7 Week Old Puppy Care
- A litter of new puppies is one of life's greatest joys, but taking care of so many tiny, helpless lives can be overwhelming. But do not fret.
- Check out this newborn puppy care guide to learn everything you need to know to raise a happy, healthy litter.
Along with growing bigger and more animated as the weeks pass, your little furry friend is also making you fall in love with their adorable face and humorous personality.
- Your puppy's life has undergone some significant changes by the time they are six weeks old, including learning to walk, becoming more independent, and switching to puppy food.
- They're now prepared for the next phase of their lives.
- It's exciting to have a 7-week-old puppy, but they require a lot of time, care, and attention.
- Dogs are very labor- and commitment-intensive, especially when they are young.
10 Tips To Take Care Of 7 Week Old Puppy
Here are 10 tips to take care of your 7 week old puppy.
1. 7 Week Old Puppy’s Vaccination
- Vaccinate your puppy without wasting time.
- It's time to introduce them to every dog's favorite place at the vet- when they are seven weeks old. Yes, the first round of vaccinations is due.
- Depending on your location and the particulars of your puppies' lifestyle, the specific vaccinations administered at each visit may differ slightly.
- At this age, most puppies receive vaccinations for bordetella, measles, parainfluenza, and distemper.
- The vaccination takes about a week to take effect, but even then they are not immune enough to be exposed without risk.
- Puppies at this age shouldn't be allowed on any public grounds where other puppies and dogs may play until at least a week after their final booster shot.
- Consult your veterinarian if you have any questions about how to protect your puppy from potentially fatal and contagious infections.
2. Nursing and Caring
- By giving each puppy a pillow that imitates its mother's heartbeat, you can ease the transition away from the mother and other puppies in the litter.
- They'll feel at ease in their new home thanks to the soothing sound.
- With a heated heartbeat puppy bed or heated heartbeat crate pad, you can also replicate the warmth of their mother's body heat for them.
3. 7 week Old Puppy Play Schedule
- Continue interacting and playing with your furry friend throughout the seventh week. Their developing mind requires a tonne of exciting stimulation.
- If you've chosen to train your dog in a crate, put the crate inside its pen. This enables your dog to investigate it, climb inside, and become accustomed to it.
- Even better, you can feed them in their crate. Introduce a few toys to your dog but watch them closely while they play.
4. 7 Week Old Puppy Sleep Schedule
- Particularly at 7 weeks old, puppies require a lot more sleep than adult dogs do.
- The amount of sleep your dog receives each day will determine how big and strong they become.
- To ensure that your dog gets enough to sleep each day, set nap times for them.
- Leave your puppy alone and keep as quiet of a presence as you can during these times to help them fall asleep.
- A dog crate can be helpful in this situation. When puppies are sleeping, they typically do so for 3 to 10 hours at a time, so try not to disturb them.
- A puppy that is 7 weeks old needs between 18 and 20 hours of sleep per day.
- Due to their polyphasic sleeping patterns, dogs take short naps throughout the day rather than one long nap at night.
- The amount of sleep your puppy needs each day will drop to roughly 15 hours once they are around 20 weeks old. Adult dogs, however, typically only take between 8 and 13.5 hours of naps each day.
5. 7 Week Old Puppy Training
- Even though a 7 week old puppy is too young to receive extensive training, you can still start with the fundamentals.
- At this age, your puppy can learn basic commands like "sit," "come," and "down," as well as their name.
- You can begin working with your puppy to housebreak him or her, though don't anticipate your dog to fully understand these concepts just yet.
- Dogs may need several weeks or even months to finish their potty training and develop the ability to consistently sleep in crates without whining or barking.
- 7 week puppies have incredibly short attention spans, so it's best to keep training sessions brief—no longer than 5 to 10 minutes.
- When training is going well, make sure to give your dog praise and a tasty treat (in moderation!).
6. What to Feed a 7 Week Old Puppy
- Puppies should be completely weaned and only eat solid food at 7 weeks old.
- Meal times should be spread out throughout the day in small, frequent portions.
- Puppies' nutritional requirements differ from those of adult dogs, so you must give them high-quality dry or wet food made specifically for puppies.
- Long-term feeding of adult dog food to a puppy can lead to malnutrition and digestive issues.
- A puppy should not be fed all at once when it is 7 weeks old. Your puppy's meals should be spread out throughout the day.
- Depending on how big they are, you should feed your puppy a certain amount of food.
- As a general guideline, 20g of food per kg of body weight is typically adequate.
- The back of the packaging for the majority of commercial puppy food brands will include feeding recommendations.
7. 7 Week Old Puppy Socialization Schedule
- Proper socialization is crucial for puppies, especially at 7 weeks of age, as it will influence the type of dog your puppy will grow into.
- You should allow your pup to meet family members, friends, and strangers as often as possible to increase their confidence and help them understand how to act around humans.
- In addition, you should expose your puppy to new places and different experiences, such as bicycles, cars, prams/buggies, umbrellas, etc.
- Slowly accustom your puppy to things like being groomed, having nails trimmed, and wearing a harness/lead too.
- You can start socializing your puppy with other dogs after their second vaccination (and two weeks have passed since).
- A great way for your dog to meet people and other dogs is through puppy classes.
8. 7 Week- Old Puppy Care And Health Schedule
- You must provide your puppy with additional essential care in addition to feeding and socialization if you want to keep them healthy.
- This covers grooming, enrichment, exercise, and oral hygiene.
- Although puppies at 7 weeks old won't be ready for long hikes just yet, you can start taking them for 5 to 10-minute walks around your backyard each day.
- For your puppy's well-being and to avoid boredom and destructive behavior, mental stimulation is essential.
- Tug of-war, fetch, obedience training, or just letting your puppy play with chew toys are all excellent ways to stimulate their minds.
9. 7 Week Old Puppy Vet Visit Schedule
- Your puppy's vaccination schedule will affect how frequently you visit the veterinarian.
- However, you might also require additional visits for routine issues like deworming.
Because puppies can inherit intestinal worms from their dams, the deworming schedule should be started early (2 -8 weeks old).
- Generally, puppies should be dewormed every 2 weeks with supervision until they're 12 weeks old, then monthly until they are 6 months old.
- If any health issues develop, additional visits will undoubtedly be necessary.
10. 7 Week Old Puppy Daily Routine Schedule
A predictable daily schedule is beneficial for puppies because it gives your dog a sense of security and helps you stay on top of your puppy's daily care.
An example schedule for a 7-week-old puppy is provided below.
- Early in the morning: After waking up, take your puppy outside to use the restroom. This will significantly simplify the housetraining process for your dog.
- Regular bathroom breaks: are essential because at 7 weeks old puppy can only hold their bladder for about 2 hours.
- After taking your puppy outside to go potty, give them their first meal of the day. After 15 minutes, take food off the table.
- Potty Break: After eating, take your puppy back outside so that they can use the restroom. After that, you can squeeze in some puppy playtime or a training session.
- Mid-morning: You should allow your puppy to nap for the remainder of the morning because playing is exhausting work.
- Midday: After your puppy has awakened from their nap, take them outside once more and repeat the morning routine's activities of eating, using the bathroom, engaging in play or training, and taking another nap.
- Afternoon: Once your puppy has awakened from their afternoon nap, it is time for another potty break, the third meal, playtime, or some cuddles.
- Dinner: Try to time your puppy's meals to coincide with when you prepare your own. In this manner, you can feed your puppy while preparing your meal and then allow them to play while you eat.
- Evening: Take your puppy outside after dinner, then give him or her at least an hour to wind down before bed. Lowered the lights and minimized noise.
- When it's time for bed, give your puppy one last chance to go potty before bringing them quietly to their sleeping space. As long as you squeeze in a lot of activities during the day, you should be fairly sleepy.
- Potty Break: Set a few alarms because your puppy will probably need to use the restroom in the middle of the night.
Summary
In this article there is a detailed description of different schedules and tips to take care of a 7 week old puppy. Their walking ,feeding, napping and sleeping schedules assist a lot in maintaining health and taking care of your 7 week old puppy.
References
- Puppyhood: What to Expect From Puppy Health [1].
- Newborn Puppy Care Week by Week [2].
If you’re adding a dog or have adopted any puppy to your family, our articles will help you to find the best tips for 7 week old puppy. Visit Drlogy Pets for detailed information on the pet care domain. You can find more articles on the best 7 week old puppy tips on our site.
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