At 3 to 4 weeks, the mother naturally initiates the weaning process and can usually complete this transition without intervention. She starts by standing up and walking away from a puppy that is nursing. When the puppy tries to nurse again, the mother will push the puppy away with her nose or discourage the act with a little growl. The hungry pup is forced to look for food elsewhere, thus leading her to eat the same thing the mother eats — or in your pups case, a high-quality puppy food your vet condones.
Create a special area to put the pup for a few hours every day away from her mother. This area should be closed off, warm, draft-free and lined with newspaper. This helps protect the area from potty accidents and from the messy business of learning how to eat puppy food. This time away from her mother will give her time to explore on her own, become self-confident and find her independence. Over time, she should be allowed to be away from her mother for longer periods of time.
You should offer a small amount of high-quality puppy food during this time away. In a shallow pie pan, add a bit of water to the puppy food to create a soft texture. This will make it easier for your little one to eat. She may get more food on her body than into her belly at first, but she’ll figure it out. Have a pie pan with a bit of water nearby to drink, although that attempt to drink may turn into an overturned pie pan and an unexpected bath. Before you put her back with her mother, gently wipe her clean with a damp washcloth.
Puppies, just like human babies, feed on a diet of entirely mothers milk before transitioning to solid foods. Proper timing is vital: Weaning — the period when puppies stop nursing — too early puts pups at risk of not getting proper nutrients or social skills from her mother.
The puppys mother usually starts the weaning process usually when the puppy is around 3 to 4 weeks old. By the time a pup is 7 or 8 weeks old, she should be completely weaned from her mother and no longer nursing. Orphaned puppies may be weaned around the same age. It’s best not to wean before age 3 or 4 weeks because a whelp needs that time with her mother to learn important socialization and life skills. Her body isnt ready to digest puppy food until that time, either.
How do you wean puppies off their mother?
The weaning process for puppies should begin gradually at around a month of age. Simply add dry puppy food to water and let it sit until its soft enough for them to eat. You should slowly increase the amount of time puppies are away from their mother , and those that have trouble at first can stay behind for another week.
There are a variety of methods that can help make the transition process for puppies successful. Its not uncommon to give the mother dog more food while she is nursing puppies, so in order to transition the puppies off of their mothers milk, you can consider returning the mothers food supply back to normal rates. In turn, it will cause her milk supply to run dry.
To start the weaning process, you can place your saucer with formula close to the puppies. With some encouragement from both you and their mother, they’ll begin to drink the formula independently after around one to four days. You can also take your finger, dip it in the formula or food, and wipe a bit on the puppys nose to pique their interest. This can help puppies that dont show interest in their new diet immediately.
Weaning a Puppy: Frequently Asked Questions
Most breeders and pet owners usually start weaning their puppies at around 3 or 4 weeks but some puppies will start a week or so later, depending on their environment and how well-timed feedings are as they make the transition.
Signs of a Happy Puppy and Tips on weaning Puppies From Mommy
Puppies grow up quickly. They start to transition from their mothers milk onto solid foods, a process known as weaning, at around 3 weeks to 4 weeks of age. Before long, those little guys wont be nursing from their mother at all. Instead theyll be chowing down on puppy food.
The nursing process is an important part of your pups health and development. Mothers milk provides the nutrition and antibodies they need to fight off disease. Her milk is the only diet they will receive during their first three to four weeks of life. After this time, the little guys teeth will begin to come in, making nursing uncomfortable for mama cat. The discomfort prompts her to spend more and more time away from the nest. At this point, theyll slowly start to transition onto solid foods over a period of about four weeks.
To reduce stress on the puppies, take the weaning process slowly, getting them used to eating solid foods. Whether mom is with the pups or theyre orphaned, start to offer a mixture of equal parts canine milk replacement formula and water to the little ones in a large, shallow dish, the VCA Animal Hospitals website recommends. This gets the pups used to eating from a dish rather than a nipple. Once they are consistently eating from the dish, start to mix in some wet or dry food thats specifically formulated for puppies. Slowly decrease the amounts of formula and water while increasing the amount of solid food over the four-week weaning period until the pups are consistently eating solid food.
The weaning process begins quite messy as the little pups discover that strange gruel-like mixture of formula and puppy food in the dish. Furry babies will usually smell the food and then may walk right through it as they start to taste and eat it. Youll have to clean up the little ones after their foray into eating solid foods. Use paper towels moistened with warm water to wipe them down after meals, and dry them off so they dont become chilled. Place them back in with mom afterward. Make the cleaning process of the food area easier for yourself by placing the dish in a contained area, such as a bathtub. This prevents food-covered little ones from dashing onto your carpets or furniture before you have a chance to clean them off.
While most mother dogs naturally begin to nurse their pups less and less starting at 4 weeks of age, some dont. If your pooch wont begin to distance herself from the little ones, its up to you to separate them from her for an hour to two each day, during which you can give them their formula-and-food mixture. Because mom might be feeling anxious during these initial separations, engage her in a fun game or give her some special attention to make her feel more at ease.
At the end of the weaning process, around 8 weeks of age, pups should be fully graduated to eating solely puppy-specific solid foods. The furry babies should be eating four meals of puppy food each day, with fresh water available to them at all times. When the little ones are fully weaned, between 8 and 12 weeks old, you can adopt them out because they are no longer nursing at all or dependent on their mother for nutrition. Keep in mind that 8 weeks is the minimum age of adoption or sale of little pups in most states, according to the Animal Legal & Historical Center.
Based in Las Vegas, Susan Paretts has been writing since 1998. She writes about many subjects including pets, finances, crafts, food, home improvement, shopping and going green. Her articles, short stories and reviews have appeared on City National Banks website and on The Noseprint. Paretts holds a Master of Professional Writing from the University of Southern California.