Been to the vet today for a general check-up with Esme, who had her puppies 9 weeks ago tomorrow. I was told by the young vet to stop her from feeding the puppies that are still here (out of 6, 3 were homed last weekend, I have 3 left in total, 1 of which is staying, and the other 2 go at the weekend and end of next week). My thoughts were to let her dry up naturally, if she wants to go in with them to let her. She hasn't got loads of milk but still asks to go in with them for short periods and tells them off when she's had enough. I'm sure she'd be stressed if I stopped her completely, and how can you when you are keeping a puppy? What do you all do?

Always let mum decide -be impossible to keep a puppy otherwise. I bet the young vet didn't know all that much about breeding. :)

I think you're probably right Marianne. I'll continue as I was.

I always let Mum decide too - as you say, if you're keeping a puppy you're not going to be keeping them apart. Better the milk gradually dries up through natural lack of demand than a forced sudden stop. Your bitch is doing just fine the way she is. :-)

Hi  Mine still fed two at 12wks.  She lowered how and when herself.  The poor babies didn't know what happened when she told them to get lost; they looked quite dejected but coped.

She's had no effects from feeding them for that long.  It helped me build her weight back up as she was hungry.

I agree with the others - leave it to Mum it's their decision how they do it!  I've had no problems with latest lot where I've ended up keeping three and all weaned amicably.  I wish vets would find out about these things before they start telling people what to do :-(  I try and stick with the more experienced, but fortunately they don't try and tell me these things as the young vets realise I know more than they do about certain things, but it shocks me to hear what some of them say to people!

Mum knows best, as long as she's happy to let pups have an occasional suckle, I can see no reason to stop her.  I'm sure she'll decide when she has had enough!

Having had a few discussions in the past few days, I feel that the word "weaning" is incorrect when we use it for puppies and kittens. "Weaning" isn't actually what we do, the mothers always do that. All we do is introduce solid food. I'm sure it's the word that makes some people (very often seems to be vets) think that the litter suckling from mum must be prevented.

This wasn't my usual vet, and I must admit it kind of went in one ear and out the other, because I thought I knew what I was doing, and you nice lot have confirmed it!

i find its usual just comfort sucking at that stage, i let my girl feed as long as she wants to  as long as the pups are eating solids etc x