Oct 6, 2020

From birth until 14 days old is the NEONATAL PERIOD. A puppy during this stage is called a NEONATE.

Neonate puppies begin navigating the moment they are born by their sense of smell, it is how they are able to find their mother and milk. They are unable to support their own body weight during the neonate stage, therefore unable to walk. Not being able to walk doesn’t stop a hungry puppy! By about 2 days old the puppy is becoming adept at scooting on its belly, it uses its front and back legs to propel itself forward and to turn itself around.

Neonate puppies have the ability to taste. They have a sense of touch at birth, though it not highly developed yet. During these first 2 weeks the puppy is not able to maintain its body temperature. It will not survive this stage if it is not kept warm.

It is common knowledge that puppies are born unable to see, towards the end of the neonatal period a puppy begins to open its eyes. At first everything is blurry, though is can distinguish light from dark and it is able detect motion. It is several days after the puppy’s eyes open before they can begin to see clearly.

Less commonly know is that neonate puppies are unable to hear. Their ear canals are closed until after the eyes are clearly focusing and able the time the puppies are lifting their bellies up and starting to walk. You will know a puppy is able to hear when you make a noise hear their whelping pen and they have a startle reflex by jerking slightly. It is like seeing a scattering of popcorn kernels popping at one time.