Growing Pains

AKA Reaching those milestones from Birth to 8wks. One of the first of many milestones- or notable accomplishments/stages of growth that most breeders keep track of is the opening of the eyes at on average- 10 days old. But while that is a great moment, it really isn't the first milestone achieved in a pups life. That milestone achievement is actually the ability to actively nurse and to seek out, find, and latch on to their mother's nipple, enabling them to grow into that healthy, intelligent, active puppy that you will be picking out of the litter in a couple short months. Without that instinct, a puppy will not get the much needed anti-bodies, bacteria, and nutrients in the colostrum produced by the mother for that first day or so postpartum. The pups' guts or digestive system needs those bacteria to help form their own colonies of bacteria that help to digest their food, to help establish an immune system (70% or more of a bodies immune system is found/created in the digestive tract), and to absorb the nutrients found in their food now and for the future. Can a pup survive without being an active or aggressive nurser? Yes. But surviving does not equal thriving and with bottle or tube feed puppies, one can notice an often vast difference between those that received colostrum and continued to nurse vs those that had to have assistance and intervention via bottle or tube feeding without the benefit of receiving colostrum. Those pups will often exhibit delayed growth, delayed cognitive and physical milestones, and physically could have issues for the rest of it's life in regards to structure, digestive issues, immune system issues including allergies, and also could be mentally delayed, or in the case of pups taken away from mother and or siblings, temperament could also be effected. Here is a list of milestones that are typical of our litters with approximate timelines of when they should be reached. Those pups that hit the first 3 tend to end up being those best suited for homes that put them to work in a well structured "job" or training program, as they tend to be the ones that are called "fire breathers" or "barn burners". They are usually highly intelligent, problem solvers, can be a bit headstrong at times, and highly energetic! Perfect for those wanting Field Trial or Agility prospects, but likely holy terrors for someone just wanting a "weekend warrior" or occasional hunting companion with 95% of the time a house pet. Since these are the ones that we are typically breeding for, we try to identify those pups within the first 6wks and earmark them for competitive homes only. The majority of the litter are going to fall into the competitive homes preferred category, and rarely we will end up with pup that just wants to spend its life watching life go by from the comforts of someone's lap or couch, but those are the exception, not the rule, and as with most working breeds, the working cockers NEEDS to have a daily job in order to keep it's mind and body occupied to keep it out of mischief and so that your sanity can also remain intact. Here is what milestones we look for in our litters: Please note that these are for natural births, C-section births will often have pups with delayed 1st and 2nd milestones due to the anesthetic and missing out on the natural birthing process. #1. 0-15 minutes. Alert, resists and struggles/protests loudly to vigorous rubbing and drying with towel. We want a pup that exhibits some control over forward movement toward mother, one that when stimulated will protest loudly to help clear the lungs, and uses it legs to propel itself. A pup that is lethargic, gasping for breath, or not breathing but heart is still breathing, or has fluid in the lungs will need immediate help and could struggle to obtain further milestones. #2. 15 minutes or less. Ability to latch on and actively nurse, and also to recover from getting knocked off a nipple by mother vigorously cleaning it or by a sibling fighting for a nipple. We want to see the pup actively seek out and find a nipple and then to stay on that nipple for at least 3 minutes or more initially at a time between the births of it's siblings. We do take the pups of of the mother when active pushing and eminent birthing of pups is happening, putting the existing pups in a warming basket. If a pup does not make any attempt to nurse, appears weak, or uninterested in nursing even after it is warm and dry, then this pup should be examined to make sure that its breathing is clear, that it is not "tongue tied" or has a cleft palate, or any other physical reason for not being able to latch on. If the pup is noticeably smaller- as in 50% or smaller than the rest of the litter, it could have a congenital defect or there could have been some sort of developmental delay in the womb and the pup will likely not be viable even with intervention and hand rearing. #3. Day 2-3. Actively attempting and gaining mobility on all four legs. This is not "army crawling". The pup's feet are underneath the body and the torso is lifted off of the ground with all four feet working in unison. The pup will resemble a "drunken sailor" and will fall forward after every step or so but it will try to regain it footing rather than resorting to just pulling themselves along by just their front legs with the hind legs sprawled behind them. A puppy that makes little or no attempt to gain its footing could either just be delayed, lazy, or could possibly have a physical reason for not being able to try to walk. Most likely though, a breeder should be making sure that the pups have good traction with the bedding material in the whelping box because 9 times out of 10, the pups are doing more slipping and sliding which "teaches" them to use only their front legs. It can also lead to injuries and does not develop the muscles, tendons, and ligaments, let alone the necessary neural pathways for healthy and correct movement. #4. Days 8-14. With day 10 being average, the pups should start opening with eyes and their ears canals will start opening. You will likely see the inside corners of one or both eyes start "peeping", and the eyes fully opening within a day or so. This is an important time to really clip those front nails! Pups fighting for position at the milk bar can snag their siblings eyes. Any pup with matted, goopy eyes should have their eyes opened using a warm damp wash cloth to clean away the matter. If there is swelling and obvious pus behind the partially closed eye, warm compresses and gentle rubbing of the area are best as well as very gentle pressure to try to open the eye. The faster that eye is open the faster it will heal and easier for veterinary intervention and application of any medication if needed. The general rule of thumb is: "If it is green (goop) then it must be seen"in order to prevent loss of vision or the entire eye itself. #5. Days 14-21. Weeks 2 thru 3 are very busy for puppies. During this time the pups' coordination and finesse with walking and standing upright, sitting, and learning to play with siblings happens during these time. You will start to hear playful growls and the beginning of tiny barks. During this period is also the start of a fear period where loud noises and sudden movement can startle a puppy, often causing a chain reaction of shrieking banshees that act like someone is trying to kill them! This is normal as their world has suddenly expanded exponentially with their eyes and ears opening. They are taking in tons of new information and although they may be initially startled, it isn't the fear reaction that is important, it is the recovery that matters. Pups that startle easily to new stimuli but recover quickly and then startle less and less through repeated exposure will likely develop a natural curiosity and are more likely to be more adventurous as they mature. Pups that shriek at the slightest touch or noise on every occasion, that scream when picked up and gently held, or just cannot seem to settle, from this period forward are likely to never "grow out of it". Pups that just cannot be touched or held without panicking can grow into reactive dogs that just cannot be trusted with kids or strangers, and will take a special home if they can be salvageable at all. #6. Week 4. Now is when the pups should be exposed to a number of items, scents, sounds, stimuli, and obstacles, toys, and also food and water, and the litter box if going that route. This time period is a period of rapid learning and development of their bodies, their minds, and learning to learn. It can also be a bit stressful if mom is starting to wean the litter, but you can make this time enjoyable to by giving the pups tasty meals, toys that will enrich learning and an environment where they can be exposed to a number of different textures, things to climb on and over/under, noise making objects, and different types of items to chew on. If letterbox training, 1/2 of the pen space should be devoted to the litter box area. As the pups become more proficient at using the box, the play area gets larger and the litter area smaller. If weather permits, pups should be spending some time outdoors in the safety of a pen away from other animals. Pups that do not get any type of "educational" environment during this period really miss out on important brain development that could potentially stunt their ability to learn new things as easily as their counterparts that do. #7. Weeks 5-7. During these weeks the pups really hit a physical and mental growth spurt. By the end of week 7, they are essentially miniature dogs in that they are running, grabbing items and retrieving objects, tackling and fighting with siblings, and individual personalities and a pecking order for dominance is forming in the litter/pack. The females do tend to be "more" at this point as they just mature a bit faster than the boys. They are just more agile and faster at this point in time, but the boys will catch up! So, this is the time to really step up with exposing the pups to new environments, various cover, scents, if warm out- water to wade in. Riding in cars, time in crates, and some simple treat assisted training to sit and to "here" or to a come in whistle can be implemented at this time. Pups that are not allowed to experience any external stimuli, that only get human interaction during feeding and cleaning of the pen, can grow up avoiding human contact, be fearful of any change in their surroundings, and become a neurotic pacer in their kennel run. #8. Week 8+. This last week or so should be spent with continued exposure to new things to give them the best foot forward to their new lives and future careers. Some breeders use scented tennis balls, clipped frozen or dried wings, or even live pigeons. Some might even start exposing pups to distant gunfire. Others, utilize a puppy playground of sorts to get the pups used to a career in agility sports. Whatever the venue for your future athletes, making life a fun and exciting adventure for the puppies is key to making learning a positive experience for the youngsters. Pups on pickup day should be bright eyed, eager to meet people, clean, free of parasites (fleas, ticks, and worms), they should be attention seeking and active. Pups should be eager to explore but also willing to follow and/or come when called. The breeder should be able to convey which pup(s) should be the right fit for purpose and type of dog that you are looking for and hopefully the litter has been raised in a manner that promotes a happy healthy puppy.