Can You Touch Newborn Puppies? What The Experts Say

As a lifelong dog lover, is there anything more exciting than newborn puppies? Those tiny pink paw pads, soft warm bodies, and intoxicating "puppy breath" make my heart melt every time. If you‘ve ever had the honor of witnessing a dog give birth and caring for her new family, you know the feeling of sheer joy coupled with an intense desire to nurture and protect these precious creatures.

But as tempting as it is to immediately scoop up those squirmy babies for a snuggle session, it‘s crucial to be very careful about how and when we handle brand new puppies – both for their safety and their mother‘s well-being. You may have heard an old wives‘ tale that a mother dog will reject her puppies if they are touched by humans and take on unfamiliar scents. Rest assured, that‘s a myth! However, there are still many important reasons to be exceptionally careful about physically interacting with puppies in their first weeks of life.

Why "Hands Off" Is Best For Newborn Pups

Veterinarians and animal behavior experts agree that, barring any medical complications, newborn puppies should be handled as minimally as possible in the first two weeks after birth. As challenging as it may be to admire the cuteness from afar, avoiding unnecessary contact is best for these reasons:

1. Newborn Puppies Can‘t Regulate Their Body Temperature

Like most mammal infants, puppies are born unable to control their own body temperature. They rely on the constant heat provided by close contact with their mother and littermates. According to veterinarian Dr. Margarat Gruen, even a slight chill can be life-threatening for newborn puppies, who need an ambient temperature between 85-90°F (29-32°C) for the first 5 days of life.[^1]

Cuddling a puppy, while certainly warm and snuggly for us, can rapidly cool their tiny bodies once they are removed from the heat of the puppy pile. Veterinarians warn that separating a puppy from its mother for just 10-15 minutes can cause dangerous hypothermia, especially in the first 7-10 days when they are most vulnerable.[^2] No matter how good our intentions may be, it‘s best to wait until the puppies are at least 2 weeks old before holding them for more than a minute or two at a time.

2. Puppies Are Born With Immature Immune Systems

Newborn puppies don‘t just need help staying warm – they also enter the world without a fully developed defense system against disease. A puppy‘s immune system gradually strengthens over the first 16 weeks of life, but until then, they are very susceptible to bacterial and viral illnesses.[^3]

Infectious disease is a leading cause of death for neonatal puppies – approximately 20-30% of puppies don‘t survive past 2 weeks old, with the majority of losses due to infections passed on by humans or other pets.[^4] While the germs and normal skin bacteria we carry are usually harmless to adult dogs and humans, they can pose a huge threat to immunocompromised newborn puppies. If you absolutely must handle very young puppies, always thoroughly wash and disinfect your hands or wear clean gloves to minimize the risk of disease transmission.

3. Disrupting The Puppies‘ Routine Can Cause Stress For The Whole Family

Both the mother dog and her puppies need lots of quiet, uninterrupted time to rest and nurse in the first weeks after birth. Newborn puppies sleep for 16-20 hours per day, waking only to spend a few minutes suckling.[^5] This cycle of feeding and sleeping is essential for the puppies to grow and put on weight.

Disturbing the puppies for playtime or cuddles, however well-meaning, can throw off their natural feeding schedule and make it harder for them to settle and nurse. The mother dog may also become anxious or agitated trying to tend to her babies with people frequently reaching into her personal space. A stressed mom may even start snapping or rejecting her puppies. Especially in the early days, it‘s best to resist intervening and let the new family have plenty of peaceful privacy.

4. Early Bonding With Mom Supports Better Behavior And Development

Beyond just meeting the puppies‘ basic survival needs, the mother dog serves a vital role in guiding her offspring‘s psychological and behavioral development. Studies of puppies and other mammal infants like monkeys and mice have shown just how critical it is for healthy growth to have attentive maternal care and interaction with their mother and siblings in early life.[^6]

Puppies that are well-socialized by a calm, nurturing mother in the first 8 weeks tend to grow into more stable, resilient, and adaptable adult dogs. They learn important communication skills and self-control through play with their littermates. Conversely, orphaned puppies and those that are separated from their mothers too early are at much higher risk for anxiety, aggression, and other behavioral issues.[^7]

While of course puppy rearing shouldn‘t be entirely hands-off for humans, it‘s important to allow the bulk of the early work to happen naturally dog-to-dog. Frequent human handling, however gentle, can stress the mother and make her feel the need to move the litter to a more secure location. It can also cause the puppies to imprint more on humans than their canine family. Letting the doggy parents do the hard work in the beginning sets the puppies up for more balanced development.

When To Step In With Newborn Puppy Care

All of this isn‘t to say you should ignore the puppies completely for 2 weeks – there are times when human help is necessary to ensure the puppies‘ health and survival. Some examples of situations where careful hands-on care is warranted include:

• The mother dog has a difficult delivery, becomes ill, or rejects/abandons the litter
• A puppy is born weak/not breathing and needs help to stimulate respiration
• The puppies are orphaned and require bottle or tube feeding every 2-4 hours
• A puppy is not gaining weight or showing signs of illness requiring vet treatment

Even in the smoothest scenarios, some brief handling is necessary to monitor the puppies‘ wellbeing. Most experts advise doing quick 1-2 minute checks on each puppy a few times a day to ensure they are warm, clean, and free of any problems like birth defects or cleft palates.[^8]

It‘s also wise to weigh the puppies daily using a kitchen or postal scale to make sure they are eating and growing sufficiently. Healthy puppies should double their birth weight by 10-12 days old.[^9] Steady weight gain and plenty of wiggling/squeaking are good signs the puppies are thriving.

You can also carefully handle the pups as needed while mom takes short breaks away from the nest to go outside, eat, and drink. Just aim to minimize these necessary handling sessions and always put the pups right back with their siblings once you‘re done. After all, you‘ll have a lifetime to enjoy puppy snuggles, but only a few precious days to witness them in their tiny, brand new state!

Creating A Peaceful Puppy Nursery

To set the stage for a happy, healthy start for the puppies, it‘s important for the humans to provide a safe, welcoming space with everything the new family needs. Some key things to include in the whelping/nursing area:

• A quiet, low-traffic location away from other pets and household noise
• A large box or pen with tall sides the puppies can‘t climb out of as they grow
• Soft, clean bedding like towels or blankets that can be easily washed
• Multiple sources of warmth like heating pads and heat lamps, especially in cool weather
• Easy access to the mother dog‘s water, food, and an outdoor elimination area
• A baby monitor or camera to keep an eye on the family from a distance

Even small adjustments like dimming the lights, speaking softly, and keeping young children and other pets out of the area can go a long way in reducing the mother dog‘s stress levels. The calmer and more secure she feels, the better she will be able to focus on caring for her babies.

Socializing After The Sensitive Period

Once the puppies reach the 2 week mark, they will start to open their eyes and ears and become much more active and curious. This is the time to slowly introduce more intentional socialization with humans to get the puppies used to being handled. Start with just 5 minutes of gentle petting a couple times a day, and gradually increase the amount of handling as the puppies approach adoption age around 8 weeks old.

Puppies have a critical window for socialization between 3-16 weeks of life where positive experiences with new people, animals, places, and stimuli have an outsized impact on their development.[^10] A thoughtful puppy socialization plan balances pushing the puppies out of their comfort zone and exposing them to new things with making sure interactions are fun and not too overwhelming.

Some ideas for safe socialization activities as the puppies mature:

• Holding the pups in different positions like on their back or with their paws touched
• Bringing in a variety of visitors to meet the puppies, including people of diverse ages, ethnicities, and abilities
• Introducing toys of all different textures, sounds, and shapes for the puppies to explore
• Playing recordings of common noises like doorbells, vacuums, and traffic
• Placing boxes, tunnels, and baby gates around the puppy area to create an obstacle course
• Taking the puppies on short adventures to new rooms of the house or out in the yard

With a solid foundation of early life care and socialization, puppies will grow up to be well-adjusted doggy citizens ready to eagerly take on the human world. But building that foundation starts with giving them the space to be immersed in the doggy world with their first and best teacher – their mother.

When Mother Dogs Reject Puppies

As reassuring as it is to know casual human touch won‘t cause a mother dog to reject her puppies, maternal rejection still happens sometimes. It‘s a heartbreaking situation for everyone involved. But why do mother dogs abandon or attack their own babies?

There are many theories, but some common reasons seem to be:

• The mother is very young, inexperienced, and doesn‘t have a strong maternal instinct
• The mother is suffering from an infection like mastitis or metritis that makes nursing painful
• The mother is malnourished, dehydrated, or exhausted and lacks the resources to care for the litter
• There are loud noises, unfamiliar people, or other major stressors disturbing the whelping area
• A puppy has a birth defect, is failing to thrive, or getting sick and the mother instinctively rejects them to focus her energy on the healthy puppies

Rarely, a mother dog may reject the entire litter and refuse to nurse. More often, she may push away or ignore just one or two sickly or weak puppies. In either case, swift intervention is critical to save the puppies‘ lives. They will need to be kept in a warm, safe place and bottle or tube fed a canine milk replacer every few hours until they are old enough to eat solid food.

The mother dog should also be checked by a vet for any medical issues and given supportive care to help her recover. With close monitoring, supplemental feeding, and reducing any environmental stress, many rejected puppies are able to successfully reunite with their mom and siblings.

Responsible breeders keep a watchful eye on their new litters and have an action plan to quickly respond if the mother‘s parenting falls short. Casual pet owners who have an "oops" litter should consult their vet for guidance to ensure the puppies‘ best chance at survival if they run into any maternal health or behavior red flags.

Final Thoughts

The birth of puppies is an awe-inspiring event, and the desire to hold and dote on these adorable babies is a natural instinct. But as hard as it is for us puppy-loving humans to keep our hands to ourselves, the kindest approach is to give the new family space and serenity in those first fragile weeks. Rest assured, marveling at the incredible process from a distance won‘t cause the mother dog to love her offspring any less!

Before long, the puppies will grow from sleepy, snuggly beans into roly poly balls of energy eager to experience the great big world – and smother you with puppy kisses. The hands-off time will make those first magical moments of connection all the sweeter. And with any luck, the puppies will carry the benefits of a peaceful, mom-centered puppyhood into a lifetime of spreading joy as well-adjusted doggy companions.

There‘s no deeper bond than the one between a mother dog and her brand new babies – witnessing it is truly a privilege. The best way to honor that sacred relationship is to simply let it be, knowing the love and cuddles will come in due time. Patience is a virtue, especially in the puppy nursery!

[^1]: Gruen, M. (2020, April 16). Caring for Newborn Puppies. American Kennel Club. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/puppy-information/caring-newborn-puppies/
[^2]: Toney, C. B., & Hopper, D. (2018). Small animal pediatrics: The first 12 months of life. Elsevier Health Sciences.
[^3]: Meyers, H. (2007). Zoonotic diseases of puppies & kittens. Veterinary Focus, 22(4), 36-38.
[^4]: Veronesi, M. C., Panzani, S., Faustini, M., & Rota, A. (2009). An Apgar scoring system for routine assessment of newborn puppy viability and short-term survival prognosis. Theriogenology, 72(3), 401-407.
[^5]: Hallgren, A. (2019). Your Puppy‘s First Week: Caring for Newborn Puppies. American Kennel Club. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/puppy-information/puppy-first-week/
[^6]: Guardini, G., Mariti, C., Bowen, J., Fatjó, J., Ruzzante, S., Martorell, A., … & Gazzano, A. (2016). Influence of morning maternal care on the behavioural responses of 8-week-old Beagle puppies to new environmental and social stimuli. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 181, 137-144.
[^7]: Pierantoni, L., Albertini, M., & Pirrone, F. (2011). Prevalence of owner-reported behaviours in dogs separated from the litter at two different ages. Veterinary Record, 169(18), 468-468.
[^8]: Davidson, A. P. (2003). Approaches to reducing neonatal mortality in dogs. Reproduction in companion, exotic and laboratory animals, 2, 1-11.
[^9]: Lawler, D. F. (2008). Neonatal and pediatric care of the puppy and kitten. Theriogenology, 70(3), 384-392.
[^10]: Howell, T. J., King, T., & Bennett, P. C. (2015). Puppy parties and beyond: the role of early age socialization practices on adult dog behavior. Veterinary medicine: research and reports, 6, 143.