Vulnerable Dog Breeds Blog Series - Blog 9

Preserving a vulnerable breed does not end when the puppies are born.

In some ways, that is when the most important hands-on work begins.

A carefully planned pedigree means very little if the next generation is not raised in a way that helps those puppies become healthy, confident adult dogs. Genetics gives us the raw material. The way puppies are raised helps shape what happens next.

The first job is keeping them alive and thriving

Newborn puppies need observation. Weight, warmth, feeding, hydration, hygiene and the bitch's health all need watching closely. Small changes can matter quickly in a neonate.

My veterinary-nurse background makes me naturally attentive to that early stage, but good puppy raising is not about hovering for the sake of it. It is about knowing what normal looks like so that you recognise when something is not normal.

The first 24 to 72 hours can be particularly intensive. I am watching who is feeding, who is gaining, who is being pushed away from a teat, whether the puppies are warm and settled, and whether mum herself is comfortable, eating, drinking and recovering.

With a large litter I may rotate the puppies in two groups so that everyone gets a proper opportunity to feed. My job is to support the mother with what she needs and wants, while making sure a quieter or smaller puppy does not simply disappear underneath stronger littermates.

There is also the very ordinary danger of exhaustion. After labour, a bitch can be utterly tired and fall deeply asleep. A puppy tucked behind her or underneath her can be trapped or accidentally crushed without her ever intending it. Large and giant-breed puppies have been reported to be at increased risk of maternal trauma in the first days, which is another reason close litter management matters.

Research: Ease of whelping, maternal behaviour and puppy perinatal mortality

After a Caesarean or another procedure involving anaesthesia or sedation, I am even more watchful. A bitch may be drowsy, slower to reposition herself or less aware of exactly where the puppies are while she recovers. I supervise closely until she is properly awake, coordinated and responsive again, supporting safe contact rather than simply leaving an exhausted mother to manage alone.

Every mother is different

Supporting the litter also means supporting the individual bitch. Some mothers seem to know exactly what to do from the first minute. Others need reassurance, practical help or time to work it out.

I once had a brown Newfoundland bitch called Lace who decided that cleaning puppies was quite clearly beneath her. She was happy to have them - she simply expected somebody else to deal with that particular job. So I did.

It makes me laugh now, but it illustrates something important. Good breeding is not about standing back and assuming nature will sort everything out. The breeder has to observe the bitch in front of them and provide whatever support that particular mother and litter need.

Development starts before puppies can see the world

Puppy development does not suddenly begin when their eyes open or when formal socialisation starts. During the neonatal period they are already experiencing touch, smell, warmth, movement, their mother, their littermates and the people caring for them.

For me, gentle human handling happens naturally because I am there for every feed. Puppies are picked up, checked, weighed, repositioned, moved between feeding groups when necessary and quietly accustomed to human touch as part of normal care. It is not a separate programme switched on for a few minutes a day; it is woven into raising the litter.

Research supports being thoughtful rather than fashionable about this. A 2023 study comparing Early Neurological Stimulation with simple consistent handling found no clear stress-response advantage from the formal ENS routine over careful general handling. That does not make early handling unimportant. It suggests that gentle, consistent, appropriate handling may matter more than attaching a special label to a five-exercise protocol.

Research: The Effect of Early Neurological Stimulation on Puppy Welfare in Commercial Breeding Kennels

Mum is part of development too

The mother is not simply a milk supply. Maternal contact, nursing, licking and interaction are part of the puppies' early environment.

Studies in dogs have found associations between maternal care during the first weeks of life and later behavioural differences. The findings are not as simple as saying more maternal care always produces a “better” dog; behaviour develops through an interaction between genetics, maternal behaviour and the wider physical and social environment. But the research does reinforce something breeders see every day: what happens around the litter in those early weeks matters.

Research: Influence of Maternal Care on Behavioural Development of Domestic Dogs Living in a Home Environment

Related research: Levels of maternal care in dogs affect adult offspring temperament

Development happens in stages

What a puppy needs at three days old is not what it needs at three weeks, eight weeks or fourteen weeks. Raising puppies responsibly means changing the environment as the puppies change.

Very young puppies need warmth, security, maternal care and gentle handling. As their senses and mobility develop, their world can expand: different surfaces, household noises, people, objects, grooming, simple problem-solving, short car trips and age-appropriate challenges.

A breeder should be raising the puppy in front of them, not following a timetable blindly. One puppy may investigate something immediately while another needs to watch first. One mother may want to stay with her litter almost constantly while another needs regular breaks. Litter size, health, weather, breed, coat and individual temperament all change what is appropriate.

With Newfoundlands, the environment changes quickly

Newfoundland puppies grow quickly and develop heavy coats. In warm weather they can become uncomfortable indoors surprisingly early, so from around three to four weeks, depending on the season and the puppies in front of me, I begin giving them access to a cooler outdoor environment.

That outside area is not just an empty pen. There is a dark, heavily leaved tree area that gives them a cool, shaded retreat away from bright light and heat. They also meet several different surfaces underfoot, so walking over the world is not one repetitive texture.

The gate is set at different heights so mum can come and go as she chooses. She can spend time with the puppies, step away when she wants a break and return when she is ready. That choice matters to me. Supporting maternal care should include supporting the mother's welfare too.

A puddle, not a pool

Water confidence is introduced gradually as well. Newfoundlands are historically associated with water work, but that does not mean a tiny puppy should be put into a pool and expected to swim.

I start with something much more like a puddle than a bowl or a pool. The puppies can paddle through it, investigate it, splash, walk away and come back. It is shallow enough that the experience is about curiosity and choice rather than survival.

The aim is not to prove that a baby Newfoundland can swim. It is to make water a normal, positive part of the environment so confidence can develop naturally as the puppy grows.

Socialisation is not flooding

More exposure is not automatically better. A puppy does not need to be overwhelmed with every possible experience before it leaves the breeder.

The primary socialisation period occurs early in life, and veterinary behaviour guidance encourages safe exposure to people, animals, stimuli and environments during this period without pushing puppies into excessive fear, withdrawal or avoidance. That is an important distinction.

Good socialisation is not a competition to tick off the longest checklist. It is about positive, controlled experiences the puppy can cope with, and about learning that something unfamiliar can be investigated and recovered from.

Guidance: American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior - Puppy Socialization Position Statement

Good development also includes rest. Puppies need a great deal of sleep, and I do not believe every waking moment needs to be filled with stimulation. Part of raising them well is knowing when to introduce something new and when to leave them alone to sleep.

Recovery matters as much as boldness

Because temperament matters so much to me in breeding decisions, I watch how puppies respond as individuals. Some are bold. Some are thoughtful. Some rush into something new and some sit back and study it first.

I am interested not only in whether a puppy startles or hesitates, but in what happens next. Can the puppy settle? Can it investigate after a moment? Does it seek support and then try again? Recovery tells me a great deal.

Those differences do not necessarily make one puppy better than another. They help me understand who that puppy may become and what sort of home may suit it best.

My evening observation time

Every evening I sit with the puppies until they fall asleep. It is one of my favourite parts of raising a litter, but it is also useful observation time.

When I stop directing what is happening and simply watch, personalities begin to show themselves. I can see who seeks people out, who is more independent, who starts the games, who gives way, who watches first, who persists with a problem and who needs a little more reassurance.

That sort of observation cannot be replaced by a single temperament test on one particular day. It builds a picture over weeks.

Every litter is different

Not just in size, sex or how many puppies are born, but in personality too. Even with a repeat mating, the puppies are not little copies of the previous litter.

When I was younger, I honestly thought that if I bred from my first Newfoundland, I might somehow get a miniature version of that dog back.

How wrong I was.

Every puppy is an individual. One may be bold and outgoing, another thoughtful and observant, another independent, another desperate to be with people. Even littermates raised in the same home, from the same parents, can be remarkably different.

In that sense, dogs are a lot like people. Genetics gives them a starting point, but it does not produce carbon copies.

That is another reason I spend so much time simply watching them. The more I understand each puppy as an individual, the better chance I have of matching that puppy with the right home and supporting the dog it is actually becoming, rather than the dog I expected it to be.

Littermates are teachers as well

Puppies also learn from one another. Play provides opportunities to practise body language, frustration, inhibition, boundaries and recovery when another puppy says enough.

That does not mean every interaction should be left unmanaged. The breeder still watches for bullying, puppies that are constantly overwhelmed or a pup that is not getting opportunities to rest. But a litter is a social environment in its own right, and separating puppies from that environment too early can remove valuable learning opportunities.

Handling should prepare them for adult life

Newfoundlands become very large dogs. I do not want their first experience of having feet, ears or mouths handled to happen when they are enormous and standing in a veterinary clinic or grooming salon.

As they grow, ordinary care becomes part of learning: feet touched, nails attended to, ears and mouths checked, brushing, being gently restrained, being lifted while they are still small enough, and learning that human hands are predictable and safe.

Basic manners begin too. I am not expecting a tiny puppy to perform like a trained adult dog, but they can begin learning to come towards people, wait briefly, accept handling, use appropriate toilet areas and understand that calm behaviour often makes good things happen.

I keep my puppies longer than eight weeks

I keep my puppies until around 14 weeks rather than routinely sending them home at eight weeks. That gives me roughly another six weeks in which to know them, teach them and help prepare them for the transition into their new homes.

During those weeks I continue toilet training, basic manners, grooming and handling, exposure to different surfaces and environments, car travel, short periods of independence, appropriate contact with people and dogs, and the very ordinary skills of living around humans.

Those extra weeks are part of the real cost of raising a litter properly, which I look at in What Does It Really Cost to Preserve a Rare Breed?.

By that stage, in my own veterinary programme, they will generally have had their second vaccination. That does not mean every 14-week-old puppy is “fully vaccinated” or can ignore disease risk. Vaccine timing varies by product, location and veterinary advice, and current WSAVA guidance commonly continues the core puppy series to at least 16 weeks of age. New owners still need to follow the vaccination plan agreed with their veterinarian.

Vaccination guidance: WSAVA 2024 Vaccination Guidelines for Dogs and Cats

A good start includes learning to be apart

Puppies eventually have to leave their mother, littermates and the environment they know. I do not want the first meaningful separation experience to be the day they are put into a car with a new family.

As they mature, short, positive periods of independence can be introduced. Individual handling, one-to-one time, short rests away from the group and small outings allow a puppy to discover that being temporarily separate is safe and that people can provide security too.

You are raising future adult dogs, not just cute puppies

It is easy to look at a litter and think only about the eight or fourteen weeks in front of you. But a breeder is not really raising puppies. We are raising the foundations of the adult dogs those puppies will become.

The way they are handled, fed, challenged, comforted and introduced to the world all contributes to that foundation. Genetics matters enormously, but genetics is not the whole dog. The puppy still has to learn how to live in the world.

In a vulnerable breed, that matters even more. One of these puppies may eventually contribute to the next generation. Others may become the dog through which somebody discovers and falls in love with the breed. Every one of them deserves the best start we can reasonably give.

Homes are part of preservation

A vulnerable breed does not benefit from producing puppies that end up in unsuitable homes. Breeders need to be willing to ask buyers questions, explain the realities of the breed and sometimes say no.

During periods when I was not confident there were enough suitable homes, I stopped breeding and referred people elsewhere rather than create a litter and hope the homes appeared afterwards.

The extra weeks I spend with the puppies also give me more information for matching. A very busy, confident puppy may suit one household beautifully and be completely wrong for another. A more thoughtful puppy may flourish with owners who give it time rather than expecting instant boldness.

Not every promising puppy needs the same future

In a small population, it can be important to keep more than one genetically useful puppy available rather than automatically removing almost an entire litter from any future breeding consideration.

That does not mean every puppy should be bred. Health, temperament, structure and suitable ownership still matter.

It may mean discussing delayed desexing where appropriate, co-ownership, breeding rights or simply keeping in close contact while the dog matures. The key is preserving sensible options without turning pet homes into unwilling breeding arrangements.

I explore that balance further in Protecting a Breed Without Gatekeeping It.

The breeder is collecting information from the beginning

From birth, I am also collecting information about the family. Birth weight, growth, feeding, health events, temperament, structure, recovery from new experiences and later adult health all become pieces of a much larger picture.

That record becomes particularly important in a vulnerable breed. Years later, information from one litter may help explain longevity, fertility, temperament, mobility or a health pattern in relatives. A puppy raised in a pet home does not disappear from the breeding picture. That dog can still contribute valuable information to future decisions.

That long-term picture is also why health testing alone is not enough. Read more in Health Testing Is Not the Same as Breeding for Health.

The breeder should remain part of the dog's life

I love owners to keep in touch, bring dogs back for visits or play dates where practical and stay connected with littermates. That relationship is not only enjoyable. It gives the breeder information.

How are the dogs developing? What is their temperament like as adults? What health issues appear? How long do they live? I also keep mental and written records of what I see — growth, feeding, temperament, health events and how each puppy develops. Years later, when owners tell me about adult health, longevity or temperament, that information can be compared back with what I saw in the litter. In a vulnerable breed, those records become part of the knowledge used to make better decisions for the next generation. That feedback makes future breeding decisions better.

Puppy owners also become ambassadors for the breed. Their experience - the dog they live with, the support they receive and the way that dog behaves in the community - shapes how other people see the breed. In a vulnerable breed, that matters.

Sometimes life goes wrong

Over the roughly 30 years I have been breeding Newfoundlands, I have had dogs come back to me for a variety of reasons. Families break up, people become unwell, housing changes, owners die, or circumstances simply become very different from what anyone expected when the puppy first went home.

When that happens, I do not see the dog as somebody else's problem. I have taken dogs back to rehome them, and I have also had dogs return to live out the rest of their lives with me.

That responsibility does not end when a puppy leaves at around 14 weeks. It can last for the whole of that dog's life. Responsible breeding means being prepared for that possibility, not only celebrating the happy handover photographs.

Eight weeks is not the finish line

A puppy leaving home should have a breeder who still answers the phone. Owners need honest information about feeding, growth, exercise, grooming, training, health and what is normal for the breed.

For me, the real measure of raising a litter is not simply that the puppies survived until they were old enough to leave. It is whether I have given them the strongest foundation I reasonably can, matched them thoughtfully, and remained willing to support them afterwards.

Preserving a vulnerable breed is not simply producing the next generation. It is helping that generation succeed.

Founder perspective

I am Fiona Robertson, founder of Newflands. My perspective comes from around 30 years of breeding Newfoundlands, decades of living with and studying dogs, my background as a veterinary nurse, and years spent researching pedigrees and bloodlines in New Zealand and overseas.

This series is not about pretending there is one perfect formula for breeding. It is about opening up the conversations that matter when the population is small and every generation can change the choices available to the next one.

Next in the series: What Does the Future of Vulnerable Dog Breeds Look Like?

FAQs

Why is puppy socialisation important?

The early months are a major developmental period. Positive, safe experiences with people, animals, environments, surfaces, sounds and everyday handling can help puppies learn how to cope with the world. Socialisation should be gradual and appropriate rather than overwhelming.

Does Early Neurological Stimulation make puppies better dogs?

The evidence is not strong enough to say that a formal ENS protocol produces better adult dogs. A 2023 puppy study found no clear stress-response advantage over consistent careful handling. Gentle early handling remains valuable, but it should be part of good everyday husbandry rather than treated as a magic programme.

Why does maternal care matter?

Studies in dogs have found links between maternal behaviour during the first weeks of life and later behavioural differences. The relationship is complex and interacts with genetics and the wider rearing environment, so the goal is not to maximise one maternal behaviour but to support a healthy mother-puppy relationship.

Why do you keep puppies until around 14 weeks?

For me, the extra time allows continued observation, toilet training, basic manners, grooming and handling, gradual socialisation, short periods of independence and better matching of individual puppies to homes. It is my own breeding approach rather than a claim that every puppy of every breed must remain with its breeder until 14 weeks.

Are puppies fully vaccinated at 14 weeks?

Not necessarily. Vaccination schedules vary. Current WSAVA guidance commonly recommends that the final core puppy dose be given at 16 weeks of age or older, so owners should continue the vaccination plan set by their veterinarian and manage disease exposure appropriately.

Should every puppy in a vulnerable breed be kept for breeding?

No. Health, temperament, structure and suitable homes still matter. However, vulnerable breeds may benefit from avoiding the automatic loss of nearly all puppies from future consideration before they mature.

Why do responsible breeders ask buyers so many questions?

Matching the puppy to the right home protects welfare and reduces the chance that the dog will later need rehoming. It also helps the breeder understand which puppy may fit a particular household best.

The RSPCA's guide to finding a good puppy breeder is a helpful checklist for buyers.

Should breeders stay in contact after puppies leave?

Yes. Long-term contact supports owners and gives breeders valuable information about adult health, temperament, fertility and longevity. In a vulnerable breed, that information can influence future breeding decisions.

What should happen if an owner can no longer keep the dog?

A responsible breeder should care what happens to the dogs they produce. Depending on the circumstances, that may mean helping with rehoming or taking the dog back. The breeder-owner relationship should not end simply because the original sale is long finished.