- Newborn puppies require warmth, and can easily become chilled since its body is not used to producing its own body heat. If you leave the puppy with its mother, it should be able to stay warm. You also can assist the puppy's mother by providing a kennel to lie down in, lined with towels warmed by heating pads. Be sure to place the kennel somewhere that is draft free.
- If the mother has milk, you should let the mother feed your puppy. The mother's milk will probably run out soon, so you need to train your pup to take formula instead. You should not use human baby formula because it will lead to indigestion and intolerance: you must the formula that is made especially for puppies.
- Puppies should be cleaned by their mother. This is because cleaning and tongue licking by the mother stimulates the puppy to urinate and defecate, and the puppy needs to do this for its health's sake. If necessary, you can help stimulate the puppy by to defecate, by gently rubbing around your puppy's genital area.
- You will need to take the puppy to a vet for a general checkup. The vet will need a stool sample so that an appropriate dewormer can be prescribed, so bring one with you.. When the puppy is 6 to 8 weeks old, you will need to make another visit to the vet, so the puppy can have its immunizations.