Great news! Everyone is doing well. We were a little worried about Zoe’s ability to produce enough milk because she is so skinny. For the first 3 days, the puppies were not gaining weight when they should be gaining about 10% each day. I ran out and got puppy formula to supplement which they did not particularly like (but it’s not unusual for them to not drink well from a bottle at first). But, they have been steadily gaining weight every day since so hopefully, we are in the clear.

Zoe is such a good dog. She is an excellent mom and super smart. She learned how to use the dog door after just a few days. Some of our foster mamas have taken weeks to use it on their own although, this is more about being fearful then smarts. We had 5 friends over to handle the puppies and Zoe was totally cool with it. It’s so important to have different people handle young puppies, especially as neonates. Studies have shown that handling neonatal puppies results in them growing to be calmer and less sensitive to stress. Learn more about neonatal handling.