13/11/2025
Did you know???
At Knotty Creek Labs, the first 14 days of a puppy’s life are treated with the highest level of precision and care. The neonatal stage isn’t just “the newborn phase” — it is a medically fragile period where puppies depend entirely on the dam and the breeder’s expertise to survive.
Here’s what most people don’t realize about neonates:
🍼 Neonates Are 0–14 Days Old
This stage covers birth until their eyes and ears begin to open.
During this time:
• The nervous system is still developing
• Immune function is immature
• Puppies cannot regulate temperature, eliminate on their own, or process the world normally
Survival depends on warmth, feeding frequency, hygiene, and consistent human oversight — even in the most stable maternal environments.
🔥 They Cannot Regulate Their Body Temperature
Neonate puppies cannot self-regulate heat until roughly 3 weeks old. Until then, they rely completely on:
• The dam’s body heat
• Littermates huddling
• A properly managed whelping-box environment
A temperature drop can cause hypothermia within minutes.
❄️ Why Chilling Is So Dangerous
A chilled puppy:
• Will stop nursing
• Cannot digest milk or formula
• Becomes too weak to cry
• Enters the “fading puppy” cascade quickly
Once they’re cold, warming must be slow and controlled — breathing and digestion are easily compromised.
🐕🦺 The Dam Knows When a Puppy Is Too Cold
Mother dogs instinctively recognize temperature instability. A pup that cannot maintain warmth may be:
• Pushed away
• Blocked from nursing
• Ignored or excluded from the litter
This is instinctual — a cold puppy signals illness, and the dam prioritizes healthier pups.
This is why responsible breeders never rely solely on the dam’s instincts and monitor each puppy round-the-clock.
👂 Puppies Are Born Completely Deaf
Neonates have sealed ear ca**ls for the first 10–14 days.
During this period:
• They cannot hear voices, noises, or littermates
• Sound does not guide behavior
• They navigate solely through scent, warmth, and touch
Hearing gradually develops once the ca**ls open, and even then, clarity is limited until the sensory system matures.
👁 Their Eyes Stay Closed Until Around 10–14 Days
Even once their eyes open, puppies:
• Have cloudy, limited vision
• Cannot track objects
• Do not perceive depth or distance
Their visual world expands slowly as the neurological system connects more fully. Exploration doesn’t begin until the transitional period (around 2.5–3 weeks).
🚫 They Cannot Potty on Their Own
Neonates cannot urinate or defecate independently. They require stimulation after every feeding.
The dam provides this naturally by licking the ge***al and a**l areas.
When humans are assisting or raising neonates:
• We stimulate every 2–3 hours
• We monitor output
• We watch for signs of constipation, diarrhea, or dehydration
Healthy elimination is one of the best indicators of neonatal stability.
💤 They Sleep 90% of the Day
Neonates are not meant to be awake for long periods.
Sleep supports:
• Brain development
• Sensory system growth
• Muscle development
• Immune function
• Release of growth hormones
Disrupted sleep or environmental stress can negatively impact neurological development.
🌡 They Are Prone to Rapid Energy Loss
Neonates have almost no energy reserves.
Hypoglycemia and dehydration can happen extremely fast if:
• A puppy is pushed off the ni**le
• The dam has uneven milk production
• A puppy becomes chilled
• Feeding frequency isn’t monitored
This is why daily weight tracking is standard in responsible breeding — it catches problems before they become emergencies.
⚠️ Why This Stage Requires Skilled, Ethical Breeding
Neonatal care is not casual work — it’s a science.
At Knotty Creek, we commit to:
• Temperature monitoring
• Round-the-clock observation
• Weight charts
• Ensuring every pup stays warm and properly latched
• Checking for exclusion behaviors from the dam
• Maintaining dam health and calcium balance
• Clean bedding and controlled humidity
• Immediate intervention for any pup falling behind
Healthy, confident, well-developed adult Labradors start here — with intentional, informed, hands-on neonatal management from day one.
