Puppies Snuggling

The puppies are starting to be able to generate their own body heat at this point, but will still enjoy the warmth of the heat lamp. They will frequently sleep in a “puppy pile”, and like contact with their littermates. They are still getting weighted in the mornings and handled many times a day. Puppy stimulation exercise will continue until Day 16. Puppies are great “time suckers” and there is no such thing as a quick trip to see them.

Transitional: Two to Four Weeks

The Transitional stage generally lasts from age two to three weeks, and it’s during this time that your puppy’s eyes will open, and he’ll slowly start to respond to light and movement and sounds around him. He’ll become a little more mobile during this period, trying to get his feet underneath him and crawling around in the box (or wherever home is.) He’ll start to recognize mom and his littermates, and any objects placed in the box. They will start to bark and wag their tails.

The puppies will be receptive to the stimuli of light and dark, noise and quiet. Some puppies will open their eyes before 12 days; some are even later than the 15 days. The puppies’ eyes when first opened will have a protective film, bluish in color. This will diminish over the next week or so and we will begin to confirm eye color. By three weeks of age, the puppies’ should be able to focus fairly well.