Puppies should not leave their mother or litter mates before eight weeks of age. The doggy mother has a lot to teach the new puppy; lessons that will affect him throughout his life, and his littermates also teach important lessons. If the dog mother has died, the littermates must stay together. Puppies will continue to eat until they are full, so there is no need to remove the bottle unless they start coughing or milk comes out of their nose.
Both the American Kennel Club (AKC) and the Kennel Club (UKC) recommend that puppies be more than 8 weeks old when they are rehoused. But when can a puppy be away from its mother? Both the AKC and the UKC recognize this and recommend that puppies should not be sold under 8 weeks of age. Introduction to Water When they are approximately 3 weeks old, you can introduce water to puppies by providing them with a shallow bowl of water outside the farrowing box or sleeping area. The UK Canine Club informs that puppies should not be rehoused before 8 weeks of age, but also adds that in very rare cases they can be rehoused with a minimum of 6 weeks of age.
Studies show that breast milk contains the perfect nutritional composition to ensure the correct growth and development of your puppies from their earliest days onwards. When your puppies are around three or four weeks old, you can start removing them from breast milk. Between 3 and 6 weeks of age, your puppies will participate in social games with their litter mates, learn behaviors related to bite inhibition, and learn preferences for surfaces for urinating and defecating. Try to start slowly, giving puppies solid food that has been heated and moistened with a little water.
The mother normally spends most of her time with the puppies, so make sure to see the puppies breastfeeding at least once a day. In addition, puppies younger than 8 weeks old have a very immature digestive system and will be more vulnerable to stomach disorders.
