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Is my dog weaning her 4-week-old puppies too early? What's normal?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Female | unspayed | 1 year and 3 months old | 59 lbs

My dog’s puppies are 27 days old she started to reduce feeding them milk and when i force her to sleep as in the first days she stand an dont let them feed sometimes she let them feed for 2 3 min and stand and leave is this normal?? Note: i started to feed them from 21 days dry food for weaning puppies She has 13 pup i didn’t help her in giving birth or cleaning or feeding or anything she is a clever mom thanks god

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on April 12th, 2018

That is a lot of puppies to feed and it may be that now that they are getting teeth, they are sometimes hurting her when suckling. Let her do what she has to do, and do not force her to feed them. She will feed them as best and as much as she can. You may want to give the puppies some canned puppy food as well as the dry food, as they will be able to eat more and bother her less. Make sure there always is water available for both the mother and the puppies.

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    Answered By Ana M, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Thank you for submitting your question regarding Soska. Puppies typically begin weaning at 3 weeks and have completed the process by 5-6 weeks. So this is likely normal behavior for her. You can weigh the puppies daily and ensure they are still gaining weight. They should be active and begin eating more kibble. If any of the puppies seem not to be thriving, they should be seen by a veterinarian. You can also check Soska's mammary chain to look for any painful red swollen glands. This could be a sign of mastitis for which she would need to be seen. Good luck!

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