We’ve probably all heard it, right? Dad said: “don’t touch the puppies until their eyes are open.” Well, according to research done at Purdue University, waiting to handle pups is not a great idea and here’s why.
Written By: Purdue University
Daily gentle handling of puppies from 3 days to 3 weeks of age may benefit puppy health. Daily weight checks are opportunities for gentle handling and health monitoring. During this early handling, caretakers can check for any signs of illness. Early handling may also have long-term health benefits for dogs. Stress can make dogs more susceptible to illness, but early handling may help them cope with stress better. This effect may last throughout their lifetime.
With proper precautions, early handling introduces minimal risk to the puppies’ health. Recommended precautions include washing hands before handling or wearing gloves. Wash your hands and change your clothes after interacting with dogs or puppies who may be sick. Appropriate handling is gentle, quiet, and brief – lasting only 30-60 seconds per puppy.
Gentle, quiet, early handling is unlikely to cause the dam to reject her puppies. Instead, puppy handling may improve maternal care. When puppies return to the nest, their mothers may increase grooming. Maternal care can improve puppies’ physical and behavioral development. The positive effects of high-quality maternal care may last a lifetime. It is important to always monitor the dam and make sure is comfortable with the puppy handling.
Early handling may lead to dogs that are better able to tolerate stress. Early handling may help dogs be adaptable to different situations and environments later in life. Dogs who can cope with challenges will be happier and healthier throughout their lifetime
Daily, gentle handling is enough! Using a structured handling protocol such as early neurological stimulation (ENS) is good. But simply picking each puppy up and holding them can be just as effective. The Croney Research Group compared the effect of different types of handling on puppies. In this study, some puppies received daily, gentle, handling. Other puppies in the study received a series of handling exercises. Both groups of puppies responded similarly to stressors. Even simple interactions such as daily weight and health checks may benefit puppy welfare.
This has been the subject of intense debates for eons. Dogs have been brought to the prairies of Canada and the West beginning in the early years of the last century. Dogs and trainers originally traveled in trains’ freight cars before travel was more accessible by vehicles. Today dogs and trainer/handlers trailer dogs and horses
Some of the benefits of permanent structures are more stability, as well as the fact that the building can be repurposed at any point, if a breeder decides to move or leave the industry. The thing is, almost all of the features and options that are available in permanent structures are now also available in portable buildings, so that’s nice.
Ok, so we agree that it’s efficient, if all you care about is cutting down on chore time. However, rationing and feeding twice a day instead of on a free choice basis has some serious upsides.
