The average size of a beagle litter is six puppies. When mother beagles give birth to litters of puppies, the tiny, adorable things weigh just a few ounces each. Properly caring for newborn beagles means understanding everything from litter dynamics to individual health and development. Whelping Newborn Beagles When a mother beagle is preparing to give birth, have a number of items handy to assist in the whelping -- a thermometer, cotton balls, lots of towels, a small warming box, a heating pad, bedding and a big garbage bag, for starters. Once the mother begins to give birth, have a small box ready, complete with a heating pad set on low, with several layers of towels. Once one newborn beagle is birthed, allow it to nurse, but move it to small box, if mom allows, once the mother's contractions begin again, to reduce the amount of confusion or disarray. Clean each one as you do -- the mother will typically have already cleaned them right after birth. When all the beagles have been delivered, replace them with mom and allow them to nurse.

Keep in mind that newborn beagles are born with no teeth, no hearing, closed eyes and no ability to walk. You'll keep them close to mom and limit your interaction for a while unless she rejects them. Complications During Whelping Owners and breeders usually don't have to do much when a healthy mother beagle whelps, or delivers, a litter of pups; the mother often cares for the newborn beagles just fine on her own. However, problems can arise that make it necessary for an owner to get involved. Panasonic Air Purifier UaeSometimes the mother can become confused or frightened when she sees her puppies, and she'll abandon them, for instance. Kittens For Sale Liberty MoA mother beagle can whelp too many puppies in a single litter, causing her to be unable to nurse them all. Discount Tire Center Tallahassee

In such a case, an owner must feed neglected puppies. Other potential problems include deaths of puppies, death of the mother beagle, mastitis and a low milk supply. Care at Birth A mother beagle will usually keep her newborn puppies warm and fed. Sometimes, though, an owner will have to help. A heating pad set on medium and placed under the blanket nestling the puppies will help keep the beagles' body temperature warm, but a portion of the nesting area must be left room-temperature -- about 75 degrees -- so the pups can cool off. Weigh each puppy at birth and make a record; monitoring each beagle's weight and growth is crucial. Feeding Malnourished Puppies In those cases when a pup isn't receiving enough milk, you'll step in with canine milk replacement. Fill a baby bottle with the recommended amount of dog-specific milk replacer. Hold the puppy in a horizontal position -- this is the natural position for a puppy to nurse and will help prevent choking -- then gently insert the bottle nipple into the puppy's mouth, wiggling it some to release a few drops of milk.

The puppy will suck on the bottle, taking in milk replacer. The puppy will need a set amount of milk replacer every two hours, even throughout the night. This is crucial to the puppy's health and survival. When the puppy is around 4 weeks of age, you can begin to transition from nursing to eating moistened and then solid dry food. Engagement with Mother and Siblings Once puppies reach the age of 4 weeks -- after the time their hearing, vision and ability to walk have emerged -- the beagles' playful, curious personalities begin to really shine through. Now is the time to allow them to play with one another. During play, beagle puppies learn defenses and boundaries. You can foster beagles' natural love of exploration by expanding the whelping box or creating an extra space, a play room, for the young litter. Once the beagle puppies reach the age of 8 weeks, you can separate them from their mother. : : : Beagle AgeCollie Expressions Magazine: The Newborn NurseryHartz: Bottle Feeding the Newborn Puppy Photo Credits Russell Illig/Photodisc/Getty Images MORE MUST-CLICKS: List of Spaniel Breeds Why Does a Chihuahua Shake?

Dogs That Don't Bark a Lot That Are Good for Apartments When Is a Lhasa Apso Dog Fully Grown? Are Huskies & Alaskan Malamutes the Same Thing? Labrador Dog Characteristics Do Akitas & Cats Get Along? The Medical Problems in Great Danes Chorkie Puppy Information How to Adopt a MuttEven Austin’s human mayor, Steve Adler, seems open to the idea of sharing his title with a mutt. Sid was hit by a car and almost died in 2014. Social media followers donated $10,000 to pay his vet bills. Sid poses with cheeseburgers, corndogs and kolaches between his lips and eats them only if Hopes gives the OK. Sid vows to encourage adoption of rescue dogs, build awareness of no-kill shelters and promote dog walks. Sid wants to be your new mayor, Austin.If elected, the smooshy-eyed, butter-colored, basset-beagle-corgi-Lab mix known to more than 60,000 followers on Instagram as MyRegalBeagle promises to encourage the adoption of rescue animals, build awareness of no-kill shelters and promote things like dog walks and bacon.

Sure, we know there’s no official election to the office of dog mayor. Sid hopes to change that, and he wouldn’t be the first politician in the country to drink from a toilet.San Francisco proclaimed a Chihuahua mix named Frida as mayor for a day last November. Stubbs the Cat, who once fell into a restaurant fryer that fortunately was switched off and cool, has served as honorary mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska, since 1997. Lajitas in West Texas has had a goat for a mayor.“Austin needs a dog mayor. It’s the most dog-friendly city in the United States,” says Alex Hopes, Sid’s human.Even Austin’s human mayor, Steve Adler, seems open to the idea of sharing his title with a mutt.“Austin is a city that takes care of all of its residents, including our four-legged friends, so it’s natural for us to have an official dog mayor,” Adler said when asked about Sid’s chances. “But before we elect Sid, we’ll need to know his plan to keep Austin no-kill.”As dog mayor, Sid vows to remind dog owners to pick up after their pets.

He’d encourage dog-friendly businesses and push for more water bowls on sidewalks. He also hopes to lead a community dog walk.“I want to have him be the voice of good,” Hopes says. “I feel he could really be the mascot for Austin.”You may have seen Sid before. Besides Instagram, the mellow dog with a drowsy gaze and oversized paws has 46,000 followers on Vine and 50,000 followers on Facebook. He’s a regular at Zilker Park, and even appears briefly on a nationally televised commercial for Domino’s Pizza.Hopes, who was living and attending college in Omaha, Nebraska, bought Sid for $50 on a whim in late 2010. He’d never had a dog, but tucked the six-week-old puppy into his coat and picked up supplies at a pet store. He started training the dog himself, with remarkable results.“I’d tell him to sit and stay and I’d walk two city blocks away and he’d sit until I told him to come,” Hopes says.Hopes, 27, moved with Sid to Austin in 2012 with no job lined up. He waited tables at Bess Bistro for eight months, then quit his job and purchased a camera he says he couldn’t afford.

He learned how to use it, then started doing social media and marketing. Six months later, he had nine clients.Hopes also grew obsessed with photographing Sid and quickly learned the pup made a very un-doglike model. He took photos and videos of Sid wearing sunglasses, politely holding a gooey wedge of pizza in his mouth, wearing a crown of red grapes on his head, perched on a mailbox and more, and, in 2012, created an Instagram account with the handle @MyRegalBeagle.Sid seems impossibly well-behaved, posing with cheeseburgers, corn dogs, apples and kolaches between his lips and never eating any of it unless Hopes gives him the OK — but he’s not always as obedient with other people. He once ate 28 pizza rolls left unattended by Hopes’ roommate. Another time, he ate a doughnut burger from Gourdough’s.Sid is neutered, and his hobbies include hiking, swimming, climbing, chasing his ball and sleeping. He lives in South Austin.Hopes jokes that he’s living in Sid’s shadow. Sid is recognized during almost daily forays to Zilker Park and on streets all over Austin.

A video of Sid with a slice of pizza dangling from his lips has gotten 50 million views from around the world.But Sid’s story almost ended on a dark road one night in spring 2014.Hopes had sold most of his belongings and made plans to move with Sid to Croatia, where he hoped to make a living doing marketing, photography and social media. He was busy loading his car late one night to move in with a friend for his last few weeks in Texas when he noticed Sid was missing.He ran down the street, fearing the worst. That’s when he found Sid, crumpled and bleeding, in the middle of Cesar Chavez Street. A passerby gave him a ride to an emergency vet clinic, where vets told Hopes that Sid had broken four ribs, punctured his lungs, cut his spleen and herniated his diaphragm. They were unsure if he would survive.Hopes was devastated, and didn’t know how he could afford Sid’s treatment. He turned to social media, where Sid’s followers rallied, donating about $10,000 to pay the vet bills. They also sent cookies to the vet staff.