By the time the babies are three weeks old they will begin to try and explore their environment. Life is no longer confined to eating and sleeping. They will enjoy being allowed to wander around outside then-whelping box and may even become interested in relieving themselves on newspapers left directly outside their box.

The mother will now leave them for longer periods of time and will hurry back merely to feed them. Sharp little teeth, as well as sharp little nails, which make their appearance at this time make nursing quite uncomfortable. Keep these trimmed and the bitch will be most grateful. Weaning is usually started at about four weeks of age and teaching the puppies to lap is the first lesson.

Try using either infant formulae, Esbilac (substitute puppy milk), or mix up a combination of milk, cream, and a teaspoon of Karo Syrup. Offer the pups this in a shallow dish, but be prepared to encourage them by pushing their heads down a few times until they get the idea of how to eat from this new "dish." A week of milk nursing substitute beginning once a day and increased to four times a day is a good plan. Follow this the next few days with a milky mixture of pre-cooked baby cereal, enriched with a teaspoon of Karo Syrup and an egg yolk.

At this point, your puppies should be eating heartily four times a day with the mother allowing them to nurse for only a few short times a day if at all. It is usually wise to give each pup his own pan of food in order to be certain that all are getting enough. Let them have as much as they want since this is the time of tremendous growth. Should you notice that one dog is monopolizing feeding time, then have him eat separately. Bitches will often regurgitate their own food to teach their pups to eat more solid food.

Usually by the fifth week, most pups are ready for a somewhat more substantial diet. If you have sufficient time to devote to the somewhat laborious task of preparing your own puppy food of cereal, eggs, and scraped meat or cooked hamburger, cottage cheese, enriched with vitamins, and you enjoy doing it then go ahead. On the other hand, if you can't afford the time or money required for this enterprise, then use a good quality puppy food starting at about six weeks. If fed moistened food, the pup should be fed three times a day until three to four months of age, then twice daily is adequate until he is eight to nine months of age. Feed all the moistened ration the pup will clean up at each feeding.

The period from weaning to approximately 20 weeks of age is the time when most pups grow fastest. During this period of rapid growth, medium-sized dogs, such as Pointer and Setters, require approximately three and one-half pounds of air-dry food to put on one pound of body weight gain. Larger breeds require slightly less, smaller breeds slightly more food per pound of gain. If canned dog foods are fed, three times as much canned food will normally be needed. Until the pups are about eight months old, they should have all the food they want.

When the pups are eight to ten weeks of age, they will consume the highest amount of feed in proportion to their body weight than at any other time in their lives except for lactating females. As the dog matures and gains weight, the amount of feed intake in proportion to body weight gradually decreases and levels off at maturity. If at any time during the growing period, the dog tends to become overweight, then his feed intake should be reduced.

Although most good quality commercial dog foods do contain vitamins and minerals in the suggested proportions, some veterinarians recommend adding vitamins and other additives. We would suggest you consult your own vet in this regard. A large and reputable dog food producer has the following to say about supplementing your dog's diet:

Many dog owners refuse to believe that good commercial dog foods contain all of the nutrients, except water, needed by normal dogs for all phases of their lives. Occasionally an individual dog may have a requirement for a particular nutrient that is higher than the average, but this is exceptional and is quite often the result of a metabolic abnormality.

Supplementation is costly, unnecessary and may cause nutritionally-induced physiological health problems. How can this happen?

Adding raw whole eggs to rations for puppies, or even mature dogs, is not uncommon. Raw egg white contains avidin, an enzyme, which ties up the vitamin, biotin, and if fed continually, a biotin deficiency can occur. Raw egg whites are used to produce biotin deficiencies experimentally. Symptoms include dermatitis, loss of hair, and poor growth. Although it is not necessary to add eggs to the diet, the addition of cooked eggs will not result in the destruction of biotin.

Adding supplemental minerals, such as calcium pills, to a regular diet can also be detrimental. It is known that both calcium and phosphorus must be present in the ration in ample amounts and in a proper ratio of 1.2:1 promotes maximum calcification. If additional calcium is added to make this ratio further apart, for example 5:1, there would be an inefficient assimilation of these two minerals even though the phosphorus was present hi the correct amount. Rickets is one sign of a deficiency or imbalance of either of these two minerals in the diet of growing dogs.

Cod liver oil and wheat germ oil are sources of vitamins D and E. Adding excess cod liver oil can supply more vitamin D than is needed by the dog. Vitamin D must also be given in the proper proportion along with calcium and phosphorus for good bone and tooth formation.

If either of these two oils are in the process of becoming rancid, or if a rancid fat is added, this can destroy the vitamin E. In fact, low levels of rancid fish oil are often used to produce a vitamin E deficiency in experimental work. Vitamin E is needed for normal growth, reproduction, and lactation. All of the vitamins known to be required by normal dogs are added in sufficient quantities to most good commercial dog foods. These vitamins are in stable forms and can withstand the heat and pressures that might occur during manufacturing and possible long periods of warehouse storage.

Many young puppies, especially prior to weaning, are fed a mixture of milk, baby cereal, vitamins, eggs, and meat. Besides being expensive, the preparation of a diet of this type is time-consuming and difficult. A good commercial dry dog food that has been moistened is highly palatable for pups and will supply them with the balanced nutrition that cannot be met by many home-mixes.

Occasionally charcoal is added to the diet. Unless fed in excessive amounts this ingredient is usually considered to be harmless, but there is no real advantage in using it. It is relatively indigestible and may take up some vitamins in the digestive tract and carry them out of the dog.

Hard-working dogs, such as racing Greyhounds, sled dogs and hunting dogs, require a high level of feed intake to meet their high-energy requirements. It is very important that they receive a highly palatable ration so they consume a high caloric intake. Many people add 20 to 25 per cent raw meat to the diet; this does not improve the nutritional balance of the ration but may increase acceptance. Meat fed at this level should not cause any problems. However, it is not advisable to feed extremely high levels of meat or only lean meat as the entire ration. Meat is deficient in certain minerals, including calcium, cobalt, iron and copper, as well as some vitamins. Young growing puppies fed only lean meat will develop severe rickets after being on this type diet for only three to four weeks. Meat is the only supplement we recommend adding to a dry dog food and this is only for normal dogs that have a high-energy requirement and need a food intake that is higher.

Supplementation is not necessary and may even prove to be detrimental at tunes. More and more dog owners are discovering that supplementation of a good commercial dog food offers no advantage for their dogs. This fact has been proven time and time again by the many thousands of dogs self-fed dry rations and water with excellent results.

Drinking water should be available at all times as puppies drink a lot and if only milk is offered it may be difficult later for them to adjust to water.

By the age of ten weeks regular milk can be used instead of the formula or enriched milk.

Try to feed your puppy on a schedule and be consistent in the hours. Here is a good schedule to follow:

Feeding Schedule

Age of Puppy	Morning	Noon	Evening
6 weeks to 6 months	X	X	X
6 months to a year	X		X
Past one year	X

Selling Puppies
By the age of eight weeks puppies are customarily offered for sale. Occasional breeders make it a rule to keep their pups until they are 12 weeks of age in order to give them an extra "good start." For the breeder, keeping the puppies longer involves added expense and care. Food, innoculations, grooming and attention are required. When the litter is large, this can become quite a strain physically as well as financially. It is for this reason that it is usual to find dogs for sale as soon as they are weaned and independent from their mother. Thus, when considering your sales program, try to be mindful of these elements and plan accordingly.

Advertising in the local paper, city newspapers and special dog magazines is one of the best ways of reaching the public. Since most dog magazines appear only once a month, you will have to place your ad well in advance. Much tune will be saved if you are explicit in your ad. State the breed, number, age, sex and lineage as well as price of your puppies and include your phone number or address. Vague ads result in numerous unnecessary and fruitless inquiries.

Inform your vet, stud owner, and local pet store about your saleable puppies. These people constantly get inquiries and may be able to steer customers in your direction. Once your puppies are offered for sale be prepared to spend a great deal of time on the phone answering a flood of questions and a great deal of time showing your babies to prospective buyers. People purchasing a dog do not usually rush into it and may want to spend hours observing them. It may be necessary for you to give specific appointments including a cut-off time. However, one can't be overly rigid as making sales is the purpose.

Setting a fair price can be difficult. It will be necessary for you to inquire as to the going rates for the particular breed that you have. Many factors come into price consideration, such as:
1—Breed
2—Blood lines—ancestry
3—Championships
4—Sex
5—Age
6—Innoculations received
7—Surgery performed (dew claws, ears cropped, tails docked).

Weigh these elements carefully to determine a fair price. Your price must be in line with other puppies on the market. If yours are significantly lower, perhaps you are undervaluing your goods, and you are hurting the market. Should your price be too high, you probably won't be able to make a sale. Don't be surprised if selling all the puppies takes quite a while and be prepared for this possibility. Finding the right home is not the easiest event in the world and there may be occasions when you will refuse to sell to a party. Most real dog lovers won't allow their puppies to go to families or homes that don't meet certain standards. If you have to make such a decision, don't feel badly—it's probably the wisest thing. Puppies that you have raised will undoubtedly become very dear to you and their welfare should be one of your prime concerns.

Most sources agree that it is never wise to give a puppy away or to sell it too cheaply since too many people equate worth with price. Thus, if you want your pup to be highly valued, you must ask a fan-price for it.

The Sale
Be prepared for the sale of your puppies; if they are pure bred dogs, this event should have been anticipated and the litter registered with the A.K.C. All the necessary forms and pedigrees should be ready for the new owner. It's also a good idea to have a mimeographed diet sheet including instructions on care and training. This prepared information can save time and misunderstanding. Here's a handy list for you to check off:

Getting Puppy Ready for New Home
- Fecal sample checked for worms. Worm if necessary according to internal parasites present:
Roundworms
Hookworms
Tapeworms
Whipworms
Heartworms (in blood samples—vet cannot detect in puppies less than 12 weeks of age.)
- Clip toe nails and dew claws (remove dew claws
during the first week after birth).
- Cheekteeth.
- Clean eyes if they contain foreign matter.
- Trim excess hair from around anal and urinary openings.
- Bathe and clip, trim or pluck if necessary (generally not before 6 weeks of age).
- Consult your veterinarian and follow immunization or protective health program.
- Acclimatize dogs by careful display and handling.
- Provide new owners with guarantees that their new pet will be found healthy by a veterinarian. (U Supply new puppy owner with an information sheet describing care, feeding, management, and sanitation for the new puppy.
- Have registration certificate ready.