4th Week:
  • Begin to eat food;
  • Begin to bark, wag tails, bite,
    paw, bare teeth, growl and
    chase
  • Use legs well
  • Tire easily
  • Depth perception starts
5th Week:
  • Group activities and sexual
    play will begin;
  • dominance order starts
  • Rapid growth and
    development
6th Week:
  • Growth and development
    continues
  • Damp, soft food
  • Individual attention crucial
7th Week:
  • Total hearing capacity
  • Will investigate anything
  • Can't respond to name yet
  • Pups are on regular food and
    can go to new homes.
8th Week:
  • First fear period
  • Starts learning name
  • Don't ship during this time
  • Can start training in small
    steps
10th Week:
  • Safe to ship by air.
9th Week:
  • Develops strong dominant
    and subordinate behavior
    among littermates
  • Begins to learn right
    behavior
  • Motor skills improve
  • Short attention span
  • Strats focusing attention on
    owner rather than other
    puppies
  • separate littermates
  • Start house training.
  • Lots of individual attention.
This is a timeline that I follow in determining
healthy, normal development among my West
Highland Terrier puppies.(* See note) I have found it very
consistent with each litter.  Dogs should be bred for the reason of
improving the litter, but also for providing new owners with healthy,
well developed puppies.  If for some reason, your puppy has not
followed normal development after birth, you might consider that you
will have health problems in the future. It is recommended that you
check with the breeder and your personal veterinarian to assure that
your puppy was raised in a healthy environment and is presented to
you at delivery in a healthy condition.
Note:  I have been unable to reach and thank the lady who so wisely and
generously provided this information on the Internet, but I am very grateful for
the wise counsel, she provided about breeding, whelping and development of
puppies.
3rd Week:
  • Teeth begin to erupt
  • Puppies stand up and start
    walking
  • Begin to lap liquids
  • Defecate/urinate without
    stimulation
  • Become aware of
    evvironment
  • Start playing with littermates
  • Develop sense of smell
  • Will start to discriminate
    where to relieve themselves.
2nd  Week:
  • Eyes should open around
    days 8-10
  • Ears should open around
    days 13-17
  • temps should be around 97-
    99F
1st Week:
  • 90% sleeping
  • 10% eating
  • Susceptible to heat and cold
  • Crawl, seek warmth, nurse
  • Can right themselves if
    placed upside down
  • Needs stimulation for
    urination/defecation
  • Rapid development of
    central nervous system
  • Need constant care from
    bitch
  • Rectal temp 94-97%
  • May lose 10% of birth weight
  • Weight should double by end
    of week.
WEST HIGHLAND WHITE TERRIERS
Mums' Lil Westies  of the Ross Family Farm
"Every family needs a Westie and a Mums to let you have one."
Joshua 1:8 - "Be strong and
very courageous in
everything you do."