[bjh]

I am glad you hear that mom and pups are doing well. I always set mine up in and exercise pen when they are about 3 1/2 weeks old. I have a board across the front on the x-pen so mom can jump in and out. The mom has to be able to get away from the pups once the pups are up and running around. As the puppies get bigger I increase the size of their x-pen. I will have the potty pads at the far end then food and water in the middle and their bedding near the at the front of the x-pen.

As soon as the pups are walking, around 3 1/2 weeks, you will need to start introducing them to food. I find the easiest thing to do is to grind up some quality dry puppy food in a blender until it is fine like cornmeal. I place the dry food in a small bowl and leave it in their pen along with a shallow bowl of water. Once they have started eating the ground up dried food I also mix up a plate of food that has the dry food mixed with a little canned food. There are lots of ways to wean them but this is what works best for me.

Your work will really begin now. Make sure you are keeping the puppies toenail trimmed and soon you will need to keep the hair trimmed around their anus. Make sure momma is still getting plenty of food and calcium.