Instructions
Keep the mother dog and puppies in an enclosed area, such as a bathroom or large closet, except when the mother dog needs to go outside or eat. Keep an eye on them and make the area as comfortable for it as possible. Put some toys and the dog bed in the area.
Encourage your dog to lie down and allow its puppies to nurse. Assist her in lying down, if necessary. Feed your dog treats and give her attention while nursing so she associates the event with good things. Use a forceful hand, without hurting your dog, to keep her lying down, if necessary.
Feed the puppies special canine milk replacer that mimics mother's milk. Use eye droppers or syringes to feed the puppies for the first three or four weeks several times per day, as much as every two hours.
Keep the puppies as warm as possible -- initially between 85 and 90 degrees for the first few days. Keep the temperature around the puppies at around 80 degrees for the next few weeks, then around 75 degrees for the next few weeks. Use a heating pad, hot water bottles wrapped in towels or small blankets and a heat lamp to provide the puppies with the necessary warmth. Set up an area where the puppies can crawl to get cool if they get overheated.
Begin a transition to solid food after four weeks. Use a high-quality dry puppy food that's been soaked in warm water and the canine milk replacer and mixed until almost paste-like. Feed them in this manner for about three weeks several times per day. Feed the same puppy food, without the water and milk replacer, after about eight weeks, as long as your veterinarian approves.
How to Take Care of Puppies When the Mother Won't
Newborn puppies usually get everything they need during the first few weeks of life from their mother. Nourishment and warmth are the puppies' primary concern initially, as well as getting to know their surrounding and fellow litter mates. On some occasions, the mother dog is unable or unwilling to nurse her puppies. That's when the human factor has to intervene and provide the things to the newborn pups that the mother dog doesn't.