My puppies are now five weeks old and are growing fast every day. I am delighted with not only their progress, but that I am now able to sleep back in my bed full time and get about four hours of sleep in a row. Turning five weeks also means that it is time to start the weaning process.
Every breeder has their own method of weaning the puppies from their mothers, and none of them are wrong. My process is fairly straightforward. I base the process on how their mom, Miki, is feeling and how big the puppies are growing. The puppies’ growth spurts now require more calories than what their mom’s milk can give them, so, for their own health, they really do need to eat more. However, five weeks post-birth, most puppies’ moms are still producing milk. In fact, the last two times that my dogs had babies, the mothers have let their puppies nurse for up to around 10 weeks. I don’t believe in keeping a mom away from her puppies, as their interactions are pivotal in puppy development. However, I also feel so terrible for them when the puppies’ razor-sharp teeth are gnawing at them.
The trick to weaning is timing between feedings and trusting that the mom will remove herself from the puppies when they get a bit mouthy. Miki is a wonderful, if not somewhat of a helicopter, mom. The puppies have graduated to moving around the house and are spending time playing in other rooms. She is not exactly blocking their adventures, but she is vigilant about their safety and often wants to stay with them. Recently, she has started removing herself from their pen when they nip her. Miki is also allowing me to put her in a crate or another room to have a nap. I think it is very rare for a mother to become aggressive with their puppies when the puppies are weaning or when they nip. Most times, aggression towards puppies is a result of a calcium deficiency and not a desire to hurt the puppies. Some breeders use a surgery suit on their mothers to prevent nursing, but I have yet to experience a situation where I need to resort to that intervention.
The balance is managing Miki’s time with the puppies and feeding them when she is away, taking a nap. I have doubled the amount of food they are getting and am feeding them snacks, which are little meatballs of ground beef and bowls of kefir or goat milk. They usually nap after eating, which is when I will let Miki have free access to them so they can nurse when they wake up. This way, the milk that she needs to get rid of is being used, and the risk of mastitis is lowered.
Along with feeding the puppies more food so they become less dependent on Miki, I am also feeding her less. Up until week five, I have been hand-feeding her to make sure she eats enough to produce milk. She’s been getting about three pounds of food per day, along with puppy kibble for the extra calories. The gravy train is officially over, and I am reducing her portions. No more puppy kibble, and now it’s down to just breakfast and lunch, which I am sad to tell her will be eaten on her own from a bowl and not my hands.
The puppies will be having big adventures this week, including meeting the other dogs in their family, their Uncle Fuji and big sister Kabuki. They also will be making a trip to the training room and hopefully, if the weather permits, go outside for the first time. Stay tuned, and you can follow their progress on Facebook at Four on the Floor Dog Training. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at heidi@fouronthefloordogtraining.net.
Heidi Clayton started Four On the Floor Dog Training to provide positive, reward-based dog training in South Jersey. She breeds, trains and shows bull terriers under the SoraBully’s Bull Terriers kennel name. Email questions to heidi@fouronthefloordogtraining.net or learn more at https://fouronthefloordogtraining.net
