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Topic Dog Boards / Breeding / Weaning probs
- By kia mummy [gb] Date 03.04.04 17:20 UTC
I don't usually have any problems weaning my litters but   this time is different.
I was wondering  as there are only 2 of them if this could be part of the problem.In the past I've started them off  at 3 weeks on Puppy porridge  with no probs.Having 8-10 I find there is usually at least one whos eager to  go it alone then the others being curious will soon follow.
These 2 will be 5 weeks 2 morrow and have absolutely no intention of  weaning.They will eat from my fingers  but back away from the dish and absolutely refuse to try.I've tried them individually  on my lap  with a small dish under their chin and moving my fingers back and forth to the dish to try and encourage them to lap but they are having none of it.
We've also tried mashing puppy food  to a pulp and rolling a little ball of it and popping it in the mouth as  explained in the Book of the bitch.They  roll it around their mouth and then spit it out.
I separate the bitch away form them for up to 4 hours  but they still wont feed.
I've tried every trick I can think of.They are a good weight for their breed and  are putting on daily.It's just at this rate I'm never going to have them ready for their new owners.
Any suggestions please
- By Abbeypap [gb] Date 03.04.04 22:28 UTC
Hi
Try putting a smear of porridge on the pups nose or walking/paddling them through the
dish of food, they will lick it and get used to the taste quite quickly.
Regards
- By Kerioak Date 04.04.04 08:26 UTC
Hi

My pups are nearly four weeks and I started weaning them when their mum dropped some of her dinner (chicken frame) in amongst them and they all started gumming it.  They are not keen on mince yet but if I offer them lumps of meat or chicken wings they will have a good go at them.  Just out of curosity yesterday I offered them a bowl of each and their first choice was the wings, second the lumps of beef and third (with no one at the bowl) the mince.

If you keep their mum away for a couple of hours before you want to feed them they will be hungrier and more likely to try whatever you give give them
- By kia mummy [gb] Date 04.04.04 09:25 UTC
Sorry  maybe I didn't explain properly.It's not that they don't like what I'm feeding them as they will  eat it from my fingers.It's just they wont eat from the  dish.
Does anyone have any tips about how I can get  them to   eat from the  bowl
- By Staffie lover [gb] Date 04.04.04 11:52 UTC
HI Kia mummy

my puppies are now 4 weeks old today
and have been eating for just over a week
what i do is feed mum in the there box and as soon as they start trying to eat hers i start feeding them. with other litter's when i have feed mum in the kitchen they seem to take longer to what the food.  its like they want to do what she is doing.

mine do not eat from a dish.  well it starts of on a dish and they end up eating it off the floor or each other :D lol 
- By kia mummy [gb] Date 04.04.04 12:17 UTC
I've tried that one already  they are not interested .As soon as mum goes in the  pen they only have eyes for her.They couldn't care less what's she's eating
- By naomi [gb] Date 04.04.04 18:38 UTC
I oly had a litter of two and we satrtwd weaning them at two weeks.  I found that if I fed them out of mum or dad's dish they were right little guzzler's but their own dishes, you could forget it!

Try them with mum's dish see if that work's, that is if you haven't already tried it.

Good luck.
- By Staffie lover [gb] Date 04.04.04 23:04 UTC
how about putting a t-shirt on mum so they cant get to her and then let them watch her eat. 
- By aimibobs [gb] Date 05.04.04 07:48 UTC
Hi,

Wonder if they are stuffed full of mums milk and dont want to eat a great quantity. Can you keep mum out for a few hours so they get hungry - let us know how you go on.
Aimi.
- By aimibobs [gb] Date 05.04.04 07:52 UTC
And keep mum out more - start to try and slowly sepatate them. I was lucky? mum was away quite alot so pups were ready for the puppy porrige. They are 5 1/2 weeks now and still go mad for milk when mum comes in to play.
Good luck x
- By kia mummy [gb] Date 05.04.04 17:07 UTC
I've been separating  her for up to 4 hours at a time.They are a little better today .I've put the puppy porridge in mums bowl but it's a bit  high for them so I've reverted to a saucer and that's seems to be a little better for them.One is having a go now
- By JaneA [gb] Date 08.04.04 16:46 UTC
I wouldnt remove Mum - if they arent happy with a dish yet, then this can start the slippery slope to dehydration.
Maybe they just arent ready yet.  try again in a week.
Jane A
Topic Dog Boards / Breeding / Weaning probs

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