It is recommended that puppies should not be fed with solid food until they are at least 6 weeks old. However, in some cases, puppies will try to eat solid food for the first time when they are as young as 4 or 5 weeks old. There are a few simple steps that you can follow in order to wean your puppy onto solid food in an efficient and successful manner.
You should make sure that you buy food that is specifically developed for puppies. This should be made clear on its packaging but ask a member of staff at the pet shop or a veterinarian if you are unsure. To have the best success with weaning your puppy you should develop a strict eating schedule for him. When you are first introducing him to solid food, feed him three times a day at the same time every day. Make sure that you feed your puppy from the same bowl and in the same place to help with the routine. Try adding a small amount of water to your puppy’s food before feeding it to him. Diluting the food can help make the transition easier. Only use water, however, not milk as this can act as a laxative or cause your puppy to have digestive problems. Consult the information given on the food packaging or ask a vet to make sure that you are feeding your puppy the correct and appropriate amount of food for his age and weight. Once you have put the food down for your puppy, you should give him at least an hour to finish his food. After this hour you should take the bowl away. Avoid disturbing your puppy while he is eating and keep away any other animals that live in the house. Once your puppy has become comfortable with eating solid food within his routine (about 4 or 5 months), you can then start to reduce the feeding times from three meals a day to two meals a day.
Puppies start lapping puppy formula milk at about three weeks. Then they can gradually start eating mashed up porridge-consistency food, and then gradually start tackling normal food. Dog chow pellets should be soaked in warm water for pups to soften it and swell it before they eat it. This whole process should take them to about seven weeks of age.
It depends on the puppies. If you have a big litter of pups then it can help mum to top up her babies to give her a chance to produce milk. I have a litter of 9 springer puppies who are putting a big demand on mummy for milk!! They were 3 weeks old yest and started on puppy nuts soaked with warm welpi (substitute bitches milk) they loved it!!!
When your puppy reaches the age of four weeks, you can start giving it solid food. But the food you are giving to a puppy should be mixed with water also and the ratio should be three to four solid food and one fourth liquid. When it comes to the frequency that is being used to feed a puppy, it should be minimal and mother's milk should play more important role. When it attains the age of eight weeks, you should feed it three to four times every day and after eight weeks you should reduce it to twice a day.
Before attaining the age of four weeks, puppies should be fed with mother's milk only as it is very helpful for the growth of the puppies and almost the same as it works for us humans.
I started feeding my pups solid puppy chow at four weeks they took to it like a school of sharks. They still take mommies milk but they do love the soft puppy food.
We start giving our pups canned food mixed with hot water once a day when they are 4 weeks old.and around 6 weeks we introduce puppy food and just see how they are eating.you will also need to monitor when mom weans them.if mom weans them they need more food from you.we always let them drink moms milk as long as they will.they usually want the puppy food by 6 weeks though.will be different depending on the breed however.we raise boxers. Good luck
When I got my puppy she was like 7 weeks old, and the breeder told me to feel her the puppie dry dog food, but moisten it with warm water.. Pour a little warm water on the food, mix, and let sit and soak for like a few mins.
At 4 weeks old they can start to eat dry food soaked in water or the mothers milk formula for puppies. Soak it until the food is soft and leave the access water in it so they will learn how to lick up the water. At 6 weeks old they can start eating the food soaked in water but you can give it to them still being hard. The water in the food will give the puppies water to drink. Also keep water for them at all times so that they learn to drink it out of the bowl. They should still nurse until they are 6 weeks old. When you do star to feed them at 4 weeks old you should do it 3 times a day and then they can nurse the rest of the time.
That depends on the breed and size of that breed. Toy & small breeds should be fed puppy food until they are 8 months to a little under 1 year. Medium size breeds until 1 year. Large breeds 1 year. X-large breeds 1 1/2 to 2 years. It all depends on when your breed of dog reaches adult hood. If you have a mixed breed, For instance, if it's a Beagle ( medium breed ) & a Lab ( large breed ) mix I would consider it a large breed and feed it dog food at 1 year. If it's a German Short-hair ( large breed ) & Great Dane ( x-large breed ) mix I would consider it an x-large breed and feed it 1 1/2 years. If you have a small breed mixed with a medium or large breed I would consider it a large breed.
I will be gettin two puppies in 4 weeks and I want to know if I want to feed them milk what type of milk could I feel them and how long should I feed that to him, since they will be leaving their mommie in 4 weeks.
Depends on the breed; I breed Mini-Dachshunds and they start eating ground up Dog food from a coffee grinder and I mix in a little canned food with warm water to make it easy for them to lap up. At 6 weeks they are usually eating their food dry. I feed the very best food that is formulated by a Vet Dr. Jane Bicks. Go to www.adamsallnatural.com to see the food and learn more about dog foods;Thanks Jeff
I can only speak from the experience of two litters that I helped breed.
I began to introduce the litter to a mush meal (plain yogurt, cottage cheese, and soggy puppy food) at the late stage of four weeks of age. After a week of them eating this in between still nursing, I began to slowly increase the puppy food portion and backed off giving them anything mixed into their bowls/pans. When they were 6 weeks, momma had weaned them from nursing from her completely and I had the pups on a softened puppy food (no longer a mush - just softened with a bit of water). By the time they were off to their new homes (9-10 weeks of age), they were eating regular puppy food.
I found that gradually increasing the food to a dry stage worked well for them. :)
It is usually 9 months when they eat dry but don't go strait to dry use the food your using now and mix it with the dry and he will gradually make a transition to dry
My boxer had 8 puppies, and they are 11 days old, everyday she gets more and more tired of them, like she doesn't stay in the box with them as much as she did when they were first born, not even to nurse them, should we be worried?
I am a breeder of Mini Dachshunds and my little guys start eating ground up Dog food at about 4 1/2 weeks of age. I grind it in a coffee grinder and add warm water to make it soft and easy for them to lap up. At about 7 weeks they are eating the food dry. Go to www.adamsallnatural.com and listen to the videos about this all natural Dog Fod. Hope this info helps;Jeff
Its normaly about 12 years of age when you can give then hard food my labrador is ten and is still feeding off his mother, I have been breading dogs for years and found this to be best.
