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Weaning Tips |
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For the first month, the bitch will feed the pups and clean up after them. If she is a normal good mother, there will be very little for you to do. After a month, if not earlier, according to the strength of her maternal instincts, she is likely to want to return to the comfort of her own basket and her normal way of life, so you must begin to think about weaning the puppies.
First of all letting the mother out and away from them for several hours a day, until eventually she is spending only the night with them. By the time they are 6 weeks old, they should be completely independent of their mother although, ideally, they should not go to their new homes until they are 8 weeks old.
Any pups which are unduly small, or with which there have been problems, I like to run on so that they may have the best possible chance in life. Many people also like to run on a particularly good pup which shows promise, even at this early stage, of being a show pup.
In my view, the best products on which to wean puppies are 'Farex', 'Complan' or any milky baby food with glucose added for sweetening. Puppies soon get the idea of how to feed from a saucer although, to start with, they spill more than they eat. If you put your finger in the substance and allow them to lick, this is a good method of getting them started. Subsequently offer a dishful of fat-free minced beef.
Arguments still abound as to whether meat should be fed cooked or raw. Really it is a matter of preference. I always lightly cook the mince and, after the first few weeks, I add a little 'Marmite' for flavoring. You must be prepared now to provide five feeds a day comprising:
1) early morning 'Farex' (or other milky cereal),
When the pups go to their new homes, it is a good idea to provide a diet chart which follows this pattern, less the afternoon feed, and outlines the stages by which the meals should be reduced; for instance, the milky bedtime feed can be given up at 4 months, and the breakfast feed at 6 months, at which stage the pups will be receiving just two meat meals a day until, at the age of 1 year, only one meal will be necessary.
It will be realized that normal canned pet-foods are too rich for puppies. However, as an alternative to minced beef, specially produced canned puppy-food can be offered to which, as with the minced beef, puppy-biscuits or meal should be added. Water must be provided at all times.
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