weaning puppiies before 8 weeks old

hotel4dogs said:

I didn't know where to post this, so sorry if it's in the wrong place.
I had a fascinating conversation with someone today who told me that (and did not back this up with citations, this was a casual conversation) recent research implies that puppies who are weaned later, closer to 7 or 8 weeks old, have far fewer problems with food intolerances, food allergies, IBD, and just plain sensitive stomachs than puppies who are weaned at the more traditional 4 weeks old, give or take.
Since I know this to be true in human infants, it made good sense to me but I wondered if anyone has any information or comments on this?

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I wean at around 3.5 - 4 weeks, have done so for years, and don't have any food allergies, intolerances, IBD, or other sensitivities.

The mama dog I fostered weaned her puppies at 3.5 weeks, she refused to go in with them and let them nurse without being held down. Is that common?

mylissyk said:

The mama dog I fostered weaned her puppies at 3.5 weeks, she refused to go in with them and let them nurse without being held down. Is that common?

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Totally. Lyric used to get up and go outside when her puppies were 3 weeks to the day. You could barely drag her back in. She was like "Okay, listen... they have little razor teeth now, and I'm thinkin' maybe YOU'D like to clean up their poop. They're all yours..." : I think it's GOOD. Mom recovers quickly, and the puppies are mine! They become all about people.

It just seems like they could use mama's milk for a little longer than 3 weeks.

I just cant see too many moms nursing 8 week old pups. Not without a lot of fights!

hotel4dogs said:

I didn't know where to post this, so sorry if it's in the wrong place.
I had a fascinating conversation with someone today who told me that (and did not back this up with citations, this was a casual conversation) recent research implies that puppies who are weaned later, closer to 7 or 8 weeks old, have far fewer problems with food intolerances, food allergies, IBD, and just plain sensitive stomachs than puppies who are weaned at the more traditional 4 weeks old, give or take.
Since I know this to be true in human infants, it made good sense to me but I wondered if anyone has any information or comments on this?

Click to expand...

mylissyk said:

It just seems like they could use mama's milk for a little longer than 3 weeks.

Click to expand...

My girls begin to wean them on their own , which is, as I said around 3.5 -4 weeks. I begin at that time to offer them solid food, which they gobble up happily. They continue to nurse sporadically, often a week or so longer, but the more solid food they eat the less they nurse, and moms begin to dry up.
I do what I feel is best for both the moms and the puppies. Their health and well being is of the utmost importance to me.


I'll also add that since puppies begin to go to their new homes at 7-8 weeks, I want to know that they are eating well, and having no problems with the food that we feed - it is enough stress for a puppy settling into a new family/home without having to deal with eating issues and still wanting Momma...

hotel4dogs said:

I didn't know where to post this, so sorry if it's in the wrong place.
I had a fascinating conversation with someone today who told me that (and did not back this up with citations, this was a casual conversation) recent research implies that puppies who are weaned later, closer to 7 or 8 weeks old, have far fewer problems with food intolerances, food allergies, IBD, and just plain sensitive stomachs than puppies who are weaned at the more traditional 4 weeks old, give or take.
Since I know this to be true in human infants, it made good sense to me but I wondered if anyone has any information or comments on this?

Click to expand...

I don't know the answer but to be critical, what is 4 weeks to a puppy in comparison to a human child? At 4 weeks they have all their teeth and are walking around, whereas human infants aren't walking until nearly a year.

What is the time length in humans that is longer that you are comparing it to? I assume it is not 8 weeks of nursing...?

GoldenSail said:

I don't know the answer but to be critical, what is 4 weeks to a puppy in comparison to a human child? At 4 weeks they have all their teeth and are walking around, whereas human infants aren't walking until nearly a year.

What is the time length in humans that is longer that you are comparing it to? I assume it is not 8 weeks of nursing...?

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It's actually a really fair question. The old 7 years for every 1 of human life isn't considered quite accurate anymore. But dogs do mature much more quickly than humans. Dogs start walking at three weeks and reach physical maturity at around 18 months. Using the 7-1 calculation that would be the like a human child walking at 5 months and reaching physical maturity by 11.

I just go by what I feel has worked the best for me when raising a litter.

I don't know the answer either, just thought it was interesting.
With human infants, they used to start them on rice cereal etc. when they were about 4 weeks old (not because of puppies, LOL!) but now they don't introduce any solid food at all until at least 4 months old. Supposedly because it results in fewer digestive problems later in childhood. I use the word "supposedly" because I have no studies to back it up, just what I've been told by people who've had babies recently.

GoldenSail said:

I don't know the answer but to be critical, what is 4 weeks to a puppy in comparison to a human child? At 4 weeks they have all their teeth and are walking around, whereas human infants aren't walking until nearly a year.

What is the time length in humans that is longer that you are comparing it to? I assume it is not 8 weeks of nursing...?

Click to expand...

hotel4dogs said:

I don't know the answer either, just thought it was interesting.
With human infants, they used to start them on rice cereal etc. when they were about 4 weeks old (not because of puppies, LOL!) but now they don't introduce any solid food at all until at least 4 months old. Supposedly because it results in fewer digestive problems later in childhood. I use the word "supposedly" because I have no studies to back it up, just what I've been told by people who've had babies recently.

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Comparing human babies to puppies is really difficult to do. It's an interesting question, though.

hotel4dogs said:

With human infants, they used to start them on rice cereal etc. when they were about 4 weeks old (not because of puppies, LOL!) but now they don't introduce any solid food at all until at least 4 months old.

Click to expand...

I don't have any answers about puppies and I know that I'll be aging myself but when my oldest child was born, in 1972, the doctor had me start him on rice cereal at 2 wks old and applesauce a week after that . I guess that the infant formulas weren't as healthy back then....I know that I was using evaporated milk mixed half and half with water with a spoonful of honey added to each bottle. :no: