My pups are now over 6 weeks old and going to their new homes at the weekend - apart from the one I'm keeping.  Bitch has been excellent mum - too good really!

Initially it was hard to start weaning as she was constantly feeding them so they were never really hungry enough to try other food - so I started to keep her away for an hour or so before I tried to feed them.  They are now spending most of their days outside in a large pen and I let mum in to finish up the food bowls when they have finished.  Over the past few days she is getting more and more anxious to be with them and letting them feed hence her milk supply in increasing again!  I have been restricting her access for her own benefit as she has lost weight and to have some peace and quiet etc.

Normally my girls are quite happy just to go and play with pups and try and avoid being fed from at this age, so any advice on how to get the milk flow down without causing her distress?

I would not let her finish up the pups food - I presume it is a complete puppy food, this will encourage her to produce more milk which in turn makes her anxious to go back in with them so much so that you get in a vicous circle which is hard to break.   I put my bitches back on their normal ration and normal food (twice daily), initially they look thin especially if they have begun to moult, but this soon rectifies itself once they stop the milk production.   Hope this helps.

I'm the opposite and continue to feed my girl puppy food for a good 4 weeks after the pups have left, to help keep her coat nice and give her the extra vits, mins and protein to help her body get  back to normal.

The pups really should be quite full after their 5 meals a day and should only have a wee suckle now, and not need too much of their mum's milk, if your bitches milk is increasing then just double check that the pups have enough food as they should naturally need less milk which causes the bitches teats to become less and less full, if the teats are filling up IMO it is nothing to do with your girl spending time with them, my girl has continual access to her pups, and always gives them a suckle whilst hoovering up the left overs, and right up to the pups leaving at 8 weeks, if she is happy to do so let her, it doesn't matter as long as your girl is being fed 4 meals still her body can take feeding the pups.

So check the solid food intake that there is enough, if that is fine then you could always start to give goats milk too as a little drink in the mornings and evenings to the pups to also help them wean from your girl,  or put a T-shirt on her to stop them from being able to suckle or at the worst keep her away from them. Allow her in to hoover up 20 mins after they have finished that way the tums of the pups will be full. But as the pups are still only 6 weeks, I wouldn't even be looking at any of that yet.

But IME it is healthy for the bitch to always have access for socialising etc, as long as your bitch has plenty of nourishment her body can cope with the milk production there are still 2 weeks to go, once the pups have gone you can then pick up on the exercise along with a lack of suckling and a reduction of meals her milk will soon dry up, once the pups are gone.

I Think that the following link explains the process of weaning well:

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=2+2108&aid=887

enjoyed reading that dogsdinner thanks :)

Pups appear to being having enough to eat as there is always some left in bowls - and I do leave it down for a short while afterwards in case they still want more.  I have only ever fed 4 meals per day, perhaps I should go up to 5 and see how that works.  I'll also try the goats milk - never tried it before although I know many do use it.  I've tried them with RC milk and Lactol but they're not too keen!

I have started to reduce mums food already, do you think I should still give her 4 meals per day too?  I intend to keep her on RC puppy food for about a month after they've gone anyway in the hope she doesn't lose too much condition and coat.

Thanks White Lilly.

Should also mention that the loss of coat after whelping is under the influence of hormones, they loose nearly all of it.  The same as when they are in whelp their coats look really great, that is because the coat is all in the same stage of growth all at once.

ive tried RC milk and lactol also whepi and my pups not touch it at all but when i put goats milk down omg they love it ,i have 3 pups now 5weeks and 2days old and they drink about a pint aday :)

Hi Ells Bells, re: your girls meals:

There is no hard and fast rule, you need to go by your bitch, as your bitch naturally reduces feeding her pups she will need less food, however it depends on how much whelping and rearing the litter has taken out of her, some bitches become very thin and still may need 4 meals a day to build them back up, others at 6-7 weeks have all but weaned the pups and all bar the teats their bodies are back to normal, so can be cut down to 3 meals, so you need to go by how she looks to you, if her body shape is good then yes, you can start to reduce her food, but if she is still feeding a lot and is thin keep her food up. :-)

I would never start to reduce food to stop milk production if your bitch still likes to feed the pups, as this will cause her to put a strain on her body.

So go by your bitch. In general between 6-8 weeks after the pups are born a bitches food intake is much less. But they do vary.

Your pups should like pasturised goats milk, I've honestly not met one yet that doesn't whether bitch or home reared.

> My pups are now over 6 weeks old and going to their new homes at the weekend

How much over?

I don't ever restrict access from bitch and pups.  So very important not to miss on that very important training that she will be doing.  Teaching them manners and bite inhibition. 

My bitches stay on higher food rations after pups leave home, as they need it to help with that awful coat stage.  Otherwise it takes soooo long to get coat back.  Must admit that pups themselves are on more than 4 meals a day at this age.

6 1/2 weeks now - I felt I had to restrict her access as she was feeding the pups more than me and I was worried about how much they were taking out of her and also that they should be more reliant on puppy food by now.  Yesterday she was not quite so keen to feed them as often, so perhaps she is now happier for me to help feed them.  She is the only bitch I have had that regurgitates her food for the pups - she did this with her last litter, only once but I'd never seen it before.

She is thinner but not looking too bad considering, she will continue on quality puppy for for at least another month and obviously on more than her normal amount.

If you are worried that the pups are not fully weaned then you shouldn't be letting them go to their new homes. They just aren't ready. In this instance I would restrict mums visits to after they have been fed, and make sure that all food has been lifted. This should ensure that they don't feed quite so much from mum.

I have been restricting mum a little before meal times as they weren't hungry enough to worry about food but other posters suggest she has full access which means they'll never be that interested in food!!  I am giving them a variety of foods and they are getting more used to the routine now and eating better, it's just that mum isn't too happy to be apart from them for too long.

Pups arent' really worried that mum isn't with them 24/7 - it's just her wanting to be with them.

It's very difficult when we can't see the set up of your home, full access means a bitch can come and go, be with her pups or choose to be with you and your family being able to go to and thro, most bitches choose to spend a good few hours away from their pups at this age.

My bitch for instance will go and sit up on the day sofa or a conservatory chair which the pups can't get up on, she'll snooze on there and watch her pups play, if she wants to or she'll stand at the divider and ask me to let her into the rest of the house to come and watch me cook :-) or hang out with my boys, or just completely get away from her pups, other times she will stand at the divider to ask to go in and play with her pups in the garden or just to give them a quick feed and wash still. She generally still spends a lot of time with them though.

I think the best way to go for you if your bitch does not automatically do it herself, is an hour before feeding the pups keep your bitch away, feed the pups and then let her in 20 mins after they have finished, for a little suckle and for her to have a play and spend time with them. Then if she doesn't remove herself remove her an hour prior to feeding them again.

Might be best for you to remove her from them on a night-time too now, if not already doing so, my girl stops sleeping with her pups on a night from approx 5 weeks, (her choice) then let her in after the pups have had their breakfast, somewhere between 5-6am for socialising, cleaning and a wee suckle.

Then remove her an hour before the next feed, that way the pups will be hungry, eat the food, need less of mum's milk.

Sounds about right, except mine don't get their breakfast until 8am, and I only need to keep Mum away for an hour before feeds when I first start them on solids. 

Mine has access to them at night, but they don't have access to her (they are penned and she can go in or not as she wishes).

Mine by five weeks pretty much only comfort feed during the day with perhaps two longer sessions.

During the day now the pups are outside for the most part - I have an area which is undercover from heat/rain etc  and back door is almost always open so mum can wander freely indoors or out.  They are in a very large pen with a half gate which mum can go in and they can't get out....  Similar set up for indoors.  I did seperate them last night and all was very quiet.

Just given pups 'elevenses' of goats milk - and they loved it.  I'm not worried about pups - they are well above average in weight for their age, its just mum being left with large volumes of milk when the pups go and potentially getting mastitis.