[mistystradtner]

My Zoe had five pups this past January and here's what I know from our experience, which went VERY well, praise God.

Mommy will wean her own puppies, like you've been told already. She'll gradually stop laying for them and with them and they'll have to chase her to nurse. Eventually, she'll even growl at them when they try.

We started "offering" the mush when they were big enough to walk around well and seemed physically capable. I say offering, because that's what it was. Some were more zealous about the food than others. Each in their own time. I used the puppy food I had been feeding mom during the whole thing... I put it in a bowl with a little water and microwaved it for a few seconds to get it soft. Then I made sure it was cool enough and put it on a flat plate. The hard part was keeping mom out of it while kids had what they wanted. I offered it twice a day and things went very smoothly.

On the potty training, I don't think a week is going to be detrimental considering you are trying to train one of the most resistant breeds known. We put newspaper down in half the containment area and plenty of warm blankets and teething rings in the other. We made it so mom could get in and out of the area as she pleased. This way she wasn't constantly chased by the pups. A kiddie pool works great for a containment area. Pups can't get out, mom can get in, easy to clean, no holes to get stuck in.

When they got good on their feet, we started taking them outside to potty, with our other dogs. The grownups are very helpful in training pups. Just watch for hawks and such. Never leave your pups unattended outside! This way, we converted them early from paper to yard.

Good luck and congratulations on your sweet babies!!