New puppies are incredibly cute and cuddly, making it very tempting to want to hold and cuddle them as much as possible. However, new pet owners often wonder if it’s possible to hold puppies too much. If you’re wondering the same thing, read on as we dive into the details.
If you’re short on time, here’s the quick answer: Holding newborn puppies too much can negatively impact their health, safety, and development. While puppies need cuddling and socialization, overhandling should be avoided, especially in the first few weeks of life.
Potential Risks of Overhandling Puppies
Spreading Illness and Disease
Puppies have developing immune systems that make them susceptible to illnesses. Overhandling puppies before their vaccinations can increase exposure to bacteria and viruses. Some common illnesses spread through contact include canine parvovirus, canine distemper virus, kennel cough, and ringworm.
It’s crucial to wash hands before and after interacting with puppies and keep their environment clean. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
Physical Harm
Puppies have delicate and growing bones, joints, and muscles. Too much handling can lead to injuries like sprains, fractures, and torn ligaments. Signs of pain include whimpering, reluctance to move, and snapping. It’s important to be gentle and watch for signs of discomfort when holding puppies.
Their safety should be the top priority. Prevention is ideal — lift and play with puppies carefully within reason.
Impeded Development
The first weeks of a puppy’s life are vital for behavioral development. Overhandling puppies can deprive them of important canine interactions and independence. Excessive human contact hinders learning bite inhibition, communication cues, and social skills from their mother and littermates.
This can lead to potential issues like mouthing, anxiety, and fearfulness later in life. It’s best to minimize handling puppies in their critical early weeks and allow them ample time for natural interactions within their litter.
In moderation and with proper precautions, holding puppies can be an incredible experience. But their well-being should always come first. Focus handling to short, positive sessions. Be mindful of safety and allow puppies plenty of time to bond with littermates.
With some common sense and education, overhandling risks can be minimized for happy, healthy puppies.
Recommended Handling of Newborn Puppies
Allow the Mother to Care for Them
It’s best to allow the mother dog to care for her puppies during the first few weeks. She will clean, nurse, and regulate their body temperatures. Only intervene if you notice signs of illness or if the mother is struggling.
According to the American Kennel Club, newborn puppies should nurse every 2-3 hours for the first week as they continue developing. Frequent nursing helps stimulate elimination and provides essential nutrients.
Handle Briefly and Gently
As tempting as it is to cuddle adorable puppies, you should limit handling to 5 minutes per puppy, 2-3 times per day during the first two weeks. The AKC advises touching newborns gently to avoid stressing them. When you pick them up, support their bodies fully and avoid jerky motions.
Place them back with littermates or mom right away so they stay warm.
Prioritize Health Checks and Feeding
While too much handling is discouraged, some interaction is essential to monitor each pup’s health and support the mother. Weigh puppies daily the first two weeks to ensure adequate milk intake. Consult your vet if weight drops by more than 10%.
Supplement bottle feeding if the litter size exceeds the mom’s milk supply. Stimulate elimination with a warm washcloth if pups struggle passing waste. Brush up on signs of illness in puppies so you can get timely veterinary care.
Socialize in Short Bursts
The most critical socialization period for puppies is 3-16 weeks old. Positive interactions during this phase build good manners and trainability. Prioritize gentle introductions to new sights, sounds, smells, surfaces, and people.
For example, let pups explore (with mom supervision) outside the whelping box starting at 3-4 weeks old. Introduce novel noises briefly. Stroke pups gently with different textured materials. Keep sessions very short (a few minutes) to avoid overstimulation while socializing.
In the first month, newborn puppies are still extremely fragile creatures best left in the care of their mother. As they grow, brief handling for feeding, toilet needs, health checks, and short socialization is important.
With a gentle approach, new puppy owners can help make this a positive, healthy experience before bringing the litter home.
Signs of Overhandling Stress in Puppies
Excessive Vocalizations
Puppies who are handled too much may start crying, whining, or yelping excessively. This is a sign that the puppy is feeling distressed and overwhelmed. Frequent high-pitched vocalizations when being held or petted can indicate the puppy is uncomfortable with the amount of handling.
Puppies need plenty of sleep and down time in between socialization and handling to avoid becoming overstimulated. If your puppy seems to cry more than usual during interactions, it’s best to give them a break.
Trembling or Curling Up
Excessive handling can cause puppies to tremble or curl up in a ball. If the puppy’s body starts shaking while being held or they roll onto their back and curl up, they are likely feeling scared and trying to protect themselves.
These submission signals suggest the puppy is overwhelmed and needs a break from handling. It’s important not to force interactions when the puppy is displaying this body language. Take a step back and give them some alone time to destress.
Reluctance to Nurse
Normal, healthy puppies are eager to nurse several times a day. But puppies who are handled too frequently may start refusing to nurse or seem disinterested in feeding. This can be a major red flag that the puppy is stressed out.
Lack of appetite and nursing are signs of fatigue, anxiety, and poor wellbeing in young puppies. Make sure the puppy has adequate rest time away from people before feeding so they can nurse properly. If reluctance to nurse continues, consult your veterinarian, as it can lead to failure to thrive.
Failure to Thrive
Excessive and improper handling is extremely detrimental to a puppy’s growth and development. It can cause puppies to fail to thrive, meaning they will show slow growth, weight loss, lethargy, weakness, and other signs of poor health.
Puppies need lots of sleep and minimal stress for optimal growth, usually at least 18-20 hours of sleep per day. When deprived of rest, puppies can become susceptible to hypoglycemia, dehydration, and impaired immune system function.
Make sure your puppy has a designated quiet space away from children and too much activity. If you notice signs of failure to thrive, take them to the vet immediately for evaluation. With proper management of puppy handling, the prognosis for recovery is good.
Tips for Safe Puppy Handling
Wash Hands Before and After
Washing your hands before and after handling newborn puppies is crucial. Puppies have very weak immune systems, so even small amounts of germs on your hands can make them sick. Use warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds. This simple step goes a long way in keeping the puppies healthy.
Support Entire Body
When picking up a newborn puppy, be sure to support their entire body, not just their front or hind legs. Newborns don’t have very good control over their limbs yet, so holding them incorrectly could injure their fragile joints and bones.
Cup both hands under the puppy’s chest and bottom to properly stabilize them.
Keep Sessions Brief
Newborn puppies sleep up to 90% of the day, so they have very little energy for playtime. Keep handling sessions under 5-10 minutes so you don’t exhaust or overstimulate them. Puppies that become overtired can experience developmental issues.
Let them nap as needed and interact in brief bursts through the day.
Watch for Signs of Distress
Pay close attention to the puppy’s body language while you’re holding them. Signs of distress include crying, squirming, trembling, excessive panting, vomiting, or urinating. If you notice any of these, return the puppy to its mother immediately.
Never force a puppy to stay with you if it’s showing resistance. Over-handling stresses puppies and can make them ill.
By following these basic tips, you can safely interact with newborn puppies without disrupting their development. Frequent handling in a gentle, positive way allows puppies to become comfortable with human touch.
Just be sure to keep sessions short, support their bodies fully, and stay alert to any signs of discomfort. With some common sense and patience, puppy playtime can be a wonderful experience for all!
Conclusion
While those puppy cuddles sure feel great, it’s important not to overdo it in those early weeks. Allow the mother and litter time to bond, and handle the puppies gently, briefly, and only when necessary in order to support their health and development.
With some common sense handling guidelines, you can keep your newborn puppies safe while still enjoying those first puppy snuggles.
