The first few weeks of a puppy’s life are the most fragile and the most important. Newborn puppies cannot regulate their own temperature, cannot see or hear, and depend entirely on their mother — or on you, if you are hand-rearing them. This guide walks you through exactly what a newborn puppy needs, week by week, so you can give them the healthiest possible start.
Week one: warmth, feeding and weighing
In the first week, a puppy’s whole world is warmth, milk and sleep. Keep the whelping area draught-free and warm — around 30°C for the first few days, gradually reducing as the litter grows. A chilled puppy will not feed properly, so warmth comes first.
Puppies nurse every two to three hours. If the mother is present and healthy, let nature do the work but watch that every puppy is latching and feeding. Weigh each puppy on kitchen scales at the same time every day and write it down. A healthy newborn should gain weight steadily; a puppy that loses weight or fails to gain for 24 hours needs a vet.
Weeks two to three: eyes, ears and first steps
Around day 10 to 14 the eyes open, followed by the ear canals. Vision and hearing are blurry at first, so keep light and noise gentle. By week three most puppies are wobbling onto their feet, and their first tiny teeth appear. This is also when deworming usually begins — ask your vet for a schedule.
Handle the puppies gently and briefly each day. Soft, calm handling in these early weeks lays the foundation for a confident, people-friendly adult dog.
Weeks four to six: weaning and play
Weaning starts around four weeks. Offer a gruel of puppy food softened with warm water or puppy milk replacer, and let the puppies lap and explore it. They will be messy — that is normal. Over two to three weeks they move from milk to solid puppy food.
This is a golden window for socialisation. Puppies begin to play, bite, wrestle and learn bite inhibition from their littermates. Gentle exposure to household sounds, different surfaces and calm visitors helps them grow into balanced adults.
Weeks seven to eight: vaccinations and going home
By eight weeks a healthy puppy is fully weaned, eating solid food and ready for its first vaccinations and microchipping. This is typically the earliest a puppy should go to a new home — although staying until 10 weeks gives even better social development.
When to call the vet immediately
Contact your vet without delay if a puppy is cold to the touch, refuses to feed, cries constantly, has diarrhoea, or is not gaining weight. Newborns go downhill quickly, and early help saves lives.
Getting support
Raising a litter is rewarding but relentless — especially the round-the-clock feeding. If you need a trusted, experienced hand while you rest or work, a verified Staunchify sitter who is comfortable with puppies can help you through those first exhausting weeks.