Pet weaning is a process every puppy owner goes through. It might be scary to think of doing it, but it’s actually not that hard! Weaning puppies from their mother takes time and patience, but it is not rocket science. Here are a few tips on weaning puppies for starters.
- Start early. At about 24 days, a puppy should begin to be introduced to a starter or weaning formula. One of the best ways to do this is to present your puppy with a semi-liquid nourishment in a shallow pan. Gently place the puppy at the edge of the food, gently push his chin into the food to allow them to smell it. They will then begin to lick the mixture you prepared.
- Gradually change into puppy food. After a week of semi-liquid formula, gradually thicken the formula with ground up dry puppy food. You can also begin adding canned puppy food to the weaning mixture.
- Be patient. Weaning puppies takes time. Don’t immediately feed them solid food. You can give them high quality puppy food by six weeks of age. If it is still too hard for them, you can break up the kibble so it is smaller than packaged. You can also soak it a bit in warm water to soften it up.