Hi all.

I have a bitch who has 6 pups. She has been great and interested all the way up till week 4. From then she has backed right off and will only occasionally let them feed and go in to clean them.

We have now weaned them onto puppy gruel and are starting to reduce water etc. They are putting weight on great and are very healthy.

My question I suppose is - is this normal for mum at this stage (I am a newbie and this will be my only litter?

Seems pretty normal to me, I wouldn’t worry. My girl is definitely done with the pups by 6 weeks and like you say, goes in to clean and feed minimally - those teeth are sharp!

I wean onto raw (blended with raw goats milk to start with) from 3 weeks so they are well and truely eating solids by this point as well.

Hope that helps.

Please don't reduce the water. They need access to water at all times

I think they mean reduce the water to soften the food in weaning not the drinking water

I too remember being quite dissapointed at my first bitches cold attitude at the 4 - 5 week weaning point.

This is quite normal as the bitch dries up her milk by restricting access.

Allow her access as she wants, always with an escape route.

I have always found that in another week they will be interacting much more, along with my other adults.

In those last few weeks they learn a lot of social etiquette. Mum and other adults will play, encourage/discourage and set boundaries.

Vital lessons for future canine interactions.

Sorry.

I should have been clearer. I am reducing the water in the gruel/porridge mix.

They have access to fresh water all day and night as there is someone in the house at all times.

Appreciate the guidance though.

Yes, this is pretty normal. We always set up complicated ways the bitch could visit the pups (like chairs she could jump on and thereby jump into the pen to see them) - but she never did. So after seeing our lovingly and thoughtfully made contraption get rejected we took it away LOL

We discovered that she wanted US to take the pups out of the pen to see HER. So that's what we did: After every meal, we took them out the pen to go and nurse from her to top up. She typically did this lying on the floor in the hall - we would put vet bed down so that they had some traction.

Last thing at night, we had a free for all in one room of the house whilst one of us cleaned out the puppy pen. Mum could choose to sit on the sofa and be safe from them, or to get down and play if she wanted. She would really play with them then!

So basically for us, mum just didn't want to go in the pen with them at this point and felt a bit trapped in there with them I think. But she really liked it if we took them out to visit her...

Doncholab:> is this normal for mum at this stage

You are doing all the right things and Mum's reluctance is more about teaching her off spring independence (as well as her little bits getting sore with
these sharp teeth biting).

This is perfectly natural but it is still iimportant she spends time with them at this stage in order to keep reminding them of their 'puppy manners' within
the litter and of course understanding adult/parent warning signals.
Keep up the good work!

Thanks.

This does seem to be more what she is like about the pen.

I will need to bring them all down to the living room after a feed (and a

All sounds pretty normal but have you trimmed their claws? Feeding can be pretty painful if you haven’t.

Hi.

Yes have trimmed them. Just need to keep trying.

Thanks.

Donchocolab:> Yes have trimmed them.

As before, you are doing great! Good job!  Selfish but when my Lab Puppies started to leave scratch marks on my face, that's
when I clipped their nails as I then felt what Mum was feeling

Mum will make her own choices and you are 2/3rd through complete weaning so these little ones are just learing lessons beneficial
when they go to their new homes.  As long as they are gaining weight, socialising and lively they will be fine!  Enjoy this time.  Play,
keep cuddling and watch their little personalities form.  They leave all too soon...

In all of my litters, at about 5 weeks the bitch starts naturally to wean her pups by spending less time with them and limiting how long they suckle from her (understandable with those needle-teeth!). Some bad breeders assume the pups are being rejected and take the bitch  away completely (some very bad breeders even sell the puppies at this time! ). However the breeder needs to allow the bitch free access to her pups at all times (apart from when they're actually eating - as soon as they've all eaten their fill she can be allowed in to finish up what they've left and will probably let them have a quick suck from her while she's busy cleaning their dish/es). She will also be teaching them canine manners, and when after a few days the pups have taken the hint that feeding is now from a dish and not from her, and don't pester her so much, she will play happily with them and help them develop mentally.

Thank you.

Thanks for the advice.

As there is always a member of the family in the house she always has access when she wants.

Brilliant!  Enjoy now X

By this age my pups spend most of the day ( weather permitting) outdoors.

They come in for their meals and to spend the night in their pen, but want out first thing, primarily as they want to be clean outdoors.

The adults come and go as they choose a lot of door opening.