Weaning Puppies is only Natural
Charles Burke


Weaning puppies is a perfectly natural process. Mamma dogs have
been doing it successfully for ages, so how hard can it be, right?

But humans, not being dogs, can sometimes forget the natural
part, and get confused about it.

Fact is, weaning puppies is an easy, logical process.

When you're ready to begin weaning your new puppies, keep in mind
that this should be done gradually, in small steps. You can’t
rush it, and you definitely don't want to begin when the puppies
are too young.

Sometimes people get impatient and try to begin weaning puppies
before they're three weeks old. That's too early. Their bodies
need to develop the ability to handle solid food, and that takes
time. Wait the three weeks -- it's not really so long.

The first step in the weaning process is to take the mother away
from the puppies at least an hour before it’s time for them to
eat. This gives the puppies a chance to get good and hungry.
They'll be more inclined to try the new, alternative food you
offer them.

Remember, when it’s time for the puppies to eat, the mother
should be nowhere around.

The alternative food you offer them should be liquid or
semi-liquid so it's easy for them to swallow and digest. Solid
food won't work for them yet.

You can make a gruel of commercial dog food mixed with water or
baby cereal thinned with water. Another option when weaning
puppies is to use diluted strained baby food.

Put any of these mixtures in a small, shallow dish. Some of the
puppies will have no problem eating. They'll catch on
immediately. But there may be a few that just don't get it. So
they'll need some encouragement. The easiest way is to put a
little of the mixture on the tip of their nose or on their
tongue.

When weaning puppies you'll also need to decrease the amount of
food you're giving the mother. This causes her to produce less
milk. At the same time, you can gradually begin increasing the
amount of food you give the puppies, and over the next several
days make it less soupy. As they grow and their digestion
matures, their food should slowly become more solid, day by day.

Weaning puppies at this point becomes easier because, as the
solid food grows more familiar to them, they learn to enjoy it
more. Let them eat as much as they want as long as they don't
become bloated.

If you approach weaning puppies like this, the process should be
simple, painless and easy. Expect to see them completely weaned
by the time they're six to eight weeks old.

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