Eating on their own?

[diannescruffy]

Our pups are 4wks old now and just wondering when should we start offering them some puppy food? We noticed they are drinking water too. Just like to add they are so cute and playful, just love them.
Thanks in advance.

Regards,
Dianne

[~clover~]

I think I started my pup's on weetbix & soggy bread at around 3 - 4 weeks.
Small bikkies at around 6 - 8 weeks.
We had 7 (lost one) That was fun!

[~ Mylitta ~]

Hi Dianne, the best thing to do at this stage is to start putting soft puppy food onto almost flat dishes (like saucers) and have them in the area that the puppies are in. Have a few in the area too, not just one. The pups might get interested in it just from the smell, but also, they'll probably walk through it and then lick it off their paws and get interested in it that way too. Also, make sure they are able to watch mum eating so they can get the idea.

A lot of people tend to go with the weetbix idea, but in all honesty, it doesn't have the right balance of nutrients a puppy needs and it's best to teach them straight away to eat dog food. You can even mix the puppy food in with a little water to make it mushier if you want.

Also, I wouldn't bother giving them any milk either. A lot of people think they need to give puppies milk, but they'll get all they need from mum, and once they are weaning off mum it means they don't need you to supplement it. Plus, most dogs lack the enzyme that breaks down lactose, so normal cows milk often causes tummy upsets. Milk designed for puppies is fine, but they don't need it and I don't recommend spending the extra money.

It sounds like they are very cute and it's great you are having a wonderful time with them