PawDeal

The first two weeks of a Hungarian Vizsla puppy’s life are quiet, intense, and surprisingly simple—especially if you’re lucky enough to have a devoted mammy dog. This period is all about feeding, warmth, sleep, and those tiny milestones that melt your heart daily.

Feeding & Supporting Mum

In an ideal world, mum takes care of all the feeding—and often she does. However, depending on the number of puppies in the litter, you may need to lend a hand with formula feeding to ensure everyone is getting enough nourishment.
A high-quality puppy milk such as Royal Canin works very well. One important tip: always mix the formula with water below 50°C, as hotter water can destroy valuable nutrients.

Mum Does More Than You Think

A caring mum is truly amazing to watch. She doesn’t just feed the puppies—she also keeps them clean. She licks them after feeding to stimulate toileting and even eats their poo. As strange as it looks to us, this is completely natural and keeps the nest clean and hygienic. Her licking also helps puppies pee, as they cannot do this on their own at this stage.

Tiny Nails, Important Job

One task you must not forget is trimming the puppies’ nails regularly. Even though they’re tiny, their nails are sharp, and when they scratch around looking for milk, they can hurt mum’s sensitive teats. Keeping nails short makes feeding more comfortable for her and prevents soreness.

Eat, Sleep, Repeat

Once the puppies are fed and have done their “business,” they settle back into sleep almost immediately. Very young puppies can sleep up to 22 hours a day—and they do it beautifully, often piled together in a warm puppy heap.

Eyes, Ears & First Discoveries

Between 10–12 days old, puppies’ eyes begin to open. That’s exactly how it happened in our case, and it feels like magic every time. At this stage, their ears are still closed, so they can’t hear yet—but once their eyes are open, their curiosity starts to wake up too.

This is when play begins. They start interacting with their siblings, nudging, pawing, and gently tumbling over one another. Walking attempts are adorable: a few shaky steps forward… and then flop! Over and over again.

Warmth Is Everything

Puppies this young cannot regulate their body temperature. They absolutely love the heat lamp, and it’s essential to keep the temperature just right so they don’t get cold. A warm, cosy environment helps them grow, sleep well, and thrive.

In Summary

The first two weeks with Hungarian Vizsla puppies are mostly calm and manageable—if you have a mum who truly takes care of her babies. With proper warmth, good nutrition, a little support when needed, and basic care like nail trimming, this stage is more about watching, enjoying, and falling in love… over and over again.