New Born German Shepherd Puppies
Newborn German Shepherds have the most wildly innocent face. These fragile canines are born deaf, blind, immobile, and toothless. Their initial growth is entirely dependent upon their dog’s mother. You can Buy a Quality bred GSD puppy from a local breeder.
From mother’s milk to her warmth and daily cleaning, newborn German Shepherd needs her proximity and care for the first month. Even though the mother knows how to take care of her puppy, at times, that voiceless being too needs some guidance and support.
Dog mothers have a strong maternal instinct, and most of the time, it is difficult to separate them from the newborn. However, there are also chances when mothers may leave, refuse to feed, or even try to harm their puppies. This brutal behavior is rare.
However, possibilities are still alive. And if that happens, you can do help the mom and ensure that the German Shepherd puppy gets a healthy start to his/her life.
In this detailed article, you will learn how to take care of newborn German Shepherds. How to prepare for the birth of German Shepherd puppies and what do you need to ease the process of birth? Which vaccinations are necessary for them and how to take care of them properly? How to look after a 3 month Shepherd puppy? Without any further ado, let’s delve right into our ultimate German Shepherd puppies guide.
Written By Sergey Uhanov – Certified Veterinarian.
Sergey Uhanov is a certified veterinarian for dogs over 10 years, breeding 3 dogs. He loves dogs and has his own pet clinic in Israel. He likes to help other people with their dogs by sharing his experience and knowledge.
What do you need for a Newborn German Shepherd puppy?
Before you get to care for the Newborn German Shepherd, your first responsibility is to prepare for the arrival. Here are a few tips you can rely upon:
- Make a note of your German Shepherd’s delivery date. You can calculate it with an estimation of 63 days from the mating day. Though keep a variation of 57 to 71 days.
- Ensure good enough care of your pregnant German Shepherd. This is important to keep both the mother and the to-be newborn healthy.
- Keep your Vet’s emergency contact handy. Not all dogs naturally deliver the baby.
- With your Vet’s guidance, in case of emergency, you can quickly arrange the medical necessities.
- For natural delivery at home, prepare a secluded, warm, clean and comfortable space. The place should be big enough for the dog to spread around.
- Once strong contractions and straining start, the puppy will come out in the next 20 to 30 minutes. The first puppy takes the longest while the next comes out easily.
- Once the puppies are born, the mother dog will seem comfortable licking her newborn canine.
Things To Prepare For The Arrival Of Your German Shepherd Puppies
You are going to have a new life at your home who will need a whole lot of things for her comfortable and healthy survival.
Here’s a quick checklist of things both mother dog and Newborn German Shepherd puppy will require:
- A few clean sheets, bedsheets and towels.
- Room warmer (both the birth giver and newborn are needed to be kept in a warm and enclosed environment)
- A dog bed or large basket well layered with soft bedding.
- Small weighing scale (to measure puppy’s weight)
- Thermometer (for monitoring room temperature and both mother’s and baby’s temperature)
- Antiseptic solution and pet safe hand sanitizer
- Nose suction bulb (for removing mucus built-up around the newborns’ nose, if any)
- The smallest size feeder or small syringe (in case the mother dog is unable to make her own milk). A syringe will come handier as Newborn dogs are incredibly small, and even the smallest feeder may sometimes prove big.
- Formula milk is designed especially for puppies. Avoid using cow or buffalo milk as it does not contain the same nutrients as dog’s milk and may prove insufficient for the newborn.
- A box of dog-friendly wet wipes (to clean the newborn after every poop and pee).
How to look after a German Shepherd Newborn Puppy?
Right after the birth of your Newborn puppy, make sure they are feeding on their mother’s milk. The milk during the initial hour produces colostrum which helps in building newborns’ immunity.
Weight them every 12 hours and monitor/ maintain the digits. A Newborn puppy will weigh around 0.8 and 1.3 pounds and, in a week, it should rise up to 1.6 and 2.1 pounds.
Weight growth is very necessary, and if your puppy hasn’t increased, you need to meet the Vet. Monitor the mother dog and make sure she does not develop mastitis. Mastitis is an inflammation of breast tissue that is painful for dog mothers.
When the newborn sucks on the mother’s nipple, mastitis can result in serve pain. This may result in the mother avoiding feeding the baby. Thus, have a strong monitor during the phase.
During the first few weeks of birth, a German Shepherd newborn puppy is at high risk of catching infections. Thus, avoid taking the baby out of the room. Also, do not allow anyone other inside the puppy room.
Eliminating during the first two weeks is a little difficult for the dog, simply because they do not know-how. Thus, after every feeding session, gently massage the puppy’s anal area with a damp cloth.
Make sure the cloth isn’t too cold. You can also use dog safe wet wipe. Change bedsheets from puppy’s bed regularly.
How to look after a 3 to 4 weeks old German Shepherd puppy?
3rd and 4th weeks will show some strong signs in your puppy’s growth. It is when their eyes and ear will open. They can now see and hear every movement around. They will now start noticing the surroundings, navigate a little bit around and try to bite everything.
Thus, make sure you have left nothing accessible for them on the ground. Even around their bed, keep the surroundings clean and clear from any object.
How to take care of a 5 to 10 weeks old German Shepherd old puppy?
The German Shepherd puppies will not grow continuously. They will become physically strong and emotionally curious. The mother’s milk production will also slow down during this phase, thus providing the puppy with a high-quality solid diet is necessary.
They will now start biting due to the itchiness in their gums (because of sprouting teeth).
During this phase, start giving them basic training. It may include controlling their biting behavior, encouraging socialization, and potty training. The crucial learning during this age will continue with them for life.
Expose them to new people, other dogs, and take them outside regularly.
Even if they do not socialize with new people, keep them in a similar environment and let them reciprocate independently.
How to look after a three-month-old German Shepherd?
The newborn phase of German Shepherd puppy end once they cross two weeks and enter the age of three months. This is the most fun phase for both dog and human. Most of your German Shepherd’s intelligence will start growing from the age of three months. It is when you should ensure giving them all the training for life.
You can start teaching them how to swim, introduce them to several new foods, and take them around to places. By this time, they will have most of their teeth grow.
A three-month-old German Shepherd puppy should ideally weigh 22 to 30 lbs. In comparison, their height should measure 9 to 11 inches.
First-year Vaccination for German Shepherd Puppies
Vaccination immune dogs from infections to fatal diseases. Like human babies, puppies also need their required dose of vaccination, ideally during their first year.
List of a crucial dog vaccination:
- Canine Parvovirus
- Canine Distemper
- Rabies
- Leptospirosis
- Hepatitis
List of optional dog vaccination:
(These vaccinations aren’t crucial though they will benefit your dog)
- Canine Influenza (dog flu)
- Lyme vaccine
- Bordetella
Right timing of dog vaccination
- DHPP*, Bordetella- 6 to 7 weeks
- DHPP, Leptospirosis, Bordetella- 9 to 10 weeks
- DHPP, Canine Influenza**, Lyme Disease, Leptospirosis- 12 to 13 weeks
- DHPP, Canine Influenza, Lyme Disease, Rabies- 15 to 17 weeks
Wrapping Up
Nurturing a German Shepherd’s newborn is not different from nurturing a human baby. One has to be gentle, kind, patient, and attentive. During the initial phase make sure they are feeding and sleeping enough. However, once they start growing out, expose them to the world around them.
A happy environment with well-balanced nutrition and required vaccination altogether will ensure healthy growth. Also, along with the newborn puppy, attend to the mother dog equally well.
She has gone through the exact amount of physical pain and mental pressure a human mother goes through.
