When the pups are about 4 to 5 weeks old, they are growing too fast to be satisfied with mother’s milk. The breeder begins to supplement their diet with a meat-and-cereal-based gruel or commercial puppy kibble soaked in water or milk. Even when the puppies are eating solids, their dam still nurses them several times a day. Her milk supply is decreasing, though, and the pups are growing bigger and hungrier. Mama usually leaves the den area immediately after she suckles her pups. The breeder has securely placed a board across the entrance to the puppy corner. Mama can easily hop over this barrier, but it’s too high for the pups to follow her.
They run after their dam as she leaves, hoping for just a bit more of her sweet milk, but she disappears over the barrier board. The pups mill around in frustration for a moment, then feel urgency in their bladders and bowels. The whole litter eliminates together. The pups then return to their sleeping corner to play for a few minutes before they all settle down for an after-dinner nap.
Once puppies begin eating solid foods, their dam no longer laps up their body wastes. The pups still need their mother to teach them important rules and customs of dog society, but the breeder now must take over their feeding and hygiene.
The breeder keeps the puppies clean and their living area sanitary by frequent and thorough housekeeping. Having planned far ahead for this birth, the breeder has saved the daily newspaper for several months and has asked friends to save theirs for him as well. He opens sections of the clean newspaper and spreads them thickly wall to wall in the pups’ corner to absorb puppy piddles and water spills.
The breeder watches as the puppies eliminate, then deftly removes the soiled papers and replaces them with clean papers before they can traipse back through their messes. He has wisely arranged the puppy space so their bed, food, and drinking water are as far away from the gate as possible. This way, when the pups follow their mama as she leaves after nursing them, they will move away from their sleeping and eating area before eliminating. This helps strengthen the natural canine habit of keeping the inner den clean of body waste. Once formed, this habit will help the pups be readily housetrained when they are adopted into their permanent homes.
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They run after their dam as she leaves, hoping for just a bit more of her sweet milk, but she disappears over the barrier board. The pups mill around in frustration for a moment, then feel urgency in their bladders and bowels. The whole litter eliminates together. The pups then return to their sleeping corner to play for a few minutes before they all settle down for an after-dinner nap.
Once puppies begin eating solid foods, their dam no longer laps up their body wastes. The pups still need their mother to teach them important rules and customs of dog society, but the breeder now must take over their feeding and hygiene.
The breeder keeps the puppies clean and their living area sanitary by frequent and thorough housekeeping. Having planned far ahead for this birth, the breeder has saved the daily newspaper for several months and has asked friends to save theirs for him as well. He opens sections of the clean newspaper and spreads them thickly wall to wall in the pups’ corner to absorb puppy piddles and water spills.
The breeder watches as the puppies eliminate, then deftly removes the soiled papers and replaces them with clean papers before they can traipse back through their messes. He has wisely arranged the puppy space so their bed, food, and drinking water are as far away from the gate as possible. This way, when the pups follow their mama as she leaves after nursing them, they will move away from their sleeping and eating area before eliminating. This helps strengthen the natural canine habit of keeping the inner den clean of body waste. Once formed, this habit will help the pups be readily housetrained when they are adopted into their permanent homes.
http://www.petsmu.com
