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In the Whelping-Box
After the birth, the new mother should settle quickly into her clean and warm whelping-box with her new family. Check all the pups carefully (without upsetting the mother), weigh them and record their birth weights (if you haven't done so already), and check for split palates. A pup with a split palate or hare lip must be left at the vet - it is the kindest thing to do.
Do not allow strangers to visit her and her babies, and keep all the other animals in the household well away. Even the best of canine or feline friends will get short thrift if they come too close to her babies!Often, though, a new mother will go through a 48 hour period of nervous energy, not settling to proper feeding, disturbing the pups at regular intervals and panting a lot. She will probably have an elevated temperature. All of these symptoms can be an indication of either a uterine infection, hormonal imbalance or even a gastric enteritis (probably from either consuming too many rich afterbirths or suddenly eating too much rich food - usually when the breeder is too eager to stimulate milk-production by giving unsuitable substances like milk or liver when the bitch is not used to these! She should be on whatever food she is used to.
She will probably need veterinary intervention to sort her out, especially if she's running a temperature. She could also have retained an afterbirth, in which case she definitely needs a shot from the vet to stimulate contractions of her uterus in order to expel the retained afterbirth - after the expulsion of the superfluous placenta, it is strange how quickly she will calm down.It is up to the breeder to make sure all the pups are getting equal opportunity at the milk-bar, all the pups get cleaned regularly by the mother (especially where an inexperienced mother is concerned) since a newborn pup cannot urinate and defecate on it's own, but needs stimulation from the mother's tongue in order to survive. The mother needs regular meals and a constant supply of clean water.
The whelping-box must be cleaned at least twice a day, and clean newspaper layers as well as a fresh whelping blanket must be supplied. One of the most important considerations is to keep the temperature comfortably stable - not too cool and not too hot. Newborn pups cannot regulate their body temperatures by either shivering or panting, so sudden fluctuations in the room temperature can cause sudden death!In the first few days, the mother will be very reluctant to leave her pups, even to relieve herself, and the breeder will have to insist she take regular quick runs in the garden - for her own comfort. If push comes to shove, put a collar and leash on her and insist she goes, but DO NOT annoy her by leaving visitors at her box when she's gone.The pups will feed at regular intervals, pushing their way instinctively to the best nipples.
Pups are born blind and it is a miracle to see them finding their regular nipple! If possible, weigh the pups regularly using a kitchen scale and record the weights. This will ensure that you will be able to quickly spot the one which might need extra help in the beginning. After each feed, followed by a clean-up operation by mom, the pups will usually fall asleep in one big sprawl, seeking each others body-heat. A heating pad underneath the whelping blanket is indicated in winter, and the pups will then usually seek the comfort of that particular corner of the box. Note if any of the pups do not see the comfort of the huddle of litter-mates, as this is often an indication of a weaker pup which might not survive.
Between age 12 to 16 days, the eyes and ears of the pups will open and they will become more mobile. Up to now, they will have moved around the box by swimming on their bellies, after two weeks they will start pushing themselves up on their front legs, and later, waddling around. Should you insert a gentle, clean finger into a pup's mouth, you will probably feel the sharp beginnings of their little baby canines - an indication that you can start to think about introducing them to solids.