Feeding pups together or not? - Page 1

What is your opinions on feeding puppies together or to separate them.  I feed my puppies together until they are around 8-9wks old. At that point I usually separate them permanently.  A breeder I recently spoke to, told me she leaves her puppies together, even puts pups from different litters together so they have competition to eat so they eat better. She still has puppies that are 5-6 months old together. How do you feel about this?  Can anyone shed alittle actual experience as to what they think?

 All opinions should be respected and not be judged as being right or wrong.

Please lets keep it civil? Thanks in advice. 

I feed my pups together whilst they are weaned, once they are onto whole chicken wings they are together but seperate (each pup given enough space to eat in peace) and watched whilst they eat.  Snarfing and snarking at each other is watched, and kept under control, there's always one or two greedy buggers that finish first and attempt to snaffle someone elses. 

I have never tolerated food aggression in dogs, and from an early age my pups are taught that it's not acceptable.  For those that think it diminishes food drive, if it's done correctly it shouldn't!

This breeder sounds like a puppy mill to me feeding pups from different litters together.
No, at eight to ten weeks things should change, feed separately.
Keep track of what they eat and what's coming out the other end.
Puppies need to be moved to new quarters after weaning and worming, they need their own space even though they may play together and begin socializing.
They need individual attention and evaluation, human bonding, training and socializing as soon as possible.
Not kept in the same living quarters at 6 months, fed together.
That's a mistake in my opinion from a life time of experience.

Moons.

The last thing you want is a food aggressive puppy. What I did with my litters was got metal choke chains, clipped them about 3 feet part on my dog run. Each puppy go their own bowl and couldn't reach  any littermates bowl. The puppies on their own learned to go to their spot, some even sat and waited for their food. You don't have to worry about being ambused by puppies when trying to put the dishes down. It makes it all fair. It was my greatest idea yet.
 

Good luck,

 

I agree with Moons.  Puppies aren't going to develop properly if they are together too long.  They need to learn to deal with life on their own in order to gain confidence.  When the litter is weaning - group feeding is fine.  And it can be seen as a PIA to kennel each pup separately but any good breeder will absolutely do this.
Pups still hanging with the breeeder until 6 months might indicate more puppies being produced that there are customers.
European breeders often keep puppies, watching thim and steering some as pups into pet situations.....other held to assess and go into training as police/sport prospects.   Many people won't buy puppies (I won't) but past 6 weeks, pups are separted into their own kennels.  I know 1 E.European breeder who have pups eating their meals 3x a day on a track (age approriate of course) - teaches them a TON!


Alex

  I pretty much agree with everything that wa said.  I had a very large litter of
  12.   Once they reach 10 weeks old they start competing to get the food and
  there will be fights.   As some pups can get aggressive for food it's important
  for them to have their own bowl and space when feeding.  Plus like the other
  person said you need to be aware of how much they are eating.  I do not allow
  my dogs to be aggressive towards each other, it's not tolerated.