Weaning is the gradual reduction of a puppy’s dependency on his mother’s milk and care.
When Is the Best Time To Wean a Litter of Puppies?
Whether puppies are orphaned or with their mothers, weaning can generally begin between three and four weeks of age, and is ideally completed by about seven to eight weeks of age. Although it’s often unavoidable, especially in the case of orphaned dogs, it’s preferable to allow weaning to be a gradual process that occurs over several weeks. Puppies need time to learn important behaviors from their mother and littermates, including how to interpret signs of dominance, inhibit their own biting habits and submit to more dominant dogs.