Day: April 9, 2026

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Luna’s Two Week Old Pups Are Growing Like Weeds

Two Weeks Old

Luna’s puppies are now two weeks old and growing like weeds. They have entred the Transitional Period, which usually begins around day 14 and lasts until day 21.

Every puppy is different so “Behavioural Markers” are used to identify the beginning and end of each developmental period. These timelines are simply guidelines. The transitional period begins when the puppy’s eyes open and ends when they first startle upon hearing sounds. When this happens, they enter the next stage, the Critical Socialization Period.

Attentive Mama

We’ve had a busy week caring for Luna and keeping her company in the whelping room while she tends to her little ones. A mama of newborn puppies has a round-the-clock job of feeding and cleaning her puppies. I am always amazed at the instincts God has given animals; they just instinctively know how to care for their young.

Luna is an active dog, and I wondered how she would manage spending so much time focused on caring for her puppies. I am very impressed. She is a caring mother who has done a wonderful job. Mama and puppies are doing well! 

Puppies need to be “cleaned” by their mama to help them “void.” By three weeks of age, they will be able to void on their own, and we will introduce a potty area to their whelping box.

Luna now leaves the puppies sleeping in the whelping box and rests outside on a bed or the floor. 

When she returns to check on her puppies, she first cleans them, and after all the puppies have been cleaned, she settles down to nurse.

Milestones

When raising puppies, we watch for milestones to gauge their progress. I am pleased to say that Luna’s puppies reached both milestones this past week.

Weigh-In: The first milestone the puppies reached this week was doubling their birth weight. We are happy to say all of Luna’s puppies have doubled their birth weight and more. Luna has done a wonderful job caring for her babies!

Eyes Opening: When puppies are born, their eyes are sealed shut as they continue to develop. Puppy’s eyes open somewhere between day 10 and day 14. On Sunday — day 10, Luna’s Red Collar girl was the first puppy to open her eyes. Over the next few days, the rest of the puppies also opened their eyes. It is always exciting when I see the puppies look back at me! 

Keeping puppy area clean

Newborn puppies are vulnerable to disease, so it is crucial to keep their area clean. We clean and disinfect their whelping box daily. We also replace their vet bedding daily or more often when needed, which results in a lot of laundry.

What is Vet Bedding? At first glance, you might think it is sheepskin. It is a synthetic version of sheepskin, made from artificial fibres, with two layers: first, a mesh base similar to the “skin” part of a sheepskin, and second, the comfortable, soft, springy artificial fleece attached on top. Puppies need proper grip while nursing, moving around the whelping box, and learning to walk, as this traction helps protect their developing joints. We change this bedding daily. A couple of Luna’s puppies have escaped from the whelping box, so it is time to add a panel to the entrance of their whelping box to keep them safe

Early Neurological Stimulation

ENS (Early Neurological Stimulation) begins on day 3 and continues through day 16. Research shows that small doses of tiny struggles and stresses are beneficial for puppies and help them develop into strong, healthy, well-adjusted adults. Benefits include increased stress tolerance, higher resistance to disease, quicker adrenal system development, and a stronger heart rate and heartbeat.

This video show ENS exercises on one of Luna’s ten-day-old puppy.

Five second of each:

  1. Touch each paw
  2. Hold upright with feet hanging loose
  3. Hold upside down
  4. Lay in palm of hands on their back
  5. Place on cold cloth

Walking on all fours

The hind legs are becoming stronger. The puppies are learning to walk on all fours. As time passes, they will learn to walk on various surfaces and eventually run.

Sleeping Puppies

Newborn puppies sleep 90% of the time, and I love watching them snooze. They have many sleep positions. Sometimes they rest in the puppy huddle, with a buddy, or alone, tucked snugly under the pigtails in their whelping box. This week, I’ve noticed many of the puppies using the pigrail as a headrest—so adorable.

A Look Back at Week Two

Looking Ahead to Week Three

  • ENS exercises will end on day 16
  • Puppies will continue to eat and sleep most of their day
  • The puppies vision will become clearer
  • Ears will open and they will begin to hear.
  • Puppies will practice walking on all fours, strengthening their hind legs
  • They will become more aware of their littermates and start to interact
  • Puppies will start to vocalize

COMING SOON—Look for puppy two week single pics