How Long Should a Puppy Be Nursed by His Mother?

The excitement of having a newborn puppy at your home is immense, and the last thing you would want is to bring unnecessary issues to your newborn puppy.

During the first few weeks, pups are in their early developmental period, and socialization begins. Proper socialization gives your puppy the ideal head start for being a socially healthy pet. Separating them from their mother and littermates can lead to many issues. Therefore, puppies should stay with their mother for 8 to 10 weeks.

Typical Nursing Time

Puppies should remain with their mother until they are 8 to 10 weeks old. Allowing your pups to be their mother during this time ensures that they develop appropriately both physically and behaviorally. Along with their mothers, young puppies should also remain with their siblings.

Playtime with their littermates allows them to learn important social behaviors, including bite inhibition and communication skills. Therefore, you should wait for a minimum of 8 weeks before separating a puppy from its mother.

Caring for Your Newborn Puppies

Like human babies, newborn puppies require continuous care and attention. There are several things you need to think about to raise a healthy, well-adjusted pup.

Colostrum

Newborn pups need to receive the first milk or colostrum within 12 hours of their birth. Colostrum contains maternal antibodies, called immunoglobulins, that give puppies passive immunity for the first few weeks of their lives. When your pups fail to ingest this colostrum, they may be at increased risk of infections and disease.

Orphaned Pups

If your pups can't nurse, they will require bottle or tube feeding with a species-appropriate milk replacer every few hours during the neonatal period, typically until weaning begins around 3–4 weeks of age. You will need to feed your young puppies a high-quality milk replacement until they transition to solid food.

Furthermore, pay close attention to each pup's weight and appetite. If you notice a puppy that does not want to eat or that doesn't gain weight, make sure to consult a vet as soon as possible.

Weaning Puppies

The weaning process should start when your puppies are 3 to 4 weeks old. This is when the pups' teeth begin to sprout.

Mix a high-quality, balanced puppy food with puppy milk replacer or warm water until it makes a thin, mushy paste. Each day, increase the amount of mush the pups consume. However, they will gradually nurse less from their mother or receive fewer milk feedings as they begin eating more solid food.

In the fourth week, gradually increase the liquid-to-solid ratio. By the end of the fourth week, your puppies should be eating soft, semisolid food, although complete weaning typically occurs closer to 6–8 weeks of age. During the fourth to seventh week, they should be transitioning to regular commercial puppy food while still nursing or receiving milk replacer as needed.

When to Begin Giving Puppies Solid Food

Your puppies require their mother's milk to supply them with antibodies that protect them against diseases. Puppies continue nursing up to 8 weeks of age, though they can transition to solid food at 4 weeks old. The transition must be gradual to avoid stomach upset.

Your pups will start teething at 3 to 4 weeks of age and will begin to show interest in solid food around this time. Lift each puppy and place a small amount of food in its mouth. It will begin to chew as it starts to experience this new taste. It will not take long before they adapt to the taste of solid food. Once the pups like the taste and begin to chew, place the food in a shallow basin. Make sure to get rid of any uneaten food.

Or else, you can introduce the mush by placing it on a solid surface and letting the puppies walk on it. They will quickly lick off the food from their paws. However, this might not work for all puppies, especially if one is being pushed away by others.

Kibble

Introduce kibble or dry food during the eighth week of age. Look for a pet kibble that is complete and balanced for growth and formulated for puppies, providing appropriate levels of protein, fat, calcium, and calories.

Mix the dry kibble with milk replacer and warm water and blend the mixture to the consistency of oatmeal.

Feeding

Feed your puppies three to four times a day. Gradually begin to minimize the amount of milk replacer and water as the puppies transition to solid diets. By the time your pups are 8 weeks old, they are ready to consume dry puppy kibble.

Considerations

Some puppies are bullies, while some are not. If you have a puppy that pushes others aside, feed it separately from the litter.

As the puppies eat more solid food, they will suck less of their mother's milk. At this point, you can introduce them to clean, fresh drinking water. Fetch a little water with the cup of your hand and let each puppy drink from your palm. Then, you can put the water in a shallow basin and allow your pups to drink from there.

Effects of Separating Newborn Puppies from Their Mother Too Early

Newborn puppies require their mother to nurse them and teach them essential social behaviors. Without their mother's care, before they are entirely ready to wean, these little creatures may develop nutritional deficiencies, become sick, or even experience behavioral problems later in life. Keep both the mother and puppies together until they reach at least 8 weeks of age, as separation before this time is associated with increased health and behavioral risks. When possible, allowing the puppies to remain with the mother and littermates until approximately 10 to 12 weeks can provide additional behavioral benefits.

Essential Care

A mother dog offers essential care for her pups. Within the first day after delivery, she produces colostrum, a special first milk rich in immunoglobulins, which supplies antibodies to protect the puppies against disease. Without these antibodies, your puppies are at risk of infection and disease.

During the first 2 to 3 weeks, your pup cannot see, hear, or move without the help of his mother. Plus, their mother helps to keep them warm. If you separate her care too soon, your pups may become hypoglycemic, hypothermic, or dehydrated.

Early Socialization

Puppies learn vital social behaviors from their mother dog. Their mother teaches them behavior lessons, including appropriate social communication, bite inhibition, and tolerance of handling. In addition, she may interrupt overly rough play or biting and grooms the pups, which helps them become accustomed to normal social contact.

If these early experiences are limited, puppies may be at increased risk of developing social and behavioral challenges, but proper socialization with other dogs and humans during the sensitive period (approximately 3 to 14 weeks of age) can help support normal behavioral development.

Final Thoughts

There are varying opinions regarding the appropriate age to separate a pup from its mother. As a pet owner, you will probably want to separate your newborn puppies as soon as possible. However, it is vital not to separate them too early.

Puppies learn great lessons during their first few weeks from their mother and siblings. They learn to be social and develop emotionally during this time. Experiences during the first 8–10 weeks play a critical role in shaping behavior.

Although you can give them all the affection and care, there are some things that they can only learn from their family.

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Featured Image Credit: stockphoto mania, Shutterstock