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Puppy Care
How to Wean Puppies Download Article Co-authored by Brian Bourquin, DVM
Last Updated: October 12, 2025 Approved
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Weaning Your Puppies
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This article was co-authored by Brian Bourquin, DVM. Brian Bourquin, better known as “Dr. B” to his clients, is a Veterinarian and the Owner of Boston Veterinary Clinic, a pet health care and veterinary clinic with three locations, South End/Bay Village, the Seaport, and Brookline, Massachusetts. Boston Veterinary Clinic specializes in primary veterinary care, including wellness and preventative care, sick and emergency care, soft-tissue surgery, dentistry. The clinic also provides specialty services in behavior, nutrition, and alternative pain management therapies using acupuncture, and therapeutic laser treatments. Boston Veterinary Clinic is an AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) accredited hospital and Boston’s first Fear Free Certified Clinic. Brian has over 19 years of veterinary experience and earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 21 testimonials and 100% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 870,569 times.
For the first few weeks of their lives, newborn puppies depend on their mother’s milk for nourishment and survival. Not only does it provide the essential nutrients for growth and development, it also contains antibodies to protect young pups from disease. Once they reach about 3 weeks old, it is normal to start weaning your puppies from their mother’s milk. At this moment of transition, it is necessary to teach puppies to eat puppy food. As their caregiver, you should help facilitate this transition.
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Weaning Your Puppies
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1 Transition your pregnant dog to puppy food early. On one hand, you’ll need your pregnant bitch to gain roughly 15-20% of its original weight by the time it gives birth to its litter. Puppy food is high in protein and basic nutrients and as such will help your dog gain that much needed weight. With this in mind, you don’t want to cause your dog to gain too much weight. You might choose to begin feeding your pregnant pooch puppy food when you discover her pregnancy or if you know that your dog is prone to weight fluctuations, you might decide to wait until 2-3 weeks before its whelping (the birth).
Moreover, you should choose the puppy chow that you plan on feeding your puppies. This will make it easier for the puppies to transition to puppy food — in terms of their overall health and more specifically their GI balance.[1]XResearch source
2 Gradually offer your puppies puppy food. Begin when they turn 3 weeks old. You won’t completely — cold turkey — wean them off of their mother. You’ll begin by giving them puppy food for approximately 10% of their daily caloric intake. They’ll continue to nurse off of their mother, while they get used to eating their puppy food. Over the next 2 to 3 weeks, you'll feed them puppy food more and more and they'll nurse less and less.
Do not rush weaning for any puppies that are slow to eat on their own. This can lead to malnourishment. It's better to let them continue to nurse from their mother and slow the puppy weaning process a bit.[2]X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to AnimalsLeading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source
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3 Encourage your pup to eat their puppy chow. Most likely, if you place the puppy in front of its food, it will eat it. Some puppies, on rare occasions, may resist eating the puppy chow. Simply pick up the puppy and place it in front of its food. Do this once or twice. Eventually, your puppy will chow down on the food.
4 Remove the mother while they feed on puppy chow. Start by separating the puppies from their mother for 1 hour, 2 or 3 times a day. Take the mother to another part of the yard or house. Leave the puppies with their food bowls. They’ll undoubtedly whine at first. Eventually, they’ll learn that their food bowls contain delicious and healthy food. You are mimicking the process that occurs in the wild, so don’t feel bad.[3]X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to AnimalsLeading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source
5 Keep a close eye on your pups. During the weaning process, monitor their health. Make sure that they are gaining weight equally. Check for vomit and diarrhea. Consult your veterinarian if any problems or questions arise.[4]X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to AnimalsLeading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source
6 Switch the mother back to regular dog food at 4 weeks. As with all the other steps, the key is gradual change. Begin by replacing 1/4 of her puppy food with her regular adult food. This will help her digestive system cope with the change and it will continue to give her milk the nutrients of the puppy chow. Over the next couple of weeks, switch her entirely back to her normal adult dog food.
7 Completely wean your puppies off their mother's milk. At around 7 weeks old your puppy should be completely weaned. They should also be eating dry puppy food and drinking water.
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Preparing the Food
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1 Mix dog replacement milk into their dry puppy chow. You can purchase this milk from any pet supply store or your vet’s office. Soak the dry puppy food with dog replacement milk and put it in a large, shallow pan when the puppies begin to walk around at about 3 weeks of age. You want it to be accessible to the puppy. They won’t be able to get to the food, if you use a larger, deeper bowl.[5]X Trustworthy Source American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to AnimalsLeading organization dedicated to the prevention of animal cruelty Go to source
Dog replacement milk will provide extra nutrients and will help to keep the young puppies from choking on dry kibble when they start to sample the food.
2 Consider using a blender. For puppies, this soggy mixture of puppy chow and replacement milk might still be too much. Take a blender and blend up their food until it is the consistency of human infant cereal. 2 cups of high quality dry puppy food, 12.5 oz liquid puppy milk replacer, and about a 2 cups of water, combined in a blender, will feed about 6 puppies. After 1-2 weeks, you can introduce them again to dry food.
3 Feed the puppies 3 times a day during the puppy weaning process. Puppies under six months of age should be fed 3 times daily; after 6 months, they may be fed 2 times a day.
Make sure that you are feeding them at even increments and at the same time each day. You want to get your new puppy on an eating schedule. This will manage their food expectations and keep them from begging all the time. When you shift them to 2 meals a day, you can just get rid of the lunch (middle) meal.
EXPERT TIP
Brian Bourquin, DVM
Dog Trainer Brian Bourquin, better known as “Dr. B” to his clients, is a Veterinarian and the Owner of Boston Veterinary Clinic, a pet health care and veterinary clinic with three locations, South End/Bay Village, the Seaport, and Brookline, Massachusetts. Boston Veterinary Clinic specializes in primary veterinary care, including wellness and preventative care, sick and emergency care, soft-tissue surgery, dentistry. The clinic also provides specialty services in behavior, nutrition, and alternative pain management therapies using acupuncture, and therapeutic laser treatments. Boston Veterinary Clinic is an AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) accredited hospital and Boston’s first Fear Free Certified Clinic. Brian has over 19 years of veterinary experience and earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. Brian Bourquin, DVM Dog Trainer
Consider offering your puppies canned food in addition to their solid food. Although your puppies will get the nutrients they need from solid kibble, it's a good idea to offer them both canned food and dry food. That way, if they need to eat canned food later in life for any reason, they'll already be used to it.
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Question Do puppies get diarrhea when they first start eating solids? Pippa Elliott, MRCVS Veterinarian Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years. Pippa Elliott, MRCVS Veterinarian Expert Answer Their poop can be soft and squidgy at first, as the bowel gets used to processing solids. However, weaning happens gradually and so the stool shouldn't be completely runny. If the pup isn't feeding well, is quiet, passes watery stools, or the diarrhea persists longer than 24 hours then they should see the vet. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 9 Helpful 42
Question When can puppies see? Pippa Elliott, MRCVS Veterinarian Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years. Pippa Elliott, MRCVS Veterinarian Expert Answer They are born blind with the eyelids sealed shut. The eyelids start to open around 10 days, but it takes another week or so before the eyes start to focus. So around three to four weeks of age is usually when they start to make use of vision to watch movement and find things. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 10 Helpful 54
Question How old are puppies when they are weaned? wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer Mother-led weaning gradually begins around the 3 to 4 old week stage and is usually completed around the 7 to 8 week old stage. Weaning does not happen suddenly; rather, it involves slowly reducing milk and gradually increasing solid foods. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 5 Helpful 21
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Things You'll Need
Dry puppy food
Canned puppy food (optional)
Dog replacement milk
Large, shallow pan or puppy feeding dish
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Co-authored by: Brian Bourquin, DVM Dog Trainer This article was co-authored by Brian Bourquin, DVM. Brian Bourquin, better known as “Dr. B” to his clients, is a Veterinarian and the Owner of Boston Veterinary Clinic, a pet health care and veterinary clinic with three locations, South End/Bay Village, the Seaport, and Brookline, Massachusetts. Boston Veterinary Clinic specializes in primary veterinary care, including wellness and preventative care, sick and emergency care, soft-tissue surgery, dentistry. The clinic also provides specialty services in behavior, nutrition, and alternative pain management therapies using acupuncture, and therapeutic laser treatments. Boston Veterinary Clinic is an AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) accredited hospital and Boston’s first Fear Free Certified Clinic. Brian has over 19 years of veterinary experience and earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. This article has been viewed 870,569 times. 4 votes - 100% Co-authors: 17Updated: October 12, 2025 Views: 870,569 Categories: Puppy CareArticle SummaryX
To wean puppies, start offering them puppy food once they turn 3 weeks old. At first, only give them a little bit of puppy food so it's not making up more than 10 percent of their diet. Then, over the next few weeks, gradually feed them more puppy food so they nurse less. Once the puppies are 7 weeks old, they should be completely weaned off their mother's milk. For tips on dealing with puppies that don't want to eat puppy food, keep reading!Did this summary help you?YesNo
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Reader Success Stories
Maureen Read
Apr 18, 2017
"Soon to pick up our new toy poodle pup, Amber, and looking for advice on what/what not to do. Brought up with dogs, but never had to take care of a pup. I love to watch them grow and develop and help with feeding. Your advice is a great help. Thank you."..." more
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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Co-authored by: Brian Bourquin, DVM Dog Trainer Co-authors: 17Updated: October 12, 2025 Views: 870,569100% of readers found this article helpful. 4 votes - 100% Click a star to add your vote
Maureen Read
Apr 18, 2017
"Soon to pick up our new toy poodle pup, Amber, and looking for advice on what/what not to do. Brought up with dogs, but never had to take care of a pup. I love to watch them grow and develop and help with feeding. Your advice is a great help. Thank you."..." more
Tiffany Pope
Sep 5, 2016
"I am so excited about the new member of are little family! My hubby and I have never had a newborn puppy of our own so we had no idea what to do when our puppy's mother stopped wanting to nurse. This article was very step-by-step, thank you for your help!"..." more
Lucinda Atherton
Aug 7, 2020
"I took on the care process of 7 abandoned puppies. I have come here to this site for all the "how tos" from bottle feeding up to weaning them off replace milk to puppy chow. Thanks to all the great advice and tips. I now am looking for forever homes."..." more
Rohan Jay
Jun 11, 2017
"Complete information given on everything. Clearly mentioned better than a vet. Very helpful. Some time I want to know why the mother would suddenly viciously attack one particular pup out of 7 when it makes a noise. "..." more
Carol Cahoon
Feb 15, 2018
"I needed information regarding the weaning process. The information found in this article explained everything that I needed to know to make the transition easier for the mom and her puppies. Thank you wikiHow!"..." more Share yours! More success stories Hide success stories
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Co-authored by: Brian Bourquin, DVM Dog Trainer This article was co-authored by Brian Bourquin, DVM. Brian Bourquin, better known as “Dr. B” to his clients, is a Veterinarian and the Owner of Boston Veterinary Clinic, a pet health care and veterinary clinic with three locations, South End/Bay Village, the Seaport, and Brookline, Massachusetts. Boston Veterinary Clinic specializes in primary veterinary care, including wellness and preventative care, sick and emergency care, soft-tissue surgery, dentistry. The clinic also provides specialty services in behavior, nutrition, and alternative pain management therapies using acupuncture, and therapeutic laser treatments. Boston Veterinary Clinic is an AAHA (American Animal Hospital Association) accredited hospital and Boston’s first Fear Free Certified Clinic. Brian has over 19 years of veterinary experience and earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Cornell University. This article has been viewed 870,569 times. 4 votes - 100% Co-authors: 17 Updated: October 12, 2025 Views: 870,569 Categories: Puppy Care Article SummaryX
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1 Transition your pregnant dog to puppy food early. On one hand, you’ll need your pregnant bitch to gain roughly 15-20% of its original weight by the time it gives birth to its litter. Puppy food is high in protein and basic nutrients and as such will help your dog gain that much needed weight. With this in mind, you don’t want to cause your dog to gain too much weight. You might choose to begin feeding your pregnant pooch puppy food when you discover her pregnancy or if you know that your dog is prone to weight fluctuations, you might decide to wait until 2-3 weeks before its whelping (the birth). 
2 Gradually offer your puppies puppy food. Begin when they turn 3 weeks old. You won’t completely — cold turkey — wean them off of their mother. You’ll begin by giving them puppy food for approximately 10% of their daily caloric intake. They’ll continue to nurse off of their mother, while they get used to eating their puppy food. Over the next 2 to 3 weeks, you'll feed them puppy food more and more and they'll nurse less and less. 
3 Encourage your pup to eat their puppy chow. Most likely, if you place the puppy in front of its food, it will eat it. Some puppies, on rare occasions, may resist eating the puppy chow. Simply pick up the puppy and place it in front of its food. Do this once or twice. Eventually, your puppy will chow down on the food. 
4 Remove the mother while they feed on puppy chow. Start by separating the puppies from their mother for 1 hour, 2 or 3 times a day. Take the mother to another part of the yard or house. Leave the puppies with their food bowls. They’ll undoubtedly whine at first. Eventually, they’ll learn that their food bowls contain delicious and healthy food. You are mimicking the process that occurs in the wild, so don’t feel bad.[3] 
5 Keep a close eye on your pups. During the weaning process, monitor their health. Make sure that they are gaining weight equally. Check for vomit and diarrhea. Consult your veterinarian if any problems or questions arise.[4] 
6 Switch the mother back to regular dog food at 4 weeks. As with all the other steps, the key is gradual change. Begin by replacing 1/4 of her puppy food with her regular adult food. This will help her digestive system cope with the change and it will continue to give her milk the nutrients of the puppy chow. Over the next couple of weeks, switch her entirely back to her normal adult dog food. 
7 Completely wean your puppies off their mother's milk. At around 7 weeks old your puppy should be completely weaned. They should also be eating dry puppy food and drinking water. Advertisement 
1 Mix dog replacement milk into their dry puppy chow. You can purchase this milk from any pet supply store or your vet’s office. Soak the dry puppy food with dog replacement milk and put it in a large, shallow pan when the puppies begin to walk around at about 3 weeks of age. You want it to be accessible to the puppy. They won’t be able to get to the food, if you use a larger, deeper bowl.[5] 
2 Consider using a blender. For puppies, this soggy mixture of puppy chow and replacement milk might still be too much. Take a blender and blend up their food until it is the consistency of human infant cereal. 2 cups of high quality dry puppy food, 12.5 oz liquid puppy milk replacer, and about a 2 cups of water, combined in a blender, will feed about 6 puppies. After 1-2 weeks, you can introduce them again to dry food. 
3 Feed the puppies 3 times a day during the puppy weaning process. Puppies under six months of age should be fed 3 times daily; after 6 months, they may be fed 2 times a day. 
Pippa Elliott, MRCVS Veterinarian Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years. 
wikiHow Staff Editor Staff Answer This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.