Caring for Baby Puppies: A Foster Guide

Caring for baby puppies is a lifesaving responsibility that requires patience, consistency, and close attention to detail. Orphaned or motherless puppies depend entirely on their caregivers for warmth, nutrition, hygiene, and early development. While bottle baby fostering can feel overwhelming at first, having the right knowledge and support makes all the difference.

This guide is designed to walk you through the basics of caring for neonatal and young puppies, with step-by-step training videos to support you at each stage. Please watch each video carefully and refer back to them throughout your foster journey.

🎥 Video: How to Bottle Feed Puppies (Basics)

Proper feeding is one of the most critical parts of caring for baby puppies. Puppies who are too young to eat on their own must be bottle-fed using puppy-specific milk replacer — never use cow’s milk. Commercial formulas provide balanced nutrition and are designed for puppy needs. Best Friends Animal Society

• Always feed puppies on their belly, never on their back — this prevents aspiration. Best Friends Animal Society

• Warm formula to body temperature, not hot. Best Friends Animal Society

• Allow puppies to suckle at their own pace. Best Friends Animal Society

• Feed every 2–4 hours, including overnight — frequency depends on age and condition. Best Friends Animal Society

• If formula comes out of the nose, stop and contact your foster coordinator — this may indicate improper technique or aspiration.

Additional useful video tutorials:

🎥 How to Bottle Feed Puppies (Esbilac brand focus)

🎥 Using a Syringe to Feed a Newborn Puppy

🎥 Video: Preparing Milk Replacer for Puppies

• Use puppy-specific milk replacer and follow label directions.

• Test the temperature on your wrist — it should feel warm, not hot.

• Choose the right bottle and nipple size for your puppies.

In the first stage of life, puppies need:

• Warmth: Puppies can’t regulate their body temperature — provide a warm, draft-free nesting area.

• Cleanliness: Keep bedding clean and dry.

• Gentle handling: Touch and handle puppies gently to start the socialization process.

1. Weigh puppies daily to ensure they are gaining weight

2. Eyes usually open between 10–14 days, and ears between 5–8 days.

3. As puppies grow, check that they are active and alert after feedings.

Once puppies start moving and showing interest in solid food (usually around 3–4 weeks), you can begin offering gruel made of puppy food mixed with milk replacer.

As puppies grow, their nutritional needs change. Weaning is the gradual transition from bottle-feeding to eating solid food and is an important milestone in healthy development. Most puppies are ready to begin weaning between 3–4 weeks of age.

Start by offering a puppy gruel made from high-quality puppy food softened with warm water or puppy milk replacer. The mixture should be very soupy at first and thickened gradually over time.

• Puppies may walk through the food, lick it off their paws, or make a mess — this is normal and part of learning.

• Bottle feedings should continue while puppies learn to eat from a shallow dish.

• As puppies eat more gruel, bottle feedings can slowly be reduced.

• Offer gruel 2–3 times daily while continuing bottle feeds as needed.

• Always supervise meals to ensure all puppies are eating.

• Monitor stool quality — mild changes are normal, but diarrhea should be reported.

• By 5–6 weeks, puppies should be eating softened puppy food well on their own.

📌 If a puppy is not interested in food, is losing weight, or seems weak, contact your foster coordinator right away.

CLICK HERE for our Foster Feeding Guide - Puppy Edition

Puppies grow and change rapidly in their first weeks of life. Understanding normal development helps you recognize progress and identify concerns early.

• Birth–2 Weeks (Neonatal Period): Puppies are unable to see or hear and rely completely on caregivers for warmth, feeding, and elimination. Sleep and nursing are their primary activities.

• 2–3 Weeks (Transitional Period): Eyes and ears begin to open. Puppies start crawling, standing, and responding to sounds.

• 3–4 Weeks: Puppies begin walking, playing with littermates, and exploring their environment. Weaning begins.

• 5–6 Weeks: Increased confidence, playful behavior, and interest in toys. Puppies are eating mostly solid food.

• 7–8 Weeks: Social skills develop rapidly. Puppies are curious, interactive, and ready for adoption preparation.

• Provide gentle handling and positive human interaction.

• Introduce age-appropriate enrichment (soft toys, safe surfaces).

• Keep the environment clean, warm, and low stress.

📌 Any delays, lethargy, weight loss, or sudden behavior changes should be reported immediately.

Use the guide below to help track progress and prepare for foster check-ins.

Fostering baby puppies is demanding but incredibly impactful. Your commitment provides these puppies the foundation they need to grow, thrive, and find loving homes. Thank you for being a critical part of their journey.

Always reach out to your foster coordinator with questions or concerns — support is just a message away. 🐶❤️