A 1 week old Yorkie and a 2 week old Yorkie puppy is very tiny. This guide will go through their size, appearance, behavior, and how to care for these small little puppies as they grow toward adulthood.
The Neonatal Period
The Dependent Infant
The neonatal period lasts from the time the puppy is born until about 2 weeks old.
When do a Yorkie Puppy’s Eyes and Ears Open?
The eyes and ears of puppies open around the 2 week mark. Every litter and every puppy varies a little as far as the exact day when their eyes and ears open. It is generally not until the end of week 2 that they will open. Some puppies are a little earlier and some are a little later.
Since their eyes and ears are closed for most of this stage, puppies take in all the information about the world around them through smell and touch. This is why it is so important that puppies are handled by the breeder daily right from birth. Touching and stroking conditions the puppy to being handled and enjoying it.
When their eyes and ears do open, it will happen gradually. At the start, you will be able to see a little bit of the eyeball poking through a small slit in the eyelids. Soon, the eyelid will open fully, revealing the eye.
The eyes will appear cloudy at first. Their vision is still developing. Their eyes will continue to become less cloudy as the weeks go by and their ability to see will get better as well.
Their ears will open around the same time as their eyes do.
When Do Yorkie’s Teeth Start To Come In?
A Yorkshire Terrier’s teeth will start to come in around 2 weeks of age. Although the puppy still needs mama’s milk, she is getting ready to transition to dog food.
How Much Does a 1-2 Week Old Yorkie Puppy Sleep?
A 1-2 week old Yorkshire Terrier puppy will sleep for the vast majority of the time. Her eyes and her ears are closed and her body is using all the rest she is getting to help her body grow and develop. Although they sleep the majority of the time, that doesn’t mean the little puppies are entirely quiet and still.
Why Does a Newborn Puppy Twitch In their Sleep?
As you watch the Yorkie puppies sleep, you will notice their bodies seem to twitch and move slightly. With several different puppies in the litter all sleeping side-by-side, watching them twitch reminds me of popcorn popping! It is fun to watch. This twitching is important. It is their body’s way of toning and strengthening their muscles and developing coordination to get the puppy ready to learn to walk and run.
Twitching is normal and not a cause for concern. A puppy who doesn’t twitch is cause for concern. It may be an indication that she is sick.
How Much Does a Yorkie Puppy Weigh at 1-2 Weeks?
By 10 days, the puppy should have doubled her birthweight. So, if she weighed 5 oz at birth, she should weigh at least 10 oz at 10 days.
Using a Yorkie Growth Chart you can use the weight of the puppy to help determine it’s final weight as an adult.
A 1 week old Yorkie still weighs less than a pound. A standard size Yorkie that will weigh in-between 4 and 7 lbs will weigh 6.5-11 oz at her 1 week birthday.
A 2 week Yorkie may just hit the 1 pound mark. A standard size Yorkie will weigh 9-16 oz at 2 weeks of age.
These weights of course are estimates and guidelines. 1-2 week old standard size Yorkie puppies can weigh more or less than these estimates.
The Yorkie breeder should be careful to weigh puppies regularly to ensure each puppy is thriving.
When Do Yorkie Puppies Start to Stand?
Although a 1-2 week old puppy cannot walk, she’s been progressively getting better at moving since the day she was born. Her more limited attempts at pulling herself along on her belly when she was first born has helped her become more adept at crawling and getting her to go where she wants to be. By 2 weeks she be starting to pull herself up and practice standing.
Care for a 1-2 Week Old Yorkie
1-2 Week old Yorkie puppy cannot take care of herself. She will need a warm, safe place to rest, regular health checks, and nutrition. It is also important that puppies be held, touched, and handled regularly.
Warm and Safe Place to Rest
Since puppies spend most of their time sleeping, they need a warm and safe place to rest.
Warmth
1-2 week old puppies cannot regulate their body temperature on their own. They need to be in a warm environment. If they are to cold, they won’t thrive and they become more susceptible to getting sick.
An adjustable heating pad placed under their bedding is a good way to keep them warm. Make sure that the heating pad is not too hot and that it does not cover the whole area. They should have the option to move away from the heat if they wish. Puppies piled in one big heap are telling you they are probably too cold. Puppies spread far apart from each other are telling you they are probably to hot.
Safe
A safe place to rest should be the right size. It should neither be too small that the puppies risk getting squished by mom or too large that they risk moving away from the litter and getting too cold.
A safe place to rest should have sides so that they cannot get out of the area, but at the same time provide for mom a place she can escape to if she needs a break from her puppies.
Be careful what type of bedding you use. Puppies should not be able to scoot themselves under the bedding and get trapped.
A safe place should be clean. Care should be taken to remove and clean any soiled bedding, floor, or walls.
Regular Puppy Health Checks
It is important to regularly check the health of your puppies to make sure they are thriving.
Weight
Puppies should be weight checked regularly. They should be gaining weight daily.
Movement
While 1-2 week old puppies won’t move around very much – they should move. For instance, they should twitch when they sleep. They should move to find warmth or a free teat on which to nurse.
Clean
While mama Yorkie should be cleaning the puppy’s bottoms after they eliminate, be sure to regularly check their bottoms to make sure that there is no dry feces on it that will irritate the skin or prevent further elimination.
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