Well, obviously 6 weeks old is way too young for the puppy to be away from it's Mama, but you already know that, and there's really not much you can do about it now, so I'll skip the lecture.
Now, for the upside - I've had good luck with very young puppies, but they do require more work. The pup needs to be socialized with other dogs - and since it's Mommy can't teach him things, your friend will have to. For example, puppies (littermates) have a way of "teaching each other" how to be dogs. If they bite too hard, the other one yelps so the biter knows he was too rough, and so on. This stage is so very important to the puppy's development. This is when the puppy forms his personality, and learns about his suroundings, etc. Like I said, it can be done, it just requires more work and attention.
Now, about the food question. What is the puppy eating now? Did the breeder give any info as to what she was feeding it before it came home? At 6 weeks (and just barely weaned) I usually mix a little water (or puppy formula for extra nutrition) in with the puppies dry food. It will become kind of mushy (like oatmeal). This is a good consistency for puppies who are very young. Then, slowly add less and less liquid. You'll see what the puppy can handle. I know mine are ready for the dry food alone when they steal it on me! I hope this helps! |