Weaning should begin when the puppies are about three to four weeks old. The sooner the puppies are weaned, the less the strain on the mother and the sooner she will return to normal condition. If the puppies have been hand raised for any reason, you can begin the weaning process sooner.
What happens if you wean puppies too early?
Puppies separated from their dams and littermates too early often tend to bite more readily and harder than those that are separated at eight weeks of age (Lindsay, 2000; Fox and Stelzner, 1967), and they may also develop other behavioral problems as adults, such as high reactivity, anxiety, attachment-related problems ...
Can you wean a 3 week old puppy?
When Should You Start Weaning Puppies? The weaning process should begin at 3-4 weeks of age, when the puppies' teeth begin to erupt. The discomfort of nursing teething puppies may cause the mother to pull away before her puppies are completely satisfied. Hungry puppies will naturally seek an alternate source of food.
Can puppies be weaned at 5 weeks?
In starting the weaning process, age 5 weeks not only isn't at all early, it's actually on the late side. Puppies can usually start weaning when they're somewhere from 3 to 4 weeks old. The important thing is that the puppies get to stay with their mother until at least 8 weeks.
Is 6 weeks too early to wean puppies?
By 5 to 6 weeks of age, they should be weaned and eating only puppy food. After weaning, temporarily decrease the bitch's food and water to aid in drying her up. From this point on, the pups will become more fun and a lot more work.
More useful articles on a similar topic 👇
Is 6 weeks too early to wean puppies?What happens when you wean a dog too early?
