In 4pawbox we bring you some tips to separate a puppy from their mother.

 

From 8 weeks of age and, progressively, we will encourage the puppy to begin weaning. They should be offered wet food or soaked feed, thus facilitating adaptation to their new diet.

 

It is important to note that we should not remove all puppies from their mother at the same time, especially before 8 weeks of age, since it can cause depression in the mother as well as problems related to milk production, as is the case of mastitis. On the contrary, if we have waited properly, the mother will instinctively know that her puppies are independent, and the separation will not be negative.

 

 

At what age can puppies be separated from their mother?

Doing it ahead of time can be very damaging, causing growth deficiencies or emotional imbalances.

 

It is common to fall in love with a puppy as soon as we see it, they are really adorable, however, we must spend time preparing for the arrival of the puppy, reflecting on the great responsibility we acquire, gathering all the necessary information and accommodating the house for its arrival. Obviously, afterwards we feel a great impatience to have them with us.

 

But the first thing we must attend to is not our impatience, but the needs of the animal, this leads us to ask ourselves, at what age can puppies be separated from their mother?

When should our 4pawsfriend be separated from their mother?

When we talk about the separation of puppies from their mother, we must initially clarify that there is an essential time and another that is ideal. Considering two very important factors, socialization and lactation, we will explain to you when your 4pawsfriend should be separated from their mother:

 

* Lactation

lactation

One of the most important reasons why a puppy should stay as long as possible with its mother is feeding, since only mother's milk contains a nutritional composition that is exactly what the puppy needs for its proper development and maturation.

 

The mother’s milk contains colostrum, a substance that it offers to its little ones the first days of life. Colostrum protects them by avoiding any infection. Later, the mother's milk will offer our 4pawsfriend all the essential nutrients for good growth, as well as defenses, enzymes and hormones. At this stage, the mother should be very well fed, resulting in better health for the children.

 

* Puppy socialization

 In addition to breastfeeding, another very important aspect for which a puppy must spend a minimum time with their mother is that their education is not initiated by the human family.

During the lactation period, the mother begins with the socialization of the puppy, and teaches them how to communicate with their peers, this in turn strengthens the safety of the 4pawsfriend, since they themselves, being a very sociable animal, have as a basic need the feeling belonging to a pack. If a dog is not properly socialized, it is susceptible to future behavior problems such as insecurity, fear and reactivity with others of the same species. Apart from teaching them the basic rules of communication between dogs, their mother will also teach them how to act in the environment in which they live and coexist with other living beings (humans, cats, birds ...).

 

So, when should we separate a puppy from their mother?

The minimum time that a puppy must be with its mother is 6 weeks, the period in which the puppy begins to wean. However, the most common is that weaning lasts up to approximately 8 weeks of life. So, it is the optimal time to separate the 4pawsfriend from their mother.

 

We must point out that the longer a puppy is with their mother, the better it will be for them.

 

Problems caused by premature weaning

Puppies should only be weaned prematurely in those cases in which the mother cannot take care of them due to health reasons or behavioral disorders, in other cases respecting a minimum contact of 2 months with the mother is essential.

 

You should bear in mind that premature weaning of a puppy can cause various problems:

 

  • -Decreased immune system response

  • -Behavioral disorders in adulthood

  • -Hyperactivity, aggressiveness and anxiety

  • -Bad behavior with other dogs

 

If you want the best for your 4pawsfriend you must wait

 

As you have seen, prematurely separating a puppy from their mother can lead to numerous problems and contrary to what many people mistakenly believe, it does not facilitate adaptation to the human home.

 

When a puppy arrives at your home, it will continue to need various important care, and it will be your responsibility to provide it, however, this care does not replace under any circumstances the important role of the mother during the first weeks of your 4pawsfriend’s life.

 

Be patient! Soon you will be able to have your 4pawsfriend at home!

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