My 6 week old pups have stopped eating as much these past few days they have fresh food given 4 times per day but eat small amounts then just want to play is this normal? They are all healthy weights my boy weighs in at 1.6lb he's a chunk the smallest girl weighs in at 1lb should I worry or just carry on letting them eat what the amount they are?

** in 4 days

Largest pup is now 2.1lb

Smallest pup 1.6lb so they are gaining weight !

If they are eating and gaining weight and active it doesn't sound like much could be wrong :-)

Hopefully, they are eating slowly they prefer for their food to be left with them for a hour or so and they go back and forth nibbling away ever so often am also giving a dish of milk once a day just to make sure they are getting enough , starting weaning at 4 weeks as mum lost interest in them then and they haven't had any problems eating they knew what to do straight away and have been little pigs up untill past few days mum lets them feed of a night so I am taking her away a few hours earlier the usual so hopefully they eat a bit more during the day seems to help last night  she was only with then 11-6am and they ate all their breakfast at 8am so hopefully they increase now :)

Personally, I wouldn't leave food out like that for them to go and eat whenever they want to.  I know they are young still but food motivation is really important and habits start young.  Food goes down at meal times (which should be 4-5x a day at that age) and is removed if left uneaten immediately.  It's not 'natural' for food to always be accessible in this way.

Cow's milk is not a good idea for puppies.  They are puppies, not cows, and the nutrition in it is very different to what they need.  Water is fine and they should always have access to that.  If you do feel you really want to give milk, then puppy formula is better - but really, if they have access to that, you are not going to easily get them to eat more solid food as they will be getting a lot of nutrition from their formula instead.

You don't have a weight/thriving/physical health problem at all, here - you have an 'attitude towards food' problem...

They have 4 meals a day, I don't give them cows milk they have puppy goats milk since they turned 6 weeks ( now 7weeks today)

They where weaned with formula milk blended up with biscuits, I stopped the formula milk at 5 weeks and was giving soaked puppy food in a mush, which they seemed fine with for a while, they like to get mums dry biscuits and eat that and only drink water out of mums bowl won't drink out of their own,

Should I maybe change over to meat slowly see if they prefer that? The pups are being rehomed in 2/3 weeks so really want to sort their eating out before I let them leave

I find at thsi age that pups start to prefer their kibble dry, so I only moisten it just before feedign so it isn't scattered everywhere.  I often also give a small amount with them overnight.

I never restrict Mum from contact with them except for sabnout 20 minutes while they are fed, though she shopuld be able to get away where they can't reach ehr when she wan ts.  If they don't finish it Mum comes in and gets it.

Atr this stage Mum is vital to teach them how to be dogs, and any other adults you have.  This toy breed they should not be hiomes until around 12 weeks of age.

One of the issues with such tiny pups is the risk of hypoglycaemia (due to theri tiny size regualting their blood sugar can be a problem, also regualting their body heat is not as efficient as in larger breed pups.)

I have tried giving them moisten kibble but they couldn't eat it properly but like to take one of mums out of her bowl and sit and chew it for ages, can't leave mum around them unattended and she tried to attack one of the pups I still sleep next to them of a night so if I hear her get up or aggressive I can keep an eye on her,

She can get In and out as she pleases but is removed from then when no one is home and choose to ignore them and does not like being around them

I have no choice but to re-home them, pups where never ever an idea for my girl and I was planning on getting her done but unfortunately when she come to stay with me ( family dog before hand) my parents tried to keep them apart when in season but failed once so she was already many week pregnant when she came to live with me. My boy doesn't like them at all and they terrorise him he refuses to leave he's crate unless they are sleeping and it really isn't fair on him or mum and due to personal reason believe me If I had a choice no pups would have happened I have no clue in raising them etc but unfortunately it happened

1 pup is going to a  family member  who is very clued up on bread, so no worries there

2 are going to families who know all the risks with this bread but have both got knowledge and I will also have my mentors number on hand for them whenever and one is staying with me as mum and dad seem to have taken very well to him

It sounds like mum would benefit from calcium to stop that behaviour.  I would be supplementing her with calcium citrate.

It doesn't sound like great behaviour for the puppies, and research shows that aggressive or inattentive mothers raise puppies more likely to be aggressive or stressed themselves - so please don't breed from her again.

Pups will go through phases of growth and obviously chihuahua puppies' growth is going to slow down a lot sooner than, say, a great dane's growth - so it may well be that they are now through a period of rapid growth and don't need more food and you should reduce accordingly if they are not eating it.

As they are chihuahuas, it is not really best practice to home them at 8 weeks, they should really be kept until 10-12weeks - with all socialisation provided on a 1-2-1 basis - so I do hope that's not what you mean by having to re-home them...

I won't breed from her again this litter was not planned and not wanted for her in first place but it happened and was to late to do anything about,

They are 7 weeks and going in 2/3 weeks so will be between 9-10 weeks when they leave so that's not an issue there, I have no choice but to re-home them then as my 2 dogs are my priority and it is cruel for them to suffer any longer then needed mum is fine doesn't need calcium she has been checked etc at vets 3 times since she has had litter every thing is ok my main concern is the pups feeding mum is back to her old self very playful and loving to other dogs and humans just don't have the patience for the pups jumping all over her and biting her etc they only seem to bite each other and mum they don't try to nip us

> Personally, I wouldn't leave food out like that for them to go and eat whenever they want to.  I know they are young still but food motivation is really important and habits start young.  Food goes down at meal times (which should be 4-5x a day at that age) and is removed if left uneaten immediately.  It's not 'natural' for food to always be accessible in this way.<br />

I TOTALLY agree.    By 6 weeks they should be pretty much fully weaned and onto 4 meals a day, breakfast, lunch, late afternoon and late evening.   With my big boned breed, we gave a mid morning drink of warmed goats milk, ditto mid-afternoon and as they got older, the same last thing rather than 'a meal'.  Cats snack, dogs don't and you are building up a nightmare with snacking, re house-training.   At least with meals at regular times, you/their new owners will know when they are likely to have a bowel movement.   And the digestive system of the dog really should rest at certain periods during a 24 hour period.   I did leave some dry food down overnight, but frankly it wasn't really necessary.   Up to around 6 weeks, mum would come in and clean up what, if any, was left and at that point, the pups would latch on for a top-up until the hurt from their sharp teeth meant she wanted out asap, never mind the cleaning up!

They should have water available at all times.

By 6 weeks, our mums were not with the puppies other than going in to clean up after a feed. 

Puppy kibble should be easily eaten, dry or not as it's formulated for puppy teeth to manage.   Assuming they have their teeth, and their bites are correct (not over or under bites).

Dad shouldn't be involved with the litter - his job was done when the mating ended.

By 6 weeks, our mums were not with the puppies other than going in to clean up after a feed. 

You can't compare tiny toy breeds with anything bigger, they just don't work the same at all. Toy breeeds can be difficult to wean, I've had some eating happily at 3 weeks, I've also had some not eating well until 8 weeks, and every single one I have had has still been suckling mum for 10 weeks or so, and the mothers tend not to leave them alone anywhere near as much as bigger breeds do.

This doesn't sound like a very attentive mother, but maybe she is stressed due to having other dogs near.

> <br />You can't compare tiny toy breeds with anything bigger,

I can only speak for my own experience - sorry

> I have no choice but to re-home them then as my 2 dogs are my priority and it is cruel for them to suffer any longer

I'm sorry, but as you did allow these pups to be born. I know not many vets will put to sleep an unwanted litter, and was too late for the injection (which can be given up to 6 weeks after mating), but the puppies futures and welfare and that of their owners, (who are entitled to expect well adjusted puppies) is most important here.

It cannot be that difficult to segregate such dogs for a few more weeks.

I have had up to 6 of my medium breed plus the occasional litter in an average house, and my pups need a lot more space and outdoor facilities to boot.

I cannot stress how important it is that pups stay to at least 10 weeks.

You will be surprised how much more Mum will be inclined to be involved with them once the milk is drying up and they are fully weaned.

The reason she doesn't want to spend much time with them at the moment is to facilitate weaning. Once this is well under way she will start to play and discipline the pups to teach them to be dogs, this learning is most important

I am sure you have met lost of yappy aggressive little dog that have never learnt proper canine etiquette. this is generally down to being taken from Mum too early and not socialised properly.

In all fairness if you took time to read what I wrote they are 7 weeks and going in 3 which would make them 10 weeks so how am I doing anything wrong there??

> You can't compare tiny toy breeds with anything bigger, they just don't work the same at all. Toy breeeds can be difficult to wean

100% true.  My bitches stick to their litter for a very long time.  Often suckling them on the day that they leave home.  This being a breed that doesn't leave until 12 weeks of age.  Fortunately though, in 45+ years I've never had a bitch turn on its young.  So totally agree that, for this particular bitch, spaying was the right thing to do.

> In all fairness if you took time to read what I wrote they are 7 weeks and going in 3 which would make them 10 weeks so how am I doing anything wrong there??

The British Chihuahua Club advises 12 weeks for this breed.

>You will be surprised how much more Mum will be inclined to be involved with them once the milk is drying up and they are fully weaned. The reason she doesn't want to spend much time with them at the moment is to facilitate weaning. Once this is well under way she will start to play and discipline the pups to teach them to be dogs, this learning is most important
>I am sure you have met lost of yappy aggressive little dog that have never learnt proper canine etiquette. this is generally down to being taken from Mum too early and not socialised properly.

I agree 100%. My bitches have always started driving the pups away at about 5 weeks as natural weaning progresses, and can sound quite fierce, but the pups soon learn that the milk bar is closing, and that full feeds are no longer allowed (and also have grown larger so that they're not dangling from her teats by their teeth as she stands to feed them!) she enjoys playing and interacting with them again, until they leave home.