The First Days of Life: Nurturing My Newborn Miniature Schnauzer Puppies

On February 28th, I welcomed a beautiful litter of seven Miniature Schnauzer puppies into the world. Their arrival was smooth, and each one was born healthy, scoring a perfect 10 on the canine Apgar test—a great sign that they started life strong. Their mother is incredibly devoted, with an abundant milk supply, but as any experienced breeder knows, the first days of a puppy’s life can be fragile, and even the healthiest newborns sometimes need extra care.

The Struggles of the Smallest

While some puppies latch onto their mother and nurse vigorously from the very start, others—often the smaller ones—face challenges. They have the instinct to nurse but expend too much energy stimulating milk flow. The effort exhausts them before they get enough nourishment, and they fall asleep mid-feeding, leaving them at risk of not gaining enough weight. It’s a common struggle in both puppies and human babies, and it’s at this moment that the breeder’s role becomes crucial.

The Breeder’s Intervention

As much as I want nature to take its course, ensuring that every puppy thrives sometimes requires stepping in. For those strong enough to take a bottle, I supplement them with formula to boost their intake. But for the more fragile ones, even bottle-feeding demands too much effort. To give them the best possible start, I use a gastric tube to deliver milk directly into their tiny stomachs, ensuring they get the calories they need without expending any energy.

Tube feeding can be daunting for some, but done correctly, it’s a lifesaving technique. It provides immediate nourishment with zero effort from the puppy, helping them gain strength until they can nurse efficiently on their own. In these first critical days, I have been feeding them every two hours around the clock, watching their tiny bodies grow stronger with each feeding.

The Reward of Dedication

Breeding is not just about pairing dogs and raising puppies—it’s about commitment, knowledge, and an unwavering dedication to their well-being. Seeing a struggling puppy finally latch onto its mother with renewed strength or gain weight after a challenging start makes every sleepless night worth it.

Now, a few days into their journey, I am already seeing progress. The smaller ones are catching up, and the whole litter is thriving under their mother’s loving care. While the road from birth to strong, healthy puppies is never without its challenges, these early interventions give each of them the best possible start in life.

As always, my goal is not just to breed dogs but to raise happy, healthy, and well-adjusted Miniature Schnauzers. This is just the beginning of their journey, and I am excited to see them grow, develop, and eventually find their perfect homes. But for now, my focus remains on ensuring that every single puppy has the best start possible, one feeding at a time.