At 21 days, the pups are able to do their business on their own so don't need their Dam to stimulate which means the Dam will begin to rejoin her pack leaving the pups for longer and longer periods. She will return to the pups to allow nursing; when the pups begin to suckle, the milk is immediately let down and they are very proficient at drinking and filling up very quickly.  The Dam rarely stays in the box for more than 10 minutes where before, she was in for much longer.   It appears that she is "done" with them and ready to wean them, but if you watch more closely, many times, that isn't the case because in another three hours, she will be asking to go back in with the litter for another feed.  Take careful note of how over the next week or so, she begin to spread out those feeding times to first four hours and then longer. 

​

Watch her head at one of those feedings because it will be low to the ground - you might even think it is because she is sad and in pain -  but you will see her quietly regurgitate her food and begin to eat it.   The first time, one puppy might notice and leave the teat to eat alongside her, but often, it is the next day before that happens.  Wait a few days and most of the litter will leave the teat and eat along side their Mom.  THIS is the signal that she is ready to wean them and this is the signal I personally feel we need to be waiting to see before introducing mush.  This could begin on day 21 or, as I see in most of my litters, it may happen on day 27 or 28.  

​

Weaning isn't just about getting the litter to stop nursing off of their Dam; it is about transitioning them from a natural milk based diet to a dog food diet. It is also about their digestive tract learning to process a different diet and this may be the most important reason to delay weaning.

​

As a moderator on a Breeding Help board, I have seen that many breeders rush to feed the litter 4 meals a day sometimes all in one day and sometimes over the first four days.  Since the puppies digestive tracts are still developing, this always seemed wrong to me.  

​

We introduced a shallow dish of water at 21 days, a shallow dish of formula at 22 days and their first bowl of mush on the 23rd day (on or about - it depends upon the litter). A new meal was then introduced every 3 days afterwards until they were getting 4 meals. That question of whether I was rushing was always niggling at the back of my mind as I watched my girls delay that regurgitation of a meal until at least a week later.  By the fourth year of breeding, I began to listen to my gut and delay introducing mush until I had seen the Dam regurgitate a meal for them and the puppies showing interest in eating with her. 

​

Now, there are reasons why supplementing what a litter is getting naturally from their Dam on day 21 might be the best decision (a puppy falling behind or a huge litter that is wearing down the Dam); but even then, I have come to believe that supplementing with a shallow dish of formula/milk replacer might be better for the litter in the long run than introducing mush too early. Watching to see if the difference to that puppy or to the Dam's condition is enough before adding another meal is most likely the best course to follow.

 

Our new protocol beginning with the Bree x Cain 2021 litter:

​

Day 21 - IF needed, one meal per day of formula/milk replacer

Day 28 - One meal per day of mush IF the Dam has regurgitated

Day 34 - Two meals

Day 39 - Three meals plus free feeding (see below)

 

This protocol is of course not set in stone and has been adjusted according to the individual Dam's behavior. Kona typically was done nursing by 6 weeks while Dreama didn't finish until 7 weeks and still allowed what we learned was "comfort suckling" for a minute or two all the way until the puppies were carried out the gate to their new lives. Bree delays weaning until day 26 or 27 and Latte and Jette are regurgitating at about day 30.  

​

Best practice is letting your Dam show you when they instinctively sense that the litter is ready to move to eating dry food.