The following text is from Guide Dogs for the Blind.

3 Days Old

The newborn puppies are weighed daily for the first five days of their lives to ensure they are gaining weight. If a puppy's growth is lagging, the pup may be bottle fed.

The nursing mothers' milk is examined for discoloration and tested to ensure it contains the appropriate nutrients and is free of infections. If a mother has more puppies than she can handle, the pups may be transferred to another mother that has also whelped at close to the same time (within 24-36 hours). If no such dog is available, the puppies will be bottle fed. As a health precaution for the newborn puppies, only the staff members working in the whelping kennel that day are allowed to go into that kennel.

Website links
- Guide Dogs for the Blind Breeding Program
- Contra Costa East Guide Dog Raisers
- University of Cal article about being a Breeder Keeper

website updated on Dec 11, 2004

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