The first eight weeks of a puppy’s life are extremely important. Like humans, the growth and development varies a little from puppy to puppy, but they generally stick to the same pattern. Unlike humans, puppies go through changed very quickly. If you don’t know what to look for, you could miss an important milestone without even knowing it happened.
Week One: During the first week of life, your puppy’s eyes will be closed and there won’t be too much movement. What wiggling and squirming going on will generally be the puppy trying to get to its mother. This week will be spent sleeping and eating. If they manage to wiggle too far away from mom, they will need assistance getting back to her. All of their nutrition this week will need to come from her.
Week Two: During this week, you will notice the puppy’s eyes opening. They will still be completely dependent on their mother. They may wiggle around more, but still won’t be very sturdy on their feet. If they get too far away they will need help back. They are still eating solely from their mother.
Week Three: This is a big week for your puppy. They start moving around more this week and will start playing a little. Giving them small toys will help stimulate them. They will still be feeding from their mother, but to give her a break you can start with supplemental feedings this week. Small amounts of wet dog food and replacer milk are good for giving mom a break, especially if she has a large litter. They also need their first worming this week.
Week Four: This week the puppies should start eating puppy food easily but will still be nursing. They will be walking around much easier but will still trip and fall occasionally. They will also begin interacting with each other. They will chase each other, bite, bark and start wagging their tails. This is a good week to begin a grooming schedule that will follow them into adulthood.
Week Five: You should begin adding dry puppy food into their diet this week. Small dry kibble should be added to help wean them away from an all wet food diet. This will also help them adjust for when their mother begins to wean them by the end of week five. You should also start interacting with them individually. This will help them learn to interact with humans and not just the other puppies. This is a very important step in socializing.
Week Six: At six weeks the puppies should be eating puppy food. It may take some work to get mom to stop letting the puppies nurse but by the end of week six they should be completely weaned. They are also ready for their second worming this week. Just because the puppies have stopped relying on mom for food, doesn’t mean they are ready to go to their new homes just yet.
Week Seven: This week the puppies should be eating from a bowl. They are extremely curious now and are exploring everything. If mom is still trying to nurse the pups they should be separated. You would continue working with them one on one to help develop their trust in people. You should also be taking them outside for regular potty breaks. Starting early will help the potty training process.
Week Eight: This week you should start getting the puppies used to their names and continue potty training. You can also begin leash training this week. Some people say that eight weeks is too young for the pups to be sent to their new homes for psychological reasons, even though this is the usual age for them to go. As far as eating and nutrition goes, the puppies are ready to be sent to their new homes to begin their new lives.