Weaning Puppies: The Complete Guide for Proper Development

Weaning puppies is a very delicate period for our four-legged friends. By reading this article, you will discover how to best approach it, how to set up a healthy and balanced puppy diet, how to prevent puppy digestive problems, and the importance of natural and gradual weaning.

Puppy Weaning: When and How to Start

Weaning dog puppies should begin around the fourth week of life and end more or less at the eighth week, without ever interrupting canine nursing.

However, this does not mean that at that age, the large, medium, or small breed puppy is ready to be separated from the mother—quite the opposite: it is good practice to keep them with her until the completion of the third month. Otherwise, the risk is compromising not only physical growth but also the puppy’s cognitive development, with serious repercussions on a behavioral level.

Throughout the nursing period, the mother supports the puppy’s immune system and, along with the siblings, takes care of their psychological and behavioral development: between the 2nd and 3rd month of life (socialization period), she teaches them to control their bite and jaw grip, what a growl means, feeding hierarchy, calmness, and control.

What should you feed a two-month-old puppy? To start weaning, it would be good to feed the little one specific wet food. After a few days, it can be replaced with softened puppy kibble, and finally, dry food. Always remember to leave a bowl of clean, fresh water available to them.

For the dog’s health, the only healthy and advisable method is natural and gradual weaning, which only ends when the puppy is independent and no longer seeks the mother for nourishment. That is the exact moment they can freely eat dog food.

Are there differences in weaning for different sizes? Absolutely not. Weaning a medium or large breed puppy only means having to offer a greater quantity of food than what a small or mini-sized puppy needs.

Weaning Orphaned Puppies

The mother cannot always be present during the nursing period. It happens that the little ones become orphans and are lucky enough to meet humans who wish to save them from their sad fate.

In these cases, all the activities that the mother normally performs for the puppy’s health—nursing, stimulating evacuation and urination, cleaning, education, thermoregulation—must be carried out carefully, consulting a veterinarian to receive specific instructions and for monitoring.

Puppies should be fed powdered dog milk until the fourth week of life, gradually introducing mousse and pureed kibble. Only at the age of 2–3 months is it possible to switch to moistened solid food and dry dog food.

What Not to Do

Preserving the puppy’s well-being also means knowing what not to do during weaning. In addition to premature separation from the mother, attention must be paid to:

• NEVER administer cow’s milk because it can cause significant digestive problems in puppies and adult dogs;
• Distributing the food portion into at least 4 daily meals, no less;
• Choosing quality dog food suitable for the age;
• Never leave dangerous objects or toxic foods available to the dog (e.g., avocado, chocolate, garlic, onion, raw bread and pasta dough, milk, macadamia nuts, bird and rabbit bones, fish bones, fresh bread and al dente pasta, grapes, sugars).

Puppy Weaning: Nutritional Needs

Canine nutrition is fundamental, especially during the first months of life, when they grow so rapidly and intensely. A complete and balanced food for young dogs must be composed of:

• 27–30% (crude protein) of high-quality and highly digestible animal proteins that support the puppy in its muscle, joint, and immune system growth. This is the case for blue fish, chicken, turkey, and duck;
• Fat-soluble (A, D, E, K) and water-soluble (B, C, H, PP, and choline) vitamins for dogs, preferably from raw materials, to avoid unpleasant hypervitaminosis;
• Minerals for dogs (e.g., calcium and phosphorus) for bone development. Here are the minimum values: calcium 0.59%, phosphorus 0.44%, magnesium 0.04%, sodium 0.06%, potassium 0.44%, chlorine 0.09%, iron 32 mg/Kg, zinc 35.6 mg/Kg, copper 2.9 mg/Kg, manganese 5.1 mg/Kg, selenium 0.11 Mg/Kg, iodine 0.59 mg/Kg;
• 5–10% fiber, for intestinal health;
• 8–10% lipids, rich in Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids for dogs, for the right energy and healthy puppy skin.

If you are considering the option of following a home-cooked diet, read our in-depth article.

Puppy Diet and Superfoods

Precious superfoods can enrich the puppy’s diet and promote their healthy growth. Below are some examples.

Flax Seeds for Dogs

They are a natural source of Omega-3 fatty acids for the correct development of the nervous system. What are the benefits of flax seeds for dogs? They help fight skin irritations and inflammation, promote joint mobility, and strengthen the immune system.

Olive Oil for Dogs

Excellent support for the puppy’s shiny coat. The importance of olive oil in the dog’s diet lies in Vitamin E and its antioxidant substances, which ensure healthy skin, improve appetite, and aid in disease prevention.

Citrus Fruits for Dogs

They reduce oxidative stress, support the puppy’s growth in general, and promote the absorption of proteins. This is confirmed by a study conducted by the Department of Veterinary Sciences of the University of Messina and the Department of Veterinary Medicine of the Federico II University of Naples.

Prickly Pear for Dogs

It has a soothing and protective effect on the mucous membranes of the intestinal tract.

The Best Foods for Growing Puppies

The best foods for growing puppies must contain a good percentage of high biological value protein sources of animal origin.

Among the best kibbles on the market, we find Naxos with its line for dog puppy weaning and for their young age, composed of raw materials exclusively from Italian suppliers, supplemented with the best Sicilian superfoods and chosen to be 100% cruelty-free.

The Naxos Puppy Medium Maxi Conca d’Oro, for example, contains proteins from the animal sources most accredited by scientific studies: duck, turkey, and chicken. With the addition of olive oil, fennel, flax seeds, and prebiotics—without artificial preservatives or colorings—it is the ideal food for the growth of medium and large breed puppies, from 2 to 24 months of age, as well as for pregnant and lactating dogs.

Where to buy Naxos Puppy Medium Maxi Conca d’Oro? Discover where to find us, online and near your home.