If you have a newborn puppy who isn't latching or won't nurse — you are in one of the most important moments of that puppy's life. The first 24 hours are everything. After 20 years of breeding micro and teacup Yorkies, I can tell you the difference between a puppy who thrives and a puppy who fades is almost always what happens in those first hours at the teat. This guide walks you through exactly how to get a newborn puppy to latch, why some puppies struggle, and what to do when bigger littermates keep pushing the smaller ones off.
Below is a short video showing the exact technique I use to help a puppy latch. Watch this first — then keep reading for the full troubleshooting guide.
Why the First 24 Hours of Nursing Matter So Much
Newborn puppies are born with almost no immune system of their own. They have one shot at building one — and it comes through their mother's first milk, called colostrum. Colostrum is only produced for the first 24 to 48 hours after whelping, and it carries the antibodies that protect the puppy from infection for the first weeks of life. A puppy who doesn't latch in that window misses the colostrum entirely, and the rest of the litter starts with a real advantage.
Beyond the immune piece, those first nursing sessions also wake up the puppy's digestion, regulate body temperature (snuggled against a warm mom), and stabilize blood sugar. A puppy who hasn't nursed within a few hours of birth is already at risk of hypoglycemia and hypothermia — and once that spiral starts, it's very hard to pull back.
Your job in those first hours is simple but urgent: make sure every puppy gets on a teat, gets a full belly, and stays warm.
Step-by-Step: How to Help a Newborn Puppy Latch
Most puppies figure this out on their own. But some — especially the small ones, the runts, or any puppy born after a long labor — need a little hands-on help to get started. Here is the exact step-by-step:
1. Warm the Puppy First (Non-Negotiable)
A cold puppy will not nurse. Their suckle reflex shuts off and their digestion stops. Before you even try to latch them, check the puppy's temperature. They should feel warm against your cheek and have a pink belly. If they feel cool, hold them skin-to-skin under your shirt or use a warm rice sock wrapped in a towel for 10 to 20 minutes before attempting to latch. Warm first, latch second — always.
2. Express a Drop of Milk to Prime the Teat
With clean hands, gently squeeze the base of mom's teat between your thumb and forefinger to express a single drop of milk. This does two things: it confirms the teat is open and producing, and it gives the puppy an instant taste reward as soon as their mouth touches it. The smell and taste of milk on the teat is what triggers their search reflex.
3. Open the Puppy's Mouth Gently
Cup the puppy in one hand. With your other hand, use your thumb and forefinger to gently open the puppy's mouth. Don't pry — a tiny touch at the corners is all it takes. You want the mouth open before the teat touches them, not after.
4. Bring the Teat To the Puppy — Not the Puppy To the Teat
This is the part most new breeders get backwards. You don't push the puppy onto the teat. You hold the puppy steady at mom's belly and bring the teat into the puppy's open mouth. Slide it in past the lips, onto the back of the tongue. Then gently close their lips around the teat with your fingertip.
5. Stimulate the Suckle Reflex
Once the teat is in the puppy's mouth, lightly stroke the back of the puppy's head and along the bridge of their nose with one fingertip. This mimics what mom does when she licks them and it triggers the suckle reflex. You should see and hear the puppy start to swallow within a few seconds. If they latch and let go, repeat the process — sometimes it takes 3 or 4 tries before they hold on for a full meal.
6. Watch For a Full Belly Before You Move On
A puppy who has nursed well will have a visibly round, full belly within 10 to 15 minutes. The skin should feel taut over the belly and they should drift off to sleep on the teat. That is your green light. Now you can move on to the next puppy who needs help.
Why a Puppy Might Not Latch — 8 Common Reasons
If you've gone through the steps above and the puppy still won't latch, one of these is almost always the reason. Work through them in order:
1. The Puppy Is Cold
This is the #1 reason, by a wide margin. A puppy whose body temperature has dropped below about 96°F loses their suckle reflex. They physically cannot nurse. Warm the puppy thoroughly first — and never warm them too fast (no high-setting heating pad directly on the skin). Skin-to-skin contact against your chest or belly is the safest method.
2. The Puppy Is Hypoglycemic
Low blood sugar in a newborn looks like weakness, floppy limbs, weak crying, and sometimes a glazed look. A drop or two of Karo syrup or honey rubbed onto the gums absorbs straight into the bloodstream and can wake them up enough to nurse. If a puppy is too weak to latch, this is one of the first things to try. (For the full emergency protocol, see our guide on Myra Savant Harris's fading puppy formula linked at the bottom of this post.)
3. The Puppy Has a Weak Suckle Reflex
Some puppies, especially very small ones or those born late in a long delivery, just have a weak suckle to start. They need help triggering it — that fingertip stroke on the head while the teat is in their mouth is exactly the cue they need. Stay patient. Repeat the process every hour until they get the hang of it. If they still can't suckle after several attempts, you may need to supplement with a syringe or tube feed until they're strong enough.
4. A Cleft Palate or Other Physical Defect
If a puppy latches but milk comes out their nose, or they cannot create suction no matter what you do, look inside the mouth for a cleft palate (an opening in the roof of the mouth). Cleft palates are not nurseable — these puppies require tube feeding and a veterinary consult. It is rare but worth checking before you assume the puppy is just being stubborn.
5. Mom Has No Milk Yet (or Not Enough)
First-time moms can be slow to let down. If you can't express a drop of milk from the teat, mom may not be producing well yet. A warm compress on the mammary glands, calm reassurance, and putting all the puppies on at once to stimulate let-down can help. Oxytocin from a vet is the next step if she still isn't producing within 12 hours of whelping.
6. Mom Is Rejecting the Puppy
Some moms — especially first-time moms or moms who had a c-section — will push a puppy away or refuse to let it nurse. Sit with mom, stay calm, and physically hold the puppy on the teat. Mom usually accepts within a few feedings once she sees the puppy is safe. If she is actively aggressive toward the puppy, you'll need to bottle or tube feed and reintroduce later.
7. The Teat Is Inverted, Blocked, or Sore
Check each teat individually. An inverted teat won't extend into the puppy's mouth. A blocked teat (often hard and warm to the touch) needs gentle warm compresses and massage to clear. A sore or cracked teat means mom may pull away when the puppy tries to nurse. Move that puppy to a working teat and address the bad one separately.
8. The Puppy Is Being Pushed Off By Bigger Siblings
We're going to cover this one in detail below — it's the most common problem in small breed litters of three or more.
The Runt Problem: When Bigger Puppies Push the Small Ones Off
In a healthy litter, the puppies sort themselves into a hierarchy at the teat within hours. The biggest, strongest puppies claim the best teats — usually the ones closest to mom's hind legs, which produce the most milk — and they push, climb over, and crawl on top of the smaller ones to hold their spot. By day 2 or 3, the smallest puppy in the litter may be getting almost no milk at all, even though they 'look' like they're nursing in the pile.
This is where breeders lose the smallest puppies if they're not paying close attention. The runt doesn't cry — they just quietly stop gaining weight, get a little colder each hour, and start to fade. By the time it's visible, you may already be in fading-puppy territory.
Here is how to manage it:
Weigh Every Puppy Twice a Day
A puppy scale is the single most important tool a small breed breeder owns. Weigh every puppy first thing in the morning and last thing at night for the first two weeks. A healthy puppy gains 5 to 10 percent of their body weight per day. A puppy who stays flat, or loses weight, is being pushed off the teat or something is wrong. Catch it on the scale, not by feel.
Do Solo Feeding Sessions for the Smallest Puppy
Take the small puppy out of the whelping box. Place them alone on the best teat (usually rear, where production is highest) while the rest of the litter is happily nursing elsewhere or sleeping. With no competition, the small puppy can nurse fully for 10 to 15 minutes and get a real meal. Do this 3 to 4 times a day, on top of their regular nursing time.
Rotate Puppies Off the Best Teats
When you see one or two pigs hogging the back teats, gently move them off and slide the smaller puppies in. The big ones will fuss for a minute and then latch onto a different teat. You are not depriving anyone — you are evening the meal out.
Supplement With Bottle or Tube Feeds
If solo feedings are not enough and the small puppy still isn't gaining, supplement with Esbilac (puppy milk replacer) every 2 to 3 hours. A 1cc syringe or a Miracle Nipple bottle works for tiny puppies. This is a stopgap until they're big enough to hold their own at the teat — usually a few days.
Warmth Is Everything — Why Cold Puppies Can't Nurse
I'll say it one more time because it really matters: a cold puppy cannot nurse. Newborn puppies cannot regulate their own body temperature for the first 2 weeks of life. They rely entirely on mom, their littermates piled together, and the ambient temperature of the whelping room.
The whelping box should be kept at 85 to 90°F for the first week, gradually cooled to 80°F by week 2 and 75°F by week 3. We use a heating pad on the lowest setting under one half of the whelping box (with a thick towel between) so puppies can crawl off if they're too warm. An overhead heat lamp also works. Check the temperature with a thermometer, not by feel — your hand will lie to you.
Sign that a puppy is cold: they feel cool to the touch, their belly is pale instead of pink, they're not snuggled into the pile, they're crying weakly, or they've gone quiet. If you suspect a puppy is cold, pull them out, warm them against your skin under your shirt, and don't try to feed until they feel warm again. Feeding a cold puppy can cause aspiration and digestive collapse.
When to Supplement, When to Tube Feed, and When to Call the Vet
Use this simple guide:
✦ Puppy is latching but not gaining enough weight: solo nursing sessions + bottle supplement with Esbilac. ✦ Puppy can't latch but has a swallow reflex: syringe-feed warm Esbilac, drop by drop, on the side of the mouth. ✦ Puppy has no swallow reflex and is going limp: tube feed (if you've been trained) and call your vet now. ✦ Puppy is cold, blue-gummed, and floppy: this is a fading puppy emergency — warm them, get sugar on their gums, and start the Myra Savant Harris fading puppy formula immediately.
Anytime a puppy is losing weight for more than 12 hours, isn't responding to supplemental feeding, or is showing signs of fading, call your vet. Toy and micro breeds slip away faster than larger breeds — there is no benefit to waiting and seeing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a newborn puppy go without nursing?
A healthy newborn should not go more than 2 to 3 hours without nursing in the first week of life. They're born with very limited fat reserves and their blood sugar drops fast. By 4 to 6 hours without milk, a small breed puppy is at real risk of hypoglycemia. Don't wait through the night hoping they'll figure it out — if a puppy hasn't nursed by 3 hours after birth, start helping them.
Why does my puppy let go of the teat right after latching?
Usually one of three things: the teat is empty (mom's let-down hasn't kicked in yet, or the puppy already drained it), the puppy is too cold to maintain a suckle, or they're too weak to keep working. Express a drop of milk to confirm flow, warm the puppy, and try again. If it keeps happening, switch teats — they may have picked one that isn't producing well.
Can I just bottle feed instead of fighting to get them to nurse on mom?
You can in an emergency, but you should always try to get them on mom first — especially in the first 24 hours for colostrum. Mom's milk has antibodies, the right enzyme balance, and the perfect temperature. Bottle feeding is a backup, not a replacement. Once colostrum is in, supplementing with bottle or tube feeds for a small puppy is fine and often necessary.
How do I know if mom has enough milk for all the puppies?
Weigh the puppies. If they're all gaining weight steadily, mom has enough. If the whole litter is flat or losing weight, mom may not be producing enough — which can happen with first-time moms, after a c-section, with eclampsia (milk fever), or with very large litters. Check in with your vet about supplements and possibly oxytocin if she's still not producing within 24 hours of whelping.
Is it normal for one puppy to cry constantly?
No. A well-fed, warm puppy is a quiet puppy. A puppy crying constantly is almost always hungry, cold, or in pain. Pick them up, warm them, and try to feed. If you can't get them to settle within 20 minutes, there is something wrong — usually they're being pushed off the teat or they have a low blood sugar issue brewing.
When can I stop helping the puppies latch?
Most healthy puppies are nursing fully on their own by day 3 to 5 without any help. By the end of week 1, you should only need to intervene for the runt or any puppy who's not keeping up on the scale. Always keep weighing them — that's how you'll know if you can safely back off the hands-on help.
The Bottom Line
Getting a newborn puppy to latch is one of the most important skills a small breed breeder will ever learn. The biggest takeaways: warm first, latch second; weigh every puppy twice a day; protect the small ones from being pushed off; and never wait to act when a puppy is fading. With patience and the right technique, almost every puppy can be saved.
If you have a Doll Face Pup at home and you're working through any of this, or you want to learn more about how we raise our litters, please reach out — I'm happy to talk a new puppy parent through anything that comes up.
