Start Puppies on Food at What Age??? - Page 1

What age do you guys start your pups on food/water - and what do you feed? (Many add water, etc. to make mush). I heard someone say as early as 2 weeks and I think that sounds WAY too early...What do you guys think? The pups I am whelping are just a couple days over 2 weeks and are fat and happy with Momma. ****Also, when do you separate the bitch if she has to go back home? I don't want to rush either, as I know it is very important to the wellbeing of the pups mentally/physically, etc.

GSDLVR, useually i start weening them at around 3-4 weeks. I start with mushed puppyfood, mixed with a little milk. It always is funny when you ditch their little mouth into food ! They look so funny, but when they realize what this is all about, man it seems like an attack ! At that age mum wil still nurse them, but with the byfeeding it gets easier on the bitch. I gradeually decrease the mushing of the food, but still have the pellets completely soacked. During that time i will take mum out every now & then. The duration of absence will increase. I leave mum around her pups at least till the pups are 8 weeks old, better 9 weeks. Hope this helps. Kind Regards Ulli Dresbach

My first litter I started on a "mush" at 3 weeks. I mixed canned lamb & rice puppy food with warm water and they devoured it. I fed them 3 times a day with the mush and they nursed as much as they wanted to. I didn't take my pups away until they were 6 weeks old and I have had people tell me that was way too long, but each situation is different and my pups turned out great. I also made water available to them when they were 2 weeks old. Cole

I feed Eukanuba weaning diet starting at 3 weeks. The weaning diet is already ground up and you just have to add water and mix. We have tried wetting down puppy food but we like the weaning diet cause it is very easy to use and the pups love it. At 5 to 6 weeks puppies are switched to regular puppy food. I highly recommend the Eukanuba weaning diet it is easy to use and pups love and do really good on it.

I start with my own recipe, but as far as weaning them from their mother, we have always had the mother make that decision. We look at it similiar to a wolf pack. The wolf pack doesn't have a human stepping in to wean her pups from them nursing their mother, she does it naturally. Our female and pups had never had a problem doing this. We do introduce the food to them at around 4 weeks old but mom makes the ultimate decision on weaning them, and our pups do get the best of both worlds so to speak, in the fact that they still get mother's milk(until the mother weans thems off) and the food that we give them. That is our opinion on how we do things in our kennel.

Hi Kelly, always good to have your own recipe. I use a quality puppyfood, and mush it in the beginning. One reason why i take the puppyfood is, i require the new owner to buy a 15 KG, (believe that is 30 pounds)bag of that food from me. This makes the transition for the pup easier, and you will avoid loose stool when they are in their new home. Furthermore, if the new owner wants to switch to a different food, he can do that slowly. To make that clear, i do not want to boost the foodsale, because i sell it at the same price i paid for it. It seems to me that every breeder has his/her own way to do it, and it is very interesting to hear about that. Kind Regards Ulli Dresbach

When mixing with milk it's my understanding that goats milk should be used. It digests more easily and has higher food nutrition value.

I use Royal Canin starter or baby dog with good results, at first well soaked with water, sometimes I mix cooked mince meat with it but they like it with or without the meat. I start to offer this several times a day at 3 weeks, but they usually eat very little the first week and Mum gets the leftovers. There is always water available for the mother and the pups usually start trying it at around 3 weeks. I do not think 6 weeks is too long to leave them with the mother, I always leave mine at least 6 weeks, though they are also feeding very well by this stage. One of my females will continue to let them suckle up to 8 weeks, while the other gets fed up of them by around 6 weeks. I do not see any harm in this? What is the reason for taking them away sooner?

oso, answer to the early weaning. Some people reason that the mother will growl or do negative things to the pups to keep them off of her. The thinking is that you want all of the pups experiences to be positive thus take them away before mom begins to puch them off.

Thanks, All. I appreciate the advice. When is the earliest you would have a puppy on raw? I say this as I noticed the mom bringing her raw meat in with her and a couple pups came over and were licking it and it kind of made me nervous (ecoli, salmonella scare, etc...)?