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Weaning
Puppies Is Only Natural
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by:
Charles Burke
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Weaning puppies is a perfectly natural
process. Mamma dogs have been doing it successfully for ages, so how
hard can it be, right?
But humans, not being dogs, can sometimes forget the natural part, and
get confused about it.
Fact is, weaning puppies is an easy, logical process.
When you're ready to begin weaning your new puppies, keep in mind that
this should be done gradually, in small steps. You can’t rush it, and
you definitely don't want to begin when the puppies are too young.
Sometimes people get impatient and try to begin weaning puppies before
they're three weeks old. That's too early. Their bodies need to develop
the ability to handle solid food, and that takes time. Wait the three
weeks -- it's not really so long.
The first step in the weaning process is to take the mother away from
the puppies at least an hour before it’s time for them to eat. This
gives the puppies a chance to get good and hungry. They'll be more
inclined to try the new, alternative food you offer them.
Remember, when it’s time for the puppies to eat, the mother should be
nowhere around.
The alternative food you offer them should be liquid or semi-liquid so
it's easy for them to swallow and digest. Solid food won't work for
them yet.
You can make a gruel of commercial dog food mixed with water or baby
cereal thinned with water. Another option when weaning puppies is to
use diluted strained baby food.
Put any of these mixtures in a small, shallow dish. Some of the puppies
will have no problem eating. They'll catch on immediately. But there
may be a few that just don't get it. So they'll need some
encouragement. The easiest way is to put a little of the mixture on the
tip of their nose or on their tongue.
When weaning puppies you'll also need to decrease the amount of food
you're giving the mother. This causes her to produce less milk. At the
same time, you can gradually begin increasing the amount of food you
give the puppies, and over the next several days make it less soupy. As
they grow and their digestion matures, their food should slowly become
more solid, day by day.
Weaning puppies at this point becomes easier because, as the solid food
grows more familiar to them, they learn to enjoy it more. Let them eat
as much as they want as long as they don't become bloated.
If you approach weaning puppies like this, the process should be
simple, painless and easy. Expect to see them completely weaned by the
time they're six to eight weeks old.
About the author:
Puppy-Toy-Tips.com
Learn great ways to use puppy toys for training and socializing your
new pup. Make sure you're on the right track when training your dog.
Also, be sure to get the free eBook of puppy coloring pages for your
kids.
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