed, but now your puppy is discovering her voice and may bark a little. She may also whine, cry, or howl.

HAPPY PUPPY

You don’t have to respond to your puppy each time she makes noise. After all, right now she’s just learning to use her voice. She may make noise for no reason, or she might bark at her littermates. She’s experimenting right now.

By 5 weeks, the mother dog begins to distance herself from the puppies a little more. Although she’s probably still nursing at least a few times a day, she’s not spending all of her time with the puppies as she did when they were younger. She’s still watchful and protective of them, though.

Between 5 and 6 weeks, the breeder gradually reduces the temperature in the whelping box area. The puppies are still getting warmth from each other, the mother dog, and any blankets in their area, but as they grow, they’re better able to maintain their own body temperature.

Days 43 Through 60

At 48 days, or 7 weeks old, your male German Shepherd puppy may be close to 20 pounds while your female is closer to 16 pounds. Again, these are average weights, so a puppy who is a little smaller or bigger can very well be normal, too.

During this time, your puppy is becoming more active and is actively playing with her littermates. The puppies’ coordination is much better, and they aren’t tripping over their own paws nearly as much as they have in the past few weeks.

Health

A newborn German Shepherd’s body temperature is cooler than an adult’s; it’s about 94°F to 97°F compared to the adult’s average of 101°F to 102°F. The normal heartbeat for a neonatal puppy is about 200 beats per minute—more than twice what an adult’s pulse would be when calm.

By about 4 weeks—from days 22 to 28—your pup’s heart rate slows to about 170 beats per minute. Her temperature raises to about 100°F, too.

The Mother Dog’s Care

German Shepherd dams can be a bundle of emotion. Although most allow their owner, the breeder, to be present at the puppies’ birth, others want complete privacy. Their attitude depends on the temperament of the individual female dog as well as the relationship the dog and owner have. More than one pregnant German Shepherd has scoffed at the whelping box and given birth in the owner’s bedroom or on the owner’s bed because she wanted to be as close as possible to her owner.

DOG TALK

Dam refers to the mother dog. Sire is the father of the litter.

Besides giving birth, nursing the puppies, and helping them eliminate, mother German Shepherds are also very protective of their puppies. Wise breeders don’t invite people over to see the newborn puppies because this tends to cause a lot of anxiety for the mother. She’s apt to growl, bark, and even lunge at strangers who want to see her puppies. Good breeders allow the mother the privacy she needs to care for her babies.

Breeder Vigilance

Although the mother dog provides most of the puppies’ care, she can’t do everything by herself. The breeder is an important part of this process, too. She watches the mother and her puppies so that if problems occur, she can deal with them quickly before harm comes to either the puppies or the mother dog.

Some mother dogs, especially first-time mothers, won’t lie still long enough so the puppies can nurse until they’re full. The dam might get anxious or restless and get up. The breeder watches to be sure the puppies get enough to eat and reassures a restless mother. The breeder also ensures that the mother doesn’t lie down on top of a puppy. This doesn’t happen often, but if it does, it can be fatal to the puppy if the mother dog doesn’t realize it and move.

The breeder also…

Ensures the mother dog doesn’t lose too much weight as she nurses the puppies.

Watches that the mother dog is producing enough milk so the puppies are satisfied after feeding.

Keeps an eye on the mother dog’s breasts to be sure she doesn’t develop mastitis.

Looks for puppies who aren’t thriving as well as the others.

Ensures the largest puppy isn’t preventing smaller puppies from eating.

DOG TALK

Mastitis is an infection or abscess of one or more of the mother dog’s mammary glands. This is usually caused by bacteria from a scratch or wound in the skin of a nipple. Keeping the puppies’ nails trimmed and smooth is one way to help prevent mastitis.

Most of the time, solutions are easy. The breeder can feed the mother dog more or add some protein and fat to her diet, and the smaller puppy can have some supplemental feedings. But the fact remains: these solutions are only easy when the breeder is vigilant about spotting and correcting problems as they occur.

Nutrition

Newborn German Shepherd puppies are born with a strong suckling reflex. A healthy puppy’s mouth is warm and wet, and if you put a finger in her mouth, she’ll immediately begin to suck on it.

At this point in life, nursing provides not only milk, but also energy. A newborn has no subcutaneous fat, and without those fat reserves to provide energy, all her energy must come from her mother’s milk.

Young puppies are prone to dehydration, especially if they don’t nurse enough. The puppy’s immature kidneys excrete large amounts of urine, and nursing often is needed to maintain a pup’s fluid levels. If the puppy’s skin is gently pinched and released, a well-hydrated puppy’s skin immediately returns to shape. If the skin remains pinched in a fold, the puppy is dehydrated.

If the puppy isn’t nursing well, or the mother dog isn’t producing enough milk, the breeder supplements the puppy’s nutrition with supplemental feedings.

Mother’s Milk

During the first day and a half after her puppies are born, the mother dog produces colostrum. This important first milk helps nourish the puppies as well as provides protection from infectious diseases. It contains maternal antibodies, too, which kick-start the puppies’ immune systems. Canine milk is comprised of about 10 percent fat, 9 percent protein, and 4 percent sugar. It contains about 150 calories per gram.

DOG TALK

Colostrum, often defined as the first milk, is the milk the mother produces right after her puppies are born. This nutritious milk contains vitamins, minerals, protein, antibodies, and other immune-boosting substances her new puppies need.

The mother dog needs excellent nutrition herself to produce milk and continue to produce it for a growing litter. As a general rule, she should have three times the calories now that she ate prior to her pregnancy. Her diet needs to be high in protein and fat. The breeder often feeds the mother dog her normal diet but adds extra meals throughout the day. Or she might add calories by including healthy additions to the mother’s meals such as cooked pasta, cottage cheese, grated and steamed carrots, cooked chopped chicken hearts, cooked and deboned chicken, or molasses.

German Shepherd puppies nurse from six to eight times every day when first born. The puppies compete for the nipples, with the largest puppy usually taking the nipple he wants. However, a determined smaller puppy can also be successful. The breeder keeps an eye on the smallest puppy in the litter to be sure she gets a chance to nurse, too.

A neonatal German Shepherd puppy gains from 65 to 90 grams per day, depending on the mother’s size and the puppy’s size at birth. The puppy continues to gain weight steadily each day as she grows. Ideally, the breeder weighs the puppies at birth and then daily as they grow so she knows they’re steadily gaining weight.

Supplementation

Most of the time, supplementation isn’t needed. German Shepherd mothers produce a lot of milk for their litters, and additional feeding isn’t usually necessary. As long as all the puppies are steadily gaining weight and none of them are crying and restless, everything is probably fine.

However, sometimes puppies need help. A small puppy in the litter who cannot compete with larger siblings may need supplemental feeding to catch up. A puppy who loses weight after birth but after 48 hours isn’t regaining that lost weight needs supplemental feeding. If the litter is large—10 or more puppies—several or all of the puppies may need some supplemental feeding. If the mother isn’t producing enough milk, or if the mother isn’t producing any milk, supplemental (or replacement) feeding is necessary. At any given time after feeding, if a puppy is restless and crying, she may not have gotten enough to eat and might need supplemental feeding.

If supplemental feeding is needed, the breeder uses a commercial formula made specifically for puppies to supplement or replace the mother dog’s milk. These are usually available as liquids (canned) or as powder the breeder mixes prior to feeding.

TIPS AND TAILS

Breeders know to never give straight cow’s milk to puppies. It causes diarrhea, which could in turn cause death. Cow’s milk is less calorie-dense than dog’s milk, and it derives more calories from lactose than from protein or fat. Goat’s milk is marginally better than cow’s milk, but breeders still opt for other options when possible.

The breeder feeds the puppy using a small bottle with a nipple. She holds the puppy upright (head up) or on her belly as she would be with her mother, not on her back (as with a human infant), which could cause the puppy to choke.

Weaning

Your puppy’s baby teeth begin coming in between the third and fourth week, and most are entirely through the gums by 4 weeks. Although the mother dog continues to nurse the litter for another week or so, she’s going to start cutting them back—weaning them—at about 4 weeks.

DOG TALK

Weaning is the process of changing the puppy from nursing on her mother to eating food. Ideally, this shouldn’t happen abruptly but instead should be a process spread out over a few days to a week or so.

Many breeders begin offering some formula formulated for nursing puppies close to day 21 in preparation for weaning. Many puppies, however, have no idea this offering is food if it’s offered in a saucer or bowl and simply make a mess crawling through it. At some point, however, some of the food ends up in the puppy’s mouth, and she discovers it tastes good.

Ideally, puppies should nurse until the mother dog has had enough, or until the puppies are 5 or 6 weeks old. If the litter is a large one or if the mother dog’s condition deteriorates—she is thin and her coat is dry and thin—the breeder weans the litter. Some mother dogs give their all to the litter, and her health shouldn’t be allowed to suffer.

To help the mother dog wean her puppies, the breeder removes her from her puppies about 2 hours before each scheduled meal. This way, the puppies are hungry at feeding time. The breeder provides either a quality dog food for all life stages or a puppy food specifically for weaning puppies or a home-cooked recipe approved for puppies.

Meat-based foods are preferable and more attractive to the puppies, although some breeders use a dampened dry kibble food. Dry kibbles shouldn’t be used at this age because the puppies could choke on a piece of kibble. For this reason, many breeders recommend a gruel the puppies can lap up.

Puppies initially play in the food rather than eat it. But at some point, they all remember they’re hungry and discover this new stuff tastes good.

The breeder puts the mother dog back in with her puppies after they’ve eaten. She probably finishes any leftover food from the saucers, from the floor, and from the puppies.

The breeder allows the puppies to continue to nurse during this introduction to food. This ensures the puppies are well nourished during the transition, and also helps prevent diarrhea due to a rapid introduction to a new food.

TIPS AND TAILS

An 8-week-old German Shepherd puppy—male or female—weighs 20 pounds and needs about 1,300 calories per day. A 16-pound puppy needs 1,100 calories per day.

Gradually, over several days or even a week, the puppies nurse less and less. Eventually, the mother dog stops allowing the puppies to nurse or only allows them to nurse for just a few seconds. At this point, the breeder cuts back the mother dog’s feeding to her prepregnancy amounts and schedule.

Grooming

For the first month, the mother dog takes care of almost all the puppies’ grooming needs. She washes them after birth—this is a part of the bonding process between the mother dog and her babies. She also washes their faces after nursing and licks their bellies and genitalia to stimulate elimination.

Many breeders trim the tiny puppies’ sharp toenails within the first few days so the nails don’t scratch and irritate the mother dog’s belly as the puppies nurse. Most breeders use a set of small canine nail clippers to do this, followed by a nail file to smooth each nail after trimming.

Once the puppies start the weaning process, the mother dog is less interested in keeping the puppies clean, and the breeder steps in to get this done. She washes their faces after each meal, as well as their feet and anything else that gets covered in food. Sometimes the entire puppy ends up in the food bowl, but that’s okay. These grooming sessions introduce the puppy to body care and get her used to being handled.

Social Skills

Although it may seem like there isn’t much that can be done as far as social skills during the first 2 months of life, that’s not true. Your puppy’s mom and littermates provide a great introduction to life with other dogs, as we discuss in the next section. But during this time, wise breeders also begin working on social handling techniques that aid the puppy as she grows up.

TIPS AND TAILS

In their Bio Sensor dog-training programs, the U.S. Army exposes puppies to several exercises early in life. Dogs exposed to these exercises, which cause neurological stimuli, are found to be more able to handle stress, both in daily living and also in new situations later in life. Their physical functions improve as well, including cardiac function, adrenal function, physical tolerance to stress, and immune system strength.

Beginning on the third or fourth day after the puppies are born and continuing through the third week, the breeder puts each puppy through some daily exercises. These include…

Holding the puppy upright, with her head up and tail down, securely in both hands for 3 to 5 seconds.

Holding the puppy securely and reversing the direction, with her head down and her tail up, for 3 to 5 seconds.

Holding the puppy securely on her back with her feet upward for 3 to 5 seconds.

Using a cotton-tip swab, tickling the puppy between the toes of one paw (any paw) for 3 to 5 seconds.

Placing the puppy paws down on a cool, damp towel and allowing her to stand or explore for 3 to 5 seconds.

In addition to these exercises, the breeder also handles the puppies each day. This can include petting, cuddling, and, as the puppies get older, playing with them.

Behavior

Between days 22 and 28, the puppies begin to recognize their own species and alert to other dogs. They watch other dogs in their household, if the mother dog allows those dogs to get close to her puppies, and the puppies begin to interact with the other adult dogs.

Safe, friendly, healthy dogs in the household are often allowed to interact with the