Puppy' Survival Fight Starts

When the pack is numerous, only the most vital puppies can always get a teat, no matter what they have to do. In a natural state, the rest of the puppies would perish; however, in domestic life, the owner will take control of the situation, making sure all of them have their milk.In case there is a great number of puppies, a milk complement, not from cows, should be given to them. Another possibility is to find a nurse female dog. This is easier for a breeder than an owner. Anyway, don't worry too much, a healthy female is capable of nurturing her litter by herself. What matters is to make sure all puppies have enough milk, cause in their first days are very delicate. If one of them does not suckle two or three days, he could lose the strength to eat. Puppies do not defecate alone until ten or fifteen days from their birth. Before that, the mother has to stimulate them by licking their belly. From this point they start to recognize licking as a tender and maternal signal. This is the beginning of a process that will induce them to lick the hands or face of their owners in gratitude. The "warm effect" is not only useful to find the mother, but to identify brothers. In fact, when the mother is not there, they gather to warm each other, and preventing someone getting lost. At the beginning, the search for heat is an instinctive reaction, but after two weeks puppies start to relate consciously to the external world, and recognizing brothers as beings. Then the following association of ideas takes place: loneliness means danger, company means safety. This is why they dislike being alone, and always look for their owners, even when adults.