Newborn puppies are of great concern, aren’t they? They need proper attention and care for a few weeks after being born just like human babies do.
There are a lot of dog owners who even forget to sleep to attend to their puppies 24/7. Well, if you know how long you can leave newborn puppies unattended, you can take a break from time to time and do other things properly.
In this article, I will tell you how long can you leave newborn puppies unattended and will give you much more information.
How Long Can You Leave Newborn Puppies Unattended?
Attending newborn puppies sort of depends on how old they are. You can leave puppies unattended for an hour or so when they are up to 10 weeks old. But if they are older than 10 weeks and under 15 weeks, you can leave them unattended for 2 hours. It varies, and it can even increase up to 4 hours.
The puppies under 10 weeks urinate very frequently as they fail to hold urinate in. That is why it is important to attend them frequently. Besides, puppies that are above 10 weeks old can hold their bladder for around two hours, which allows you to leave them unattended for a little more time.
What Can Happen If You Leave Newborn Puppies Unattended for a Long Time?
Newborn puppies remain sensitive and vulnerable after being born which is why they require frequent monitoring. As mentioned earlier, they cannot hold their bladder much at that stage.
So if you leave your puppies unattended for a long time, they will urinate and be wet for that much time. It can be a problem in many ways. First, they might get cold sleeping in their urine for a long time. then again it is a threat to their hygiene.
Also, right after giving birth to the puppies, many mothers get tired and confused. They find it tiring to feed the puppies and take care of them. So if you leave the puppies unattended for a long time, you could fail to ensure proper care for them because the mother might already give up.
Also, if you leave them unattended for a long time, you won’t know if they are hungry or not, which can cause them starvation. But if you stay near them, you might get signs when they are hungry.
Do You Need to Stay Up All Night to Attend Newborn Puppies?
Many dog owners get tired and exhausted in the first few weeks when their dog gives birth to the puppies. Sleepless nights and frequent caregiving cause this exhaustion to the owners.
Well, I know how much you care for the puppies and want to protect them. But still, you do not need to stay up all night to attend to newborn puppies.
I bet already in day times, you stay with your puppies every moment. There are a lot of things you can do to make sure the puppies are all fine when you leave them unattended.
Definitely, the first two weeks of newborn puppies are the most crucial time for them. And they need constant care and frequent monitoring but you also need proper and sound sleep. To keep them healthy and safe, you need to stay sane.
So do not stay up all night to attend to newborn puppies, instead follow the steps mentioned below for a tension-free sound sleep while keeping your puppies protected.
What Steps to Take in order to Protect Puppies While You’re Sleeping?
Firstly, you should make sure your puppies are wearing puppy diapers before you leave for bed. When puppies stay in diapers it eliminates the risks of getting cold from their urination and keeps them dry.
Secondly, when the nights are cold, keep them covered in warm clothes before leaving. Also, you can keep the heat lamps turned on near them so that they stay protected from cold nights.
Then again, make sure the puppies are well-fed before you leave them unattended. Feeding is mostly done in the daytime, so at night, it halves the tension of having them awaken late at night and having them suffer from hunger.
However, it is not uncommon for puppy mothers to have issues settling with the puppies. At that time, no matter how carefully you follow the steps mentioned above, constant checks are recommended.
So ensure having another person monitoring them while you sleep. You can take turns with them and both of you can get a healthy sleep.
How Long Should Newborn Puppies Stay With Their Mother?
The puppies must stay with their mother at least for six weeks. It is important for puppies to be weaned before being separated from their mother. Well, many puppies take the time up to 8 weeks to be weaned enough to stay separated from their mother.
A puppy mother’s duty to take care of the puppies starts from the minute she gives birth to the puppies.
In the first two weeks, puppies need to be fed every 2 hours. So it is recommended to keep the puppies close to their mother 24/7. But after they’re partly weaned, the puppy mother needs to stay with them from time to time.
Puppies get many antibodies from their mother’s milk which gives them the ability to fight infections and many diseases. Additionally, there are a lot of lessons that a puppy mother needs to teach her puppies for life in that early period of time.
So it is important to keep the puppies with the mother and their littermates for a certain period of time.
Ensuring Care for Newborn Puppies Unattended
Even though it is not essential to attend to the puppies every minute, you must ensure proper protection for even two minutes when you’re away.
To ensure proper care and safety for your newborn puppies when you leave them unattended, firstly, you must prepare a box that is big enough to keep them comfortable. The box needs to be cozy, spacious, and safe.
Make sure you have put enough soft materials in the box to protect them from hurting. Do not keep the corners sharp. If you keep them in a doghouse, prepare it well too.
Keep the box in a safe place so that even if the puppies move when you are away, they don’t hurt themselves in any way.
Before leaving them unattended, make sure the puppies are not cold. Adjust the temperature as much as you can. You can cover them with warm clothes.
The best time to leave your puppies unattended is when they are sleeping. But still, be responsible and don’t leave them unattended for an extra long time.
Final Thoughts
Many dog owners might have different opinions about how long can you leave newborn puppies unattended. And you might need to choose one.
Observe your puppies, puppy mother and their behaviors first to decide what’s best for them.
Do not forget to take care of yourself while being busy to take care of them. Depending on their adaptivity and behaviors take breaks.
Related Posts