They should be trying to climb out of their nest or whelping box by three weeks. By four weeks, the puppies should be able to walk, run, and play.
By 8 weeks of age a puppy should be able to go in a crate alone for a nap, and it is almost ready for its new home.
Keeping them “in” the whelping box becomes a challenge! Smaller breeds are usually more easily contained in their box even until 7 or 8 weeks of age, when they usually go home. Small breeds can stay in the house and are easily picked up after, thus moving them outside isn't usually a consideration.
At 2.5 weeks, open the whelping box and add an area two times the size and cover with newspaper…. Change the bedding in the box several times per day, but do not change the paper often (keep it smelling like a toilet and keep the bed smelling like a fresh bed…)
During this critical period, the pups are monitored around the clock. The whelping box has pig rails (to prevent pups from being suffocated by their mother) that are removed after two weeks and replaced with a small potty area.
Most boxes will include a low railing (termed rails, pig rails, or roll-bars) fixed to the inside perimeter of the box. This is to protect puppies from being crushed or smothered by the mother should she roll over during birthing or while asleep.
An absorbent material for the whelping box, such as newspapers (but these may become sodden quickly and often stay wet and cold), puppy pads, incontinence pads or vetbeds. Clean towels or paper towels to help clean up during labour.
Whelping Area:
Place the box in a dark, quiet area of the house. This can be a basement, a closet, or a spare bedroom with the shades drawn. Allow the mother to freely come and go from her whelping area. Keep other dogs away from her whelping area so that she knows it is her place to deliver.
At what age can puppies be separated from their mother? The minimum time a puppy must be with its mother is 6 weeks, a period of time after which the puppy begins to wean. However, this is the bare minimum. The ideal minimum time that the puppy should be able to separate from its mother is 8 weeks.
The whelping box should have a consistent temperature around 85 degrees, as puppies are not able to generate their own body heat until they are 2 ½ weeks of age. “Excessively high temperatures and high humidity can cause respiratory difficulties and dehydration in puppies.
You should move your bed into the same room as the whelping box and sleep beside it during this time. Do newborn puppies need supervision? Newborn puppies need constant supervision. Not only can they not hear, see, or walk, but they also can't defend themselves if anything happens to them.
If your pet insists on being near you with her puppies, allow her. A whelping or nesting box in a quiet corner of the living room is preferable to an anxious mother constantly leaving her puppies. Some dogs like the owner to be with them the whole time they are in labor.
It's generally not a good idea to leave newborn puppies alone with their mom at night. Puppies are vulnerable to many health problems and can easily become separated from their mother in the dark. If you must leave them alone, make sure they're in a safe, warm place where they can't fall or get stuck.
In general, puppies shouldn't be picked up, carried around or played with until their eyes are open and they can walk easily. This is around three weeks of age. Until then an adult may hold a puppy and allow a small child to pet it carefully.
If you're wondering when can puppies go outside away from home, the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) recommends that pet guardians begin taking puppies on walks and public outings as early as one week after their first round of vaccinations, at about seven weeks old.
According to the American Kennel Club, puppies younger than 10 weeks cannot be left alone for more than an hour. From 3-6 months, they should not be left longer than their age in months (for example, 3-month-old puppies cannot be alone for longer than 3 hours).
Newborn pups need to be with their mother and the maternal instinct usually means a mother dog will want to stay with her litter most of the time. If your dog is lying or sitting away from the litter for long periods, it's likely she may have rejected them.
Puppies less than two weeks of age should be fed every 3-4 hours. Puppies two to four weeks of age do well with feedings every 6-8 hours.
Things You Should Know
Clean the whelping box daily for the first week, clean twice a day for the next 2-3 weeks, and look out for excessive dampness and solid waste ahead of your scheduled cleaning times.
You can use towels, sheets, and blankets for bedding your puppies when they start moving here and there. Make sure that the bedding material should possess body-heat retention level. The bedding should be such that it can absorb body fluids and urine properly. It is essential to keep the bedding dry.
Many considerations go into setting up the ideal whelping box for your breed of dog. Importantly, the size should be appropriate — large enough for a dam to stretch out with some room to spare — as a box that is too large can cause her great distress.
See if contractions have stopped.
If you are expecting more puppies, your dog will continue giving birth when it has rested. If you are not, your dog has finished giving birth! There may be a few contractions after the last puppy so that the dog can push out the last placenta.
Put the whelping box in a room that is isolated from other dogs. Many breeders set it up in their own bedrooms for the first three weeks. A door and/or gate should be used to keep other dogs away. An ex-pen around the whelping box provides an extra layer of safety.
I advise covering poop and pee with a layer of paper during the day and cleaning up each morning, leaving one piece of paper with pee smell. You cannot keep too clean, as when young the smell is what draws them to that area If you leave the paper soiled, they will also find another place to go...