How to Wean Puppies From the Mother Dog

Weaning occurs when puppies make the natural transition from nursing from their mother to eating on their own. In the wild, dogs can nurse as long as the mother's milk holds out, usually combining this with eating solid foods. For dogs under the supervision of a human family, this process can start and end much earlier with gentle supervision. This will give the new litter independence so the puppies can become members of permanent homes at about eight weeks.

Things You'll Need

  • Puppy food, wet or dry
  • Water
  • Rice cereal
  • Dog replacement milk
  • Goat milk
  • Evaporated milk
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Instructions

    • 1

      Establish the early nutrition of the litter by providing the mother dog the same puppy food you will eventually feed the puppies, starting from the time the puppies are born. This will provide all the necessary vitamins and nutrients the puppies will need through their mother's milk and make eventual digestion of the food much easier on their tiny stomachs.

    • 2

      Watch the mother's behavior closely. Around three weeks after she has given birth, the mother dog will begin to spend more time away from the puppies to encourage their independence. This also saves her discomfort as their teeth develop. It is quite possible that she will lead them to dry food or bring nuggets of the food to her litter all on her own.

    • 3

      Guide the process along with increased gentle contact. Although this is a natural process, your hands-on approach to assisting the mother in weaning prepares the puppies for social interaction with humans. If the mother is reluctant to wean the dogs by three to four weeks of age, remove the puppies from the mother approximately three times a day to gently encourage their independence from the mother, and her independence from them.

    • 4

      Gradually reduce the mother's food intake to slow down milk production. You may have increased her food intake to double what she normally eats to give her the proper nourishment while she nursed her puppies, and you can begin to decrease that amount slowly from about week three. This will discourage the puppies from nursing and also keep the mother from experiencing discomfort from engorged mammary glands.

    • 5

      Moderate the food the puppies eat as they develop. Very young puppies are still learning the basic principles of chewing, so a gruel made of ground puppy food blended with dog milk replacement formula (found at most pet stores) is a nutritious way to introduce solids into their diet. Another option is to use baby cereal made of rice blended with goat's milk or evaporated milk. Cow's milk is harder for the new puppies to digest and should be avoided.

    • 6

      Feed the puppies approximately three times a day to get them used to eating solids. Do this apart from the mother to promote the puppies' independence. Be prepared for a mess, especially at the beginning. Make sure you clean the puppies after each feeding to ensure they are clean and dry, and keep them away from drafts.

    • 7

      Encourage but don't force feeding. Place the gruel on your finger and allow the puppies to lick it off, but don't force their faces into a bowl. Be patient if they don't take to it right away. This process not only teaches the dogs independence but also how to interact with humans. If a puppy does not respond well to weaning, you may slow the process to avoid malnourishment. You have several weeks to complete this process, which should not be rushed.