Meta: How to stop puppies from trying to nurse? The weaning process starts gradually. You can start by separating their mother for some time in a day. Read on to know more.
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Just like humans, mother dogs feed their puppies. And puppies nurse until they are at least four weeks old or not introduced to solid foods.
Many people ask this question: How to stop puppies from trying to nurse? The weaning process in puppies will gradually start as they grow. It is usually when the puppy is around four weeks old.
To stop your puppy from nursing, you can separate the pup from its mothers few times a day. When you separate your pup, try introducing him to puppy food. This is how the puppy will be less dependent on his mother’s milk.
In this article, let us further look at
- When do puppies wean off their mother?
- How To Stop Puppies From Suckling Blankets?
- How To Wean Puppies?
- How do I get my puppy to stop nursing?
- Why is my puppy trying to nurse my dog?
- What are toxic milk syndrome dogs?
When Do Puppies Wean Off Their Mother?
Though the weaning process in puppies starts as they grow, it usually starts when a pup is around four weeks old and their teeth start to erupt. By the time your puppy is eight weeks old, he should be entirely weaned from mother’s milk and may no longer be nursing.
Usually, the puppy’s mother naturally starts the weaning process, and to make the puppy stop nursing, she stands up and walks away when the pup starts nursing. If the puppy tries to nurse, the mother pushes the puppy away.
How To Stop Puppies From Trying To Nurse
There may be some circumstances when you need to intervene and stop your puppy from nursing. If you have plans to adopt a puppy, it needs to be ready to eat the puppy food before adoption.
For this, you need to keep the puppy away from his mother for a few hours a day. With time, he will develop a habit of staying away from his mother. And when the pup is away from his mother, let him explore the space on her own and become confident.
How To Stop Puppies From Suckling Blanket
Sometimes puppies or even adult dogs start suckling soft things like a blanket or a shirt. There are a few ways you can stop this behavior of your dog.
- When you find your dog suckling, distract him. You can fill a metal can with rice or beans and start shaking when your dog begins to suck anything. If you do this often, he may relate suckling with this noise.
- If your dog starts sucking your hand, remove your hand and just ignore him for some time. Start playing with your dog after some time. If he again tries to suckle, start ignoring him again. By this, he will relate your behavior of not being interested in playing.
- Let your dog be physically active throughout the day and make him exercise till he is tired. He will go directly to sleep at night.
- Always try to feed your dog with healthy dog food. If he is not fed with good nutrient dog food, he may feel hungry at night and may have a desire to nurse.
You might like to read: Best Treats For 8 Week Old Puppy
How To Wean Puppies
When the puppy is four weeks old, you can introduce him to puppy food when away from his mother. You can add some water to the puppy food to make it soft. The puppy will find it easy to eat as well.
Initially, your puppy may not like the dog food and maybe apprehensive. After looking at their mother, they will also get used to dog food with different flavors and textures.
Start Feeding Your Puppy With Dry Food
When your puppy is around eight weeks old, you can introduce him to dry puppy food. Slowly start replacing soft food with dry puppy food completely. By the time your puppy is eight weeks old, you can feed him with high-quality dry food. Feed him as per your dog’s metabolism and needs. Also, make sure to keep water at their disposal all the time.
In the initial stage of the weaning process of your puppies, you will see a lot of changes in them. They will grow up fast and start playing among themselves.
Make sure to feed your dog with healthy food. It is necessary to feed your dog with the correct amount of nutrients, including protein, fats, carbohydrates, water, and minerals. These essential nutrients need to be in proper proportion to keep the dog food balanced.
Answers To Frequently Asked Questions
Why Is My Puppy Trying To Nurse On My Dog?
The sucking of puppies starts in puppyhood itself. Usually, when a puppy sucks, he feels safe, warm, and comfortable. This is a natural behavior of dogs and does not harm your dog.
What Is Toxic Milk Syndrome In Dogs?
Toxic Milk Syndrome in dogs is due to various conditions. One of the significant reasons is mammary infection. This may be due to nutritional problems or uterine infection as well. Whatever be the reason, you need to take your dog to the vet as soon as possible and get the treatment done to feed the puppies and keep them healthy.
If the milk is off-taste, the puppies may not be getting proper nutrients from the mother’s milk. It may even make the puppies sick. Sometimes puppies start crying a lot, dehydrate and die. This syndrome is mainly seen in large dog breeds than any small breed. However, any milk can get toxic.
You might like to read: Best Treats For 8 Week Old Puppy
Puppies nurse till they are four weeks old. The weaning process will start gradually.
The weaning process is one of the essential parts of any dog’s development process. Usually, puppies are completely weaned from their mother when they are eight weeks old and do not have a nurse. You may need to start separating the puppy from their mother a few times a day and slowly introduce him to puppy food. Gradually your pup will move from relying only on mother’s milk to enjoying puppy food.
