The teeny newborn puppies are the cutest things ever, aren’t they? I bet the urge to touch and pat newborn puppies comes rushing in into most minds. Also, often, it is needed to touch them to help the mother and the puppies in many ways.
But due to their sensitive small body, a question that arises in our minds is, “Can I touch newborn puppies?”. This very same question strikes me too.
That’s why, I started to look for an accurate answer. In this article, I will share the answer with you. Read the entire article to know every bit about touching newborn puppies.
Can I Touch Newborn Puppies?
Yes, you can touch newborn puppies. You can touch them according to their needs. In fact, after a certain time, you should touch newborn puppies to help them and interact with them more.
Because of the sensitivity, it is recommended to touch newborn puppies only when the puppies or the mother needs help before they get three weeks old. It is suggested not to touch the newborn puppies to adore them and play with them before they get to that age.
Is It Safe to Touch Newborn Puppies with Bare Hands?
It is only safe to touch newborn puppies with bare hands when you wash your hands properly and sanitize them. Also, your hands are at room temperature.
You know, how human hands can carry germs and get even grown-ups sick. When it comes to sensitive newborn puppies, it’s more concerning. So, it is important to keep them protected and safe from germs to secure them from getting sick.
Moreover, when the puppies’ umbilical cords are still yet to dry out, the risk of getting sick is higher. By cause of using unwashed bare hands, you can unintentionally be a reason for your puppies’ sickness.
Make sure to wash and sanitize your hands appropriately before touching them with bare hands. However, if you feel very anxious about using bare hands to touch newborn puppies, you can always use hand gloves as a safer option.
Additionally, as newborn puppies get cold very easily, your cold hands will become unsafe for them. So, warm them before touching newborn puppies.
How to Ensure Safety While Touching Newborn Puppies?
Due to the sensitivity of newborn puppies, it is very important that a puppy owner keeps a few things in mind before and while touching newborn puppies.
1# As mentioned earlier, sanitized hands are most important. Before you touch your newborn puppies, make sure your hands are washed properly. This will help them stay sheltered from parasites too.
2# Check the temperature of your hands. It is equally important as the first tips. It is recommended to have your hands at room temperature while you touch newborn puppies. If your hands are cold, newborn puppies can be cold too when you touch them. So ensure your hands are warm enough to ensure their safety.
3# Be gentle with them while touching them. Do not put all of the weight of your hand on your puppies while petting them. Be very careful how you move your hands on them. If you hold them up then hold them softly and gently.
4# If for any reason you hold a puppy up, make sure you keep it closer to your chest, lap, or the whelping box so that even if you accidentally drop them, it can still be safe. Also, keeping them closer to your chest and lap will make them feel safe.
When Can I Touch Newborn Puppies?
It is recommended to touch newborn puppies as little as possible. The first few weeks when the newborn puppies remain blind and deaf and not separated from the mother, is the most crucial period when only the mother of the puppies should do everything. And mothers know best!
After the newborn puppies turn three weeks old, it is permissible to interact a little more with them. But observe the relationship between the puppies and the mother. If they are bonding well, touching the puppy will not be a problem. But if you see that the mother and the puppy are not bonding well, it’s better to avoid touching them.
However, many conditions can come when you need to touch and hold the newborn puppies. Especially when the mother gets tired or sick or the whelping box gets dirty. You can hold the puppies and help and encourage them to nurse properly and clean the box.
Moreover, you can touch them to see if they are cold or sick. You can check on them when the mother is taking a break, eating, or running outside.
How NOT to Touch Newborn Puppies
Here, let me list out some things that you should NOT do when you touch newborn puppies. A quick look at this list can help you be more careful with newborn puppies.
1# Do not approach them quickly. A quick approach or a quick hold on puppies can give them a shock.
2# Do not hold them with cold hands. By now you know why to warm your hands up.
3# Do not hold them for too long. Mothers’ warmth is ideal for newborn puppies. So do not keep the newborn puppies away from the mothers much.
4# Do not hold them on their tummies before the umbilical cord is dry. It is recommended not to even hold them before the cord dries but if needed, it’s a must to be careful.
5# Do not squeeze them. Sometimes while holding newborn puppies we hold them a little tighter so that the risk of dropping them gets lesser. But this act suffocates them and hurts them as their bones are still soft. So, avoid that.
Would Mothers Reject Their Newborn Puppies if I Touch Them?
You might have heard that your touch can make mothers reject their puppies. It is said that when the mother finds a human smell on her puppies she rejects them. Well, this is not true.
Mother dogs do not reject their puppies because of human smell or if you touch them. There can be a lot of other reasons why a mother rejects her puppy. It’s very natural in the animal world that the mother or father kills the puppies that are the weakest ones or got sick.
It is sad but it is true and very natural among them. So if your dog rejects any puppy of hers, there are no reasons to think that it happened because of your touch.
You can touch the puppies after a certain period of time when it is okay to interact with them more. The mother dogs mostly get happy if the puppies interact with their owners.
Another thing that comes here, is trust. If your dog trusts you, she will happily let you handle the puppies and interact with them. So, observe the mother first.
Conclusion
Handling newborn puppies is a big responsibility. It needs to be done as carefully as possible. Even a small touch can sometimes make newborn puppies’ health worse.
However, I hope you have gotten your answer to “Can I touch newborn puppies”. The other related information will help you touch, take care of, and handle your newborn puppies more.