If you are looking for a companion breed of dog that will accompany and nag with you all the time, then Shih Tzu is the right choice for you. These adorable breeds love to stay with their humans all the time.
How to take care of newborn Shih Tzu puppies?
Taking care of newborn Shih Tzu puppies includes taking care of the nutrient factors for the mother and the child. Moreover, food supplements, proper environment, maintenance of meal plans, and hygiene of their living space and body parts fall under this category.
Table of Contents
Taking care of newborn Shih Tzu puppies is an easy task. You have to be careful with their habits and needs. Starting from feeding to cleaning and playing with them, handle them with gentle hands and mindset.
Cleaning:
The place of their feeding and residing needs to be clean and disinfected for the proper care of the Shih Tzu puppies.
Proper care of the mother:
The mother of the puppies must be healthy. They provide the puppies with nutrition with their milk.
Take proper care of the nutrition supply of the mother as well.
Appropriate food:
The puppies have to eat healthy and nutritious food while growing up. If you plan to give supplementary food, check with a vet before starting a new formula.
Clipping nails and brushing hairs:
The nails and hairs of Shih Tzu puppies are delicate. Cut and trim them carefully by taking time. Brush the hair from time to time. Also, trim nails when they grow big.
Warm environment:
These puppies are vulnerable and cannot see for some time after their birth.
So, the environment around them has to be cozy and warm and free of any harmful objects. Keep things per their need around their living space.
Proportionate meal plans:
The need for food at different stages of a puppy’s life are not the same. Plan them accordingly to their needs. You can make a chart of their feeding habit for proper meal plans.
Plays and games:
Make a routine for their playing time. Train them to play at that time to spend their energy on that task.
Exercises:
Physical, as well as mental exercises, are necessary right from their birth. Plan them with little lessons from their early stage.
Checking weight:
Their weight and size differ at different stages of their life. Check on the weight regularly for the proper growth of the Shih Tzu puppies.
How to feed newborn Shih Tzu puppies?
Newborn puppies are vulnerable. They need extra care and attention. Sometimes, their mothers do not feed them due to various reasons. In that case, newborns are given food in different alternative ways.
Milk for newborn Shih Tzu puppies:
Like human infants, these puppies also need proper nutrition for their growth. And the best source of this nutrition is mother’s milk.
If that is not available, then you can use regular milk. Yet, this milk does not have proportionate ingredients. In that case, you have to opt for different formulas available in the market for puppies.
Bottle feeding:
Bottle-feeding Shih Tzu puppies is a delicate and slow process. It needs your time and patience. You have to be very careful while feeding them in this manner.
If you are using a feeder, wash them properly before using them to feed puppies.
Canned foods:
As the puppies grow in time, they can eat solid food as well. Water supply has to be sufficient as well. Wet and dry, both type of food is necessary for their growth.
How big are Shih Tzu newborn puppies?
Shih Tzu is a toy breed dog. The genetic factor of this breed of the dog determines its growth rate and limit. The ones that are born big or small might grow more or less depending on this factor.
These dogs are very adorable, and they are the perfect breed for family pets. They accompany you everywhere.
From their birth to 10/12 months, Shih Tzu remains in their puppy stage. When they are born, infant puppies are tiny in size. Newborn ones are around a pound or less.
Shih Tzu turns around 1 – 3 pounds after two months of their birth. Up to 10 or 12 months, they can grow as much as 7 – 10 pounds or more. Some of their final growth completes within this frame as well.
Average height and weight of Shih Tzu puppies:
The Shih Tzu breed of dogs is not the smallest breed of dogs. However, they are still quite small in comparison to most other dog breeds. This smaller size naturally means that they are not very weighty.
1 week old Shih Tzu puppies:
As a small breed, Shih Tzu puppies are usually tiny in height during the first week. Their height is roughly about 1 or 2 inches in this period. It usually weighs around 6 ounces during this time.
2 week old Shih Tzu puppies:
A Shih Tzu puppy remains around 2 or 3 inches around this time as well. They weigh about 7 to 8 ounces during this time of their growth.
3 week old Shih Tzu puppies:
At the 3rd week, a Shih Tzu puppy grows a little bit. Their height grows around 3 inches. As they grow up, their weight also increases. In the third week, they usually weigh about 1 pound.
When to bathe a newborn Shih Tzu?
Regular bathing is a significant part of bringing up a puppy. This little chore can facilitate the bonding between you and your Shih Tzu puppy.
Newborn Shih Tzu puppies for the first 2 or 3 weeks do not require any bathing. The best time to start bathing your newborn Shih Tzu puppy is around six weeks. However, some people do bathe their newborn Shih Tzu after 4 weeks of birth.
To train them at a young age, the timing to start bathing your newborn puppies is a vital thing. Try not to wait too long. Otherwise, they might not like bathing later.
While washing your newborn Shih Tzu, avoid using cold water and immerse them completely in water. These may develop a fear of water in them.
Newborn Shih Tzu puppies crying; what to do?
Shih Tzu puppies are companion dogs. They love to be around you all the time. Dogs have a lot of energy, and they need to spend this energy in some places.
Crying and whining are common for Shih Tzu puppies. These puppies can whine and cry if you do not give them time and tasks to do.
To stop a puppy from crying and whining, you can try different methods and routine works.
You can equip it with some games or toys while you are busy. In that case, they will not disturb you or whine for not giving them undivided attention.
You can also try different mental exercises or games and treat them with rewards.
When do newborn Shih Tzu puppies open their eyes?
Newborn Shih Tzu puppies are very small in size. They weigh a few ounces at the time of their birth.
Their eyes and ears open after few days after their life cycle starts.
The small eyes of puppies are not visible for around 14 days of their birth. After these two weeks, Shih Tzu puppies open their eyes. And after a few weeks of this, they learn to hear and start to differentiate different things and sounds.
The most significant factor for the opening of their eyes is proper care and nutrition. Careful nurturing and affection with food sources are a must for the development of these puppies.
How long before newborn Shih Tzu puppies show color points?
Shih Tzu puppies shed and change the color of their body parts a lot. It is a natural occurrence for this breed.
After near around eight weeks of their birth, they start to show color points. The color points of Shih Tzu puppies can change after this stage as well.
They can show different color points up to their adult stage. These color points alter due to genes and environmental factors.
When do Shih Tzu puppies get fluffy?
The characteristic feature of fluffiness starts to appear for Shih Tzu puppies a few weeks after their birth.
Shih Tzu puppies start growing big after around two months of their growth. From the 6th week to 8 weeks, Shih Tzu puppies get fluffy.
These puppies can become a lot fluffy or not. But that solely depends on the genetic factors of these breeds of dogs.
They grow just the amount they are destined to develop. And this development can stop at the 10th or 12th month of their growth as well.
Final thoughts
Puppies are cute creatures, and Shih Tzu is one such breed that loves to stay with you all the time. Nourishment, cleaning, trimming nails and hairs, playing games, and treating Shih Tzu puppies all fall under the maintenance and caring of these puppies.