Hi,
I have a litter of puppies (6 weeks tomorrow).
They started weaning at 4 1/2 weeks old and are doing really well. They have had access to water since I started them on solid foods.

My question is I never see them actually drinking the water. I give them goats milk and they drink that. And they still occasionally feed from mum.
But how do I encourage them to drink water?
Any tips would be appreciated.

I’m not worried they all wee and poop and are lively, so not worried about dehydration just want to ensure they’re drinking enough ready for when they leave and no longer have mum to supply them with fluids!

:)

What breed are they? Depending on what breed they are (if they’re not toy breeds then they’ll wean quicker and earlier). Once they’re mainly on solids then you can get rid of the milk and replace with water. Also what are you feeding them solids wise, if kibble then I’m assuming you’ll be soaking it in water a bit. If it’s raw then they’ll be getting moisture and some water from that.

Try not to worry, as long as you have it out for them then if they need it then they will go to it. If they’re a bigger breed (large or medium) then I’d be thinking leading up to 7 weeks old you want to be lessening the milk you give them and offer them water instead :)

They’ll try to feed from mum until they leave, just make sure she can get some space - also as mum starts becoming less of the milk machine I always put a T-shirt on her so that she can be in with them and not get pestered for milk!

As soon as we started ours onto 'solids' we had a shallow dish of water in the box.  But to be honest, I never too much note of how often and how much they were taking.  We began weaning using warmed goats milk, with a small ball of raw lean mince once a day (the mince - it was tempting to give more but too much can upset immature digestive systems).  That meant they were having liquid, especially as early on, they were still taking milk from mum.  By 6 weeks however, mum was off them other than with some mums, they still tolerated going in to clean up, and allow some suckling, standing up.  However, once she felt their sharp teeth, she wanted OUT.  When the puppies were still tiny, I didn't leave water in overnight, even with just a shallow dish, for fear of 'drowning'.  If you are concerned about dehydration, you can always do the testing test.   But somehow I'd think they'll be fine.

They are cavapoo but mum is a toy cavapoo and dad a toy poodle, so the smaller of cavapoos.
Firstly thanks for the reassurance and second thanks for the great advice!
Yes they are on dry kibble that’s soaked and then I mix some puppy meat in with it too!
So I guess they are getting moisture from that! And the extra milk I give and then take from mum!
Thank you :)

Thank you :)

I think if they are getting goats milk and top-ups from mum, they probably don't need much more liquid than that. You should offer it of course, but I wouldn't worry if they don't drink it.

Thank you