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Old 06-16-2009, 09:57 AM   #1
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Default Weaning puppies...

Just curious how everyone handles weaning? At what age you start to wean, when are they complety weaned and what do you wean them to?

I have seen everyting from 3-6 weeks and all different answers as to what foods to wean to but I'd just like to get a feel for what others here on YT do.
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Old 06-16-2009, 10:20 AM   #2
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I probably wean a bit differently than most. Unless mom has health problems, I allow a completely natural weaning to take place. As soon as the pups have their eyes open, I start offering ground up puppy kibble mixed with enough diluted canned goat's milk to make a thin gruel. Most of the time Mom eats the majority of the mixture, BUT it does start exposing the pups to solids and they taste it and get to learn by watching Mom.

By the time the pups are 4 to 6 weeks old they are eating 3 times a day and are nursing a bit less. By the time the pups are 8 - 9 weeks old they are eating a lot more and nursing a lot less. By this time, not only are the pups losing interest, but mom is starting to discourage nursing and is drying up.

By 12 - 14 weeks when I start evaluating them for readiness to "leave the nest", they are completely weaned, have never experienced any "weaning stress" and mom has dried up naturally.

I would like to note that if at any time Mom or pups were under any stress, I would step in and do what was necessary to insure the health of everyone.
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Old 06-16-2009, 10:22 AM   #3
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I try to let Zoe decide when its time to wean. Hovever, her first litter was still on the tit when they were 10 weeks...lol...they were eating food but I just don't think the pups wanted to let go and Zoe was such a good mommy to oblige. Each litter she weans them sooner.
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Old 06-16-2009, 01:15 PM   #4
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Originally Posted by chattiesmom View Post
I probably wean a bit differently than most. Unless mom has health problems, I allow a completely natural weaning to take place. As soon as the pups have their eyes open, I start offering ground up puppy kibble mixed with enough diluted canned goat's milk to make a thin gruel. Most of the time Mom eats the majority of the mixture, BUT it does start exposing the pups to solids and they taste it and get to learn by watching Mom.

By the time the pups are 4 to 6 weeks old they are eating 3 times a day and are nursing a bit less. By the time the pups are 8 - 9 weeks old they are eating a lot more and nursing a lot less. By this time, not only are the pups losing interest, but mom is starting to discourage nursing and is drying up.

By 12 - 14 weeks when I start evaluating them for readiness to "leave the nest", they are completely weaned, have never experienced any "weaning stress" and mom has dried up naturally.

I would like to note that if at any time Mom or pups were under any stress, I would step in and do what was necessary to insure the health of everyone.
Thank you! Makes sense.

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I try to let Zoe decide when its time to wean. Hovever, her first litter was still on the tit when they were 10 weeks...lol...they were eating food but I just don't think the pups wanted to let go and Zoe was such a good mommy to oblige. Each litter she weans them sooner.
So do you feed your Zoe around them and then they help themselves? Or do you wait until a certain age to start introducing some food into their diet and if they eat it fine, if not that's ok too?
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Old 06-16-2009, 01:38 PM   #5
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I introduce my puppies to ground up dry food at around 3 1/2 to 4 weeks old, as soon as the puppies are able to start walking. I put Chicken Soup dry puppy food in a blender and grind it until it is very fine. I put this ground dry food in a bowl in the x-pen with the pups along with a bowl of water. The puppies will go over and start licking the dry food. As the puppies get older they will start eating more and more of the dry food and mom will slowly dry up. Usually by 8 to 10 weeks the pups are nursing very little. All my moms have always had plenty of milk so I never felt it was necessary to make the mush. Some breeder prefer to wean them on mush. Either method will work but I have found the dry food method works best for me and it is a lot less messy although the pups will manage to spill some of it. As the pups get older I grind the food less so they can start eating the whole kibble. I like to use those small double sided bowls they sell at Wal-mart. I will put dry food in both sides and I will just another small double sided bowl for the water.

In one of my last litters I had a 'digger'. As soon as I would fill the bowl with dry food he would run over and start digging in the food. I guess he liked to eat off the floor.

I forgot to add that when the pups are around 6 weeks old I start adding a little canned Pedigree Lamb and Rice puppy food to the ground up dry food. I blend in the canned food with the dry food so it is just a little moist. I put a small plate full of this food out twice a day in addition to their dry food. My moms always eat some of the puppies food but I feed my moms in a separate area.

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Old 06-16-2009, 03:48 PM   #6
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I allow mom to call the shots. Start with Gerbers Rice Cereal and Goats Milk at about 3 to 4 weeks. Then switch to baby kibbles mixed with puppy canned food and add a bit of parmesean cheese (puppies love stinky stuff) when they get teeth, However, it seems, that most of mine have their heads in their mothers cottage cheese long before this. Once they're eating well, I only put mom in at night so they can drain her (to prevent her teets from burstin) and for comfort. Mine are usually completely on food (4 times a day) by 10 weeks of age and only use mother as a pacifier. I've always had a smooth transition and never had to worry about that dangerous stage that can happen if weaning is done abruptly
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Old 06-22-2009, 04:12 PM   #7
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Default I started weaning

I also have a question about weaning...My Yorkie had 5 puppies 4 weeks ago and I introduced them to food last night. I would like to know how much and how often I should give the food.
thank you!
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Old 06-22-2009, 04:20 PM   #8
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I also have a question about weaning...My Yorkie had 5 puppies 4 weeks ago and I introduced them to food last night. I would like to know how much and how often I should give the food.
thank you!
Take mom out of the whelping area for about an hour.

I offer it 3 times a day. Just fix a big plate of gruel ( I usually start out with goats milk with equal parts of water, add Gerbers Rice Ceral, I don't ad kibbles until I know their teeth are in), a Pie Plate will do, big enough so all puppies can get at it. I take out whelping bed and put down pee pads that can be picked up when they're done. It's gonna get messy, they'll walk through it, etc. Mom will usually finish it off when she gets back and clean up puppies.
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Old 06-22-2009, 04:32 PM   #9
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Ok thank you...just one more thing how much for each pup. I have one that is a little slower than the others and I would like to feed her alone.
Thanks again
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Old 06-22-2009, 04:52 PM   #10
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Ok thank you...just one more thing how much for each pup. I have one that is a little slower than the others and I would like to feed her alone.
Thanks again
I usually start with about a tablespoon of Rice Cereal and add the milk until it's somewhat runny. I usually use a lil pudding bowl when I'm feeding. If she asks for more give it to her. Remember the first time you may have to coax. Put some on your finger and let them lick it or insert your finger in their lil mouth. Don't get discouraged. You can do cottage cheese too. Some don't take to it right away when I've switched to kibbles with a bit of soft food. A trick I learned is they like the soft food warmed a bit and I add parmasean cheese to the top. For some reason they love stinky.
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Old 06-22-2009, 07:26 PM   #11
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I use the blender and grind the Royal Canin baby dog at 4 weeks. If the babies are extremely tiny, I make a gruel. As they get teeth, I grind it less until they are on the whole kibble. I also have Mom's bowl of whole kibble there, but Mom also seems to like the ground. They also attack Mom's canned food with cottage cheese and Milk replacment that I give her.
Mom has a doggie door she can get away from them for periods of time, but I let Mom do all the weaning. At 8 weeks, I prop open the doggie door so they can also have access to the play area with Mom. It is really fun to watch them learn how to play and how Mom enjoys her kids. I only take Mom away if she starts getting naughty to the kids.. more than just growling at them to teach them manners. Most Moms will enjoy the babies until they go to new homes. I let Mom handle it and there is no stress.
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Old 06-25-2009, 12:08 PM   #12
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Where do you guys get the goat's milk?
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Old 06-25-2009, 12:11 PM   #13
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Where do you guys get the goat's milk?
You can buy the canned milk at the grocery store, but it has to be diluted with distilled water.

The fresh, can be purchased at a health food store.
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Old 06-25-2009, 12:15 PM   #14
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Where do you guys get the goat's milk?
I see you're in California. Are you anywhere near a Trader Joe's, they have fresh.
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Old 06-25-2009, 04:41 PM   #15
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Thanks to all of you for the replies
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