My bitch has had 5 puppies 4 weeks ago on Friday 03.12.04, when they were born everything was fine they fed very well and i had no proplems. On the forth week which was Friday i started to feed the puppies sloppy food which they were fine on but now when the mum is anywhere near them and they try to feed off her she growls at them and snaps, is this normal? At the moment i am trying to keep them apart incase she bites them..

Any help at all will do. Thanks

edit: breed removed

Sorry i meant the puppys were born on 5 November, and where 4 weeks old on 03.12.04....

Their teeth are coming through and feeding them will be more painful for her. One of my bitches stopped feeding her pups at 5 weeks, then started again at 6 weeks when they were taller and it didn't hurt so much when they were hanging off her. It's the start of natural weaning.

Hve you cut the pups' nails - they are also like needles & can scratch the bitch's tender bits really painfully? Like JG says it's quite natural for the bitch to go off feeding the pups - makes weaning easier if she's like that!

As the others ahve said if nails are short, then the bitch will start weaning the pups and not allow them to feed whenever they want.  they will come to no harm at all as long as she can get away from them whenever she wants and come and go to them as and when it wuits her.  this way they will get less and less reliant on her and will be gradua;;y completely weaned.

My bitches have seemed wuite mean to their pups at 4 to 5 weeks, and once they understand the milk bar is open only when she says they start to spend more time with the pups again by 6 weeks,a nd then it is really great watching her teach them self control and discipline, how to play.  Being rough with pushy ones and gentle with less brave ones.

Follow the bitch's lead, if she has been a good Mum then trust her.