INFORMATION ON PUPPY Rearing /
WHAT DOES THE BREEDER DO?

After the birth, the puppies are carefully checked by the breeder for the first time. Gender, weight and visible changes (wolf claws, deformities, etc.) are noted. The puppies should nurse as soon as they are born in order to take in sufficient amounts of colostrum, which is important for their immune system. Colostrum is rich in antibodies produced by the mother and provides important protection against infections for up to 6-16 weeks (depending on the amount absorbed and the mother's immune system). If you are not sure whether a puppy is drinking, it can be weighed before and immediately after it is docked.

After the puppies have been taken care of, the litter bed is completely cleaned (warm water with eg Sagrotan solution) and the mother dog is taken care of. Important!! The discharge that the mother dog loses for a few days or weeks contains a lot of bacteria. Therefore, the bitch should be cleaned several times every day. The cleanliness in the whelping box has priority for the first three weeks. The bitch's teats should also be checked for changes several times a day (the puppy's claws should be cut once a week to prevent injuries to the teats). During the suckling period, the bitch should be fed several times a day. You should set up fresh water next to the litter box, as the bitch is reluctant to leave her puppies at first.

The weighing also clearly shows the development of the puppies - 1 x daily during the first week (at about the same time), then about 2 times a week up to the age of one month. A weight loss is not uncommon in the first 2 days, but from the 3rd day on the puppies should gain weight every day. Weight curves and normal faeces show the breeder that everything is fine with the development of the puppies.

The birth weight doubles in the first 7-10 days. After about 2 weeks it should have tripled.

The breeder uses the daily weighing to check the puppy. Is the umbilical cord nice and dry, no inflammation recognizable, aren't the claws too long or "sharp" ?? Etc.

Development stages in the puppy:

Neonatal phase (birth - 2 weeks)

During the first few weeks, the puppy's life consists mostly of sleep and drink. During sleep, movements are carried out that are important for the development of the muscles.

At the the first day, heartbeat and breathing are still a bit slow (120-150 heartbeats / min and 8-18 breaths / min). Both then accelerate to an average of 220 heartbeats / min and 15-35 breaths / min in the first 5 weeks. The body temperature is between 34.5 and 36 ° C for the first two days. In the first days of life there is no tremor reflex - that is, the puppies themselves have no opportunity to raise their body temperature or to show that they are cold. If the puppy is too cold - this is called hypothermia - the reflexes slow down and they do not suckle. You are more prone to infections (e.g. herpes virus) and the survival rate decreases.

The temperature in the puppy room should be around 25 degrees for the first 24 days of life (not over 30 degrees !!), then around 22 degrees. If you watch the puppies you can easily see whether the temperature is right (are they all scattered in small groups or all cuddled together in a "pile"?) In the first two weeks there should also be a lot of physical contact with the breeder.

Transition phase (3rd week)

Eyes and ears are still closed for the time being. The eyes open between the 10th and 16th day after the birth. Hearing begins to function between the 15th and 17th day. The first small teeth also show up, please check the teats every day, in addition to the puppy's pointed claws, the small, pointed puppy teeth are now added. In this phase, the first attempts at walking and playing with mom and siblings take place. The little ones can now also dispose of urine and feces independently. With the first additional feeding, one or the other little pile is ignored by the mother dog.

Feeding the puppies
In the first 3 weeks, ideally, feeding takes place exclusively with breast milk. Additional feeding begins when the puppies are around 3 weeks old. Depending on the amount of milk from the mother dog. The food should be prepared mushy for the first time. To get used to it, you can smear some gruel on the lips or feet, which the puppies lick off.

High-quality ready-made feed is best. If you opt for menus that you have compiled yourself, please make sure that it is put together correctly. This requires a great deal of effort in order to prevent under- and oversupply. When changing from breast milk to solid food, start with a 1 x daily feeding and gradually increase this to 4 - feedings (approx. 2 days, 1 x daily, then 2 x daily 2 days, ...) The puppies should each time 15 to 20 minutes Have time to eat. The amount of food is best adapted to the puppy's appetite.

During this time, the breeder should dewormer the puppies for the first time. (Consultation with the veterinarian !!) Then send in a faecal sample approx. Every 2 weeks until it is handed in. However, this should be agreed with your trusted veterinarian.

Great importance is attached to cleanliness and hygiene. After each meal, the leftover food must be removed and the food bowl cleaned. The water bowl should also be cleaned several times a day.

Embossing phase (4th to 7th week of life)

In this phase the dwarfs walk in giant steps towards the big world. There should be an intensive imprint on different environmental stimuli (different noise and smell contacts), strangers (first puppy visitor) and different occurrences. Changing toys in the puppy room or in the now significantly enlarged whelping box and in the run, various puppy play equipment (adapted to the age, not necessarily before the 6th week of life and the size of the puppies) for the sense of balance and the development of the weak muscles. During this time the breeder should deal intensively with his puppies, car trips, forest and meadow, etc. are now on the plan.

The first vaccination and the litter acceptance

From the 53rd day onwards, an appointment for the litter acceptance can be made with the breed warden. At this point the puppies must be chipped and vaccinated. Please arrange this with your veterinarian in good time. From the completed 8 week of life the puppies are ready to move into their new home.

Every puppy buyer must be given a litter acceptance protocol by the ÖRC breeder and the puppy's chip must be registered with the new owner