The age of five weeks is too early to finish weaning. Under optimal circumstances, puppies usually complete complete weaning when they are between 7 and 8 weeks of age, according to the ASPCA. Puppy weaning is a gradual process that usually takes place between 4 and 8 weeks of age. Puppies will initially begin researching soft puppy food, in addition to their mother's breastfeeding.
Once puppies have been drinking milk for one or two or three days, you can start introducing a small amount of kibble into the milk. Placing puppies in homes after ten weeks of age can help reduce the incidence of behavioral problems caused when puppies are removed from the litter too soon. In nature, weaning begins naturally as soon as puppies begin to develop their teeth, usually at three to four weeks of age. Puppies are born with very little natural immunity and will not fully develop immunity until around 16 weeks of age.
Their milk supply will cease at week seven or eight without stimulation from nursing puppies once they are fully weaned. Weaning describes the transition of the puppy's diet from breast milk to the puppy's solid growth diet. By weaning them on one of the complete puppy foods (which are available in dry or canned form), balanced nutrition is ensured. If puppies are abandoned, then it is the owner's responsibility to bring them to the right diet.
Starting at three to four weeks of age, encourage puppies to try soft, wet puppy food, or prepare their dinner by softening dry puppy food with hot water, mashing it, and allowing it to cool to body temperature. It is important that accurate weights are obtained for puppies in order to use the right dose of medication. Different breeders may prefer a different schedule for the weaning process, depending on litter size. The recommended time to wean puppies is from 3 weeks of age and can last until puppies are around 7 to 8 weeks old.
Bitch mothers usually start giving milk to their newborn puppies as soon as they are born and continue to do so until their litters are fully weaned, which occurs around 7 to 8 weeks of age. However, it is much better for their social development if puppies stay with their mother and litter mates for the first eight to ten weeks, and ten weeks are considered ideal for proper social development of puppies. Puppies can be treated for worms starting at two weeks of age, but it is most common to treat them at three and six weeks of age.
