Whelping and Puppy Pen

Give the female all the help she needs to produce a healthy litter. She needs an extra large house in which she can easily stand up and turn around. She should have extra room all around her when she lies down so that she won't lie on the pups or be restricted during whelping. It is nice to have a hinged or removable roof on the whelping house so that it is easy to view the mother and pups.

Most litters should be planned to arrive in the spring, summer, or fall so the outside temperature is not too cold. If you decide to have a winter litter, plan on having the female inside a building where it is at least above freezing. Whelping can take place outside at lower temperatures, but extreme caution should be used, especially with a female whelping for the first time or under exceptionally harsh weather conditions.

Summer litters where temperatures can be very hot, above 70 degrees F, can also be dangerous for the pups. During their first few weeks of life, puppies have a hard time regulating body temperature, so be sure they are in the shade out of direct sunlight. If you do find them panting, dip them in cool water, and change their environment so it is cooler. If you can't tell if the pups are too hot, take their temperature; it should be 101 to 102 degrees F. Mosquitoes can also be a very serious problem for pups born in the summer. You may need to have the pups born and raised inside if you have a bad mosquito problem.

The whelping house may contain dry straw or grass for further insulation, although some females will push it aside. It is important that the area around the house also be dry. An insulated house helps keep both the pups and the female comfortable in cooler weather.

A female can whelp in a pen that is about 8 feet square, but as the puppies start to walk around, at about 4 weeks, they need to go into a larger pen, at least 12 feet square. The bigger the pen, the longer the pups can stay in it before needing to be staked out. Many mushers have pens as big as 50 feet square, giving the pups lots of room to run around. If birds of prey might be a threat, the pen should have a roof. Rawhide or hard rubber chews and balls are nice extras for the puppies' enjoyment. Ramps, tunnels, and bridges provide mental stimulation. Be sure all additions are of sizes and made of substances that are safe for the pups and mother to be left with; otherwise use only with supervision.

The puppy pen needs to be cleaned at least once a day, or three times a day if the pen is small. The cleaner you keep the kennel, the healthier the pups will be. Wood chips or shavings make a great base for a puppy pen.

Puppies should be raised in a pen when at all possible. This helps to ensure that they will not get hit by moving vehicles, eat anything that could cause them harm, or be attacked by an aggressive adult dog. If you live in an area where leaving puppies loose is acceptable (where they won't be harmed or bother neighbors), then you can raise puppies without a pen; however, it is important to pick up anything within their reach that could be toxic or harmful. Also make sure that adult dogs won't injure them since some adults may kill or hurt small puppies.

Once puppies are individually chained or penned, they need all the same requirements as an adult dog: shelter, food, water, exercise, and so on. (See other sections of Sled Dog Care Guidelines.)

Feeding the Mother

A female that is lactating needs a lot more food, and this amount increases as the pups get bigger and are consuming more milk. The amount of food needed will vary depending on the individual and the size of the litter. Some pregnant or lactating females will need to be fed four times a day, or free fed, in order to give them enough calories.

It is very important to have water available for the mother and pups at all times. In below-freezing temperatures, make sure they are offered flavored water two to three times per day. For more information on feeding a pregnant or lactating female, see the Feeding and Watering section.

Feeding Puppies

Puppies should be offered soaked food beginning at 3 weeks of age to help the mother provide nutrition to the pups. (Puppy food is recommended because it provides the proper nutrition for bone growth.) Puppies under 4 months should be fed two to three times per day or free fed. Puppies should be fed enough to keep them fleshed out to ensure that they have enough energy to grow, but they should not be allowed to become obese. (Again, see Feeding and Watering section.)

Weaning

Females will usually wean their puppies themselves when the pups are between 41/2 and 8 weeks old. If you wish to remove the mother from her pups at this time, you can. Watch the mother's mammaries for any signs of trouble in case you took her away while she was still producing a lot of milk. If the mammaries become firm, swollen, or red, consult your veterinarian.

Some mothers don't wean their puppies even by their 8th week. If this happens, you will need to help her. Gradually take her away from her pups for longer and longer periods of time. Always feed the pups before putting her back in with them so that the pups are getting most of their calories elsewhere.

Many mushers choose to leave the mother with the pups until the pups are individually chained or penned. If the mother is still enjoying the pups and playing with them, this can be a good source of education for the puppies. If the female had trouble weaning the pups, remove her completely for four to seven days after the gradual weaning process you have helped her with. Then, when she is completely dried up, she can go back in to live with her pups.

Reintroduce the mother to mushing slowly. She needs time to recover from nursing the pups. Short runs of 2 to 3 miles with the team are fine. Protect her enlarged nipples from cold weather for the whole season after whelping.

Puppies can be sold at any age after they are weaned. During the 4th through 6th week, however, a puppy's main development is from interacting with its littermates and mother. The pup is learning basic social behavior for dogs, and if it is removed from its family before 6 weeks, it may have behavioral problems as an adult. When you do sell a pup, make sure you pass on all vaccination and worming information to the new owner, and caution him or her to change the pup's food slowly.

Puppy Health Care

Day 1: Examine each puppy for abnormalities. Check the mouth for cleft palate. Make sure that all puppies are nursing, as it is important for the puppies to receive the mother's colostrum, which flows for only a few days. If you have any questions or problems, call your veterinarian right away.

Day 2: Remove dewclaws, if there are any, from both the front and rear paws. This prevents trouble with booties later on and prevents the dewclaws from getting caught on something and damaged. Have your veterinarian perform this procedure, or have a veterinarian or an experienced musher show you how to do it yourself.

Three weeks: Worm with pyrantel pamoate, and run a fecal exam on the pups to check for parasites that this medication does not kill. Continue worming the puppies and mother with pyrantel pamoate every two weeks until the puppies are 12 weeks old. (If you have a parasite problem in your kennel, contact your veterinarian for a more frequent schedule. Pyrantel pamoate can be given as often as once a week without adverse reaction.) Three weeks is also a good time to offer puppies food for the first time. Water-soaked high-quality puppy food works well.

Seven weeks: Vaccinate with a combination vaccination, including at least those for distemper, parvo, and corona. (This vaccination protocol is intended for a kennel without a history of losing puppies to disease. If you have a large kennel or one with a history of problems, work with your veterinarian to develop a vaccination program to meet your individual needs.)

Eleven weeks: Repeat the combination vaccination.
Fourteen weeks. Repeat the combination vaccination.
Seventeen weeks. Repeat the combination vaccination, and also vaccinate for rabies. Run another fecal exam, and if it is positive, worm with a different type of wormer.

Five to six months: Spay or neuter any dogs not intended for breeding. This may be done as early as 4 months of age. (See section on Keeping Your Kennel the Right Size.)

Rearing

Just as children have formative years, puppies have formative months. Puppies need lots of human attention early. The more you put into your pups, the more you will get out of them as adults. Play with them, at least a little, every day so that they don't become shy of people. As much as possible, try many methods of socialization, such as taking them on walks; bringing them inside; having children play with them; exposing them to crowds, and so on.

The most important time to develop a trusting, happy relationship with a pup is in its 3rd to 16th week of life. Many people mistakenly believe that good genetics are all they need to produce a good sled dog. Without the proper care and training, a puppy with great potential can become a complete failure as a sled dog or pet. The following are some benchmarks in a puppy's development.

One to three weeks: During their first weeks of life, handle each puppy two or three times a day. Check that they have a full belly and that no other negative change has occurred. Pet them and talk to them. Their relationships to humans can start from the day they are born.

Three to sixteen weeks: Pups should be played with a lot. Between 6 and 8 weeks is a particularly critical time for socialization with people. They can learn their names, learn to come when called, and develop a strong bond with humans during this stage of their development. It is great if you can give them walks off leash if you live in an area where this would be safe. If the mother is well-trained, it's best to take her or another adult along. Depending on the puppies' age and ability, these walks can range from fifteen minutes to two hours in length. Watch that you don't overdo it on the pups' first few walks.

Four to six months: Put a collar on each puppy and put them on individual chains. Or, if they will be housed in pens as adults, train them to a leash. If your puppies will travel in the future, introduce them to this experience now too. First let the pup rest in its box (or the backseat, pickup bed, etc.) while the vehicle is parked. After the puppy is comfortable with this, drive a short distance. Breaking the new experience into two parts helps the puppy to cope separately with being in a small space and the motion of the vehicle.

Five to eight months: Harness training is best and most easily done during this stage of the puppies' development. Many methods are used: putting one or two pups in a small team with adults, or putting one adult leader with all the rest of the pups. Either way, the teams should be small (three to seven dogs), and the runs should be short (perhaps ½ to 3 miles). It is best not to have a steep downhill or an icy trail or open water on the puppies' first few runs in harness. It is easy to scare a puppy. The most important thing is to let the pups have fun. Mushing will be an important part of their lives, and it should always be a positive experience. Puppies should never be dragged along or pulled by a machine; they should always be going forward of their own accord and have the option to stop if things get too scary or if they get tired.

Some puppies will have a natural instinct to pull the first time they are harnessed. Other puppies will be overwhelmed by being tugged by the neck while at the same time running next to another dog. To avoid this, you might want to connect a pup and a reliable lead dog with a neck line and let them run around for a few minutes. Be sure to do this away from the dog yard to avoid tangles. Repeat the experience a few days before running the pup in the team. This helps a puppy to learn to jump over the ropes and accustoms it to the neck line. Be careful in matching compatible dogs, and be ready to jump high when they come toward you at full speed! If you have a converted horse walker available, this is another good way of getting puppies accustomed to being led by a neck line.

Eight to twelve months: It is important to get the pups out often in harness so that they learn all the basics of mushing while they are young: not getting tangled in the traces, pulling hard, urinating and defecating on the run, not chewing harnesses and ganglines, how to cross ice and water, how to pull on hills, forward and whoa commands, how to pass other teams, and most importantly, to have fun with their owner out on the trail. All of these are easiest and best learned when they are young.

Twelve months: At this point, a dog has attained its basic size, although depending on the breed and genetic background, many dogs continue to fill out until about 21/2 years of age. Also remember that although a dog is 12 months old and looks mature, it is not mentally mature yet and still needs much more time to develop before it can be expected to behave and perform like an adult.