12/16/2025
Announcement!@
This is a very honest truth of the 1st 72 hours. Alot of time.. back breaking from floor sitting...at times alot of tears.. others all smiles and warm heart fuzzies. All that can change so fast.
But we have puppies coming!!! Yay!! Gsp puppies. Expecting 8-10 little ones around January 10, 2026. We are so blessed and so excited to welcome all these little paws into our home. Lots of posts coming!!
The first 72 hours after a puppy is born are the most fragile hours of their entire life.
This is the space between breath and belonging.
Between survival and strength.
Between a tiny heartbeat and the future it’s meant to live.
Most people meet puppies when their eyes are open and their tails begin to wag.
What they don’t see is the quiet, sacred, terrifying work that happens before that… in the middle of the night… under dim lights… with tired eyes and a praying heart.
These first three days are sacred to us.
And we don’t leave them unattended.
Here’s what we watch for constantly, gently, with our whole hearts:
Nursing-
We listen for that first soft suckle.
We watch for a strong latch.
Because that tiny movement means warmth, nourishment, and life.
When a puppy struggles to nurse, we feel it in our chest.
And we step in immediately.
Weight-
Every single puppy is weighed daily.
Not because of numbers but because growth is hope.
A rising number is a quiet celebration.
A stalled one makes our hearts pause.
Body Temperature-
Newborns can’t keep themselves warm yet.
If they get too cold, their little bodies shut down.
If they get too warm, they dehydrate.
So we check. And check again.
Over and over.
Because warmth is safety in these first hours.
Movement & Cry-
They should wiggle.
They should root.
They should speak in tiny cries.
When one is too still…
too quiet…
or sounds different than the others…
our world stops for a moment while we assess.
Color & Circulation-
Healthy puppies are warm and pink.
Strong little signs of good circulation and oxygen.
When color fades, we don’t wait.
We respond instantly.
Digestion & Elimination-
We track everything.
The tiniest details.
Because in newborns, what seems small can turn serious quickly.
Mama-
And just as closely we watch mama.
Her milk.
Her body.
Her temperature.
Her rest.
Her ability to care for each baby.
Because when she thrives, they thrive.
And when she struggles, we step in to carry the load with her.
But the hardest part of these 72 hours?
The signs are never loud.
They are whispers.
A weaker latch.
A quieter cry.
A slower wiggle.
A puppy that feels just a little different in your hands.
And you learn to listen to those whispers with your whole soul.
These are the nights we don’t sleep.
The hours we sit on the floor in silence.
The moments we hold our breath between feedings.
The moments we pray without even realizing we’re praying.
Because most neonatal losses happen in this window.
And they don’t come with warning labels.
So we don’t check in casually.
We stay.
We watch.
We intervene.
We love fiercely.
These first 72 hours aren’t just about puppies being born.
They’re about puppies being claimed by life.
And we treat that responsibility with trembling hands, tired hearts, and unwavering devotion.
