Puppy Development, the Neonatal Period, Days 0-10 and Adaptil
The first 10 days of a puppy’s life is the neonatal period, during which the pup is deaf and blind. So how do they find milk? Puppies are born able to smell and taste.
During the neonatal period pups are dependent on the dam for warmth, food and elimination. While it's important not to upset the dam, it's essential that pups are introduced to humans during this period.
Gentle handling, which is slightly stressful, allows pups to learn to tolerate stress. Pups learn to associate gentle handling with the smell of humans. They learn to tolerate small fluctuations in temperature.
Because the dam produces oxytocin pheromone when the pups nurse, little pups learn to associate this pheromone with feeling of wellbeing. The calming pheromone Adaptil is based on oxytocin and can be used as a spray to help ease stress in older dogs because it will subconsciously return the dog to its safe, warm first few days of life.
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