German Shepherd Dog Tip (Weening)

Exploring the vast prairie of the Washita National Wildlife Refuge

Hello Everyone,

When my Heidelberg German Shepherd Dog puppies turn 3-weeks-old, I begin the weening process by soaking in water our Victor Super Premium Dog Food (Beef Meal & Brown Rice for All Life Stages) formula. I wait until the dry-food is turned into a mush consistent with oatmeal, and then I mix into the mush a heaping table spoon of Dannon plain white yogurt. I will then let mom outside and introduce each individual puppy to this mush. The puppies will usually lap at this mush for a while and then fall asleep. I then will let mom back in to finish off the mush. The puppies learn to eat this mush by watching mom eat it. I feed the puppies this mush twice a day.

A Three Week Old Heidelberg German Shepherd Sleeping After the First Meal

Victor Super Premium Dog Food Beef Meal & brown Rice For all Life Stages

I will feed this mush for four days before adding cooked eggs. I prefer scrambled eggs with the eggs cooked in extra virgin olive oil. Never feed raw eggs to German Shepherd Dog puppies or adults because of the risk of salmonella and e coli. After the second day, I will add a table spoon of our Pure Total Vitamin Supplement, packaged and available here at Keystone German Shepherds & Kennels.

Add Eggs After Few Days to Puppies Mush to Help In Weaning

After three to four days of adding the eggs and vitamins to the puppy mush, I will pour the juice of a can of mackerel on their food for one day. The next day, I will add the mackerel. By now the puppies are acclimated to eating adult food. However, I will not feed them our evening diet, which includes cooked vegetables for another two weeks.

Starting at five weeks I will start separating mom from the puppies for longer stretches during the day. Towards the end of their fifth week of age, I will only place mom with the German Shepherd Dog puppy litter at night. When the puppies turn six-weeks-old, I separate mom from the puppies for a week to let her milk dry up.

The first night, I separate mom, I do not feed her, and while this may seem cruel, it actually helps prevent mastitis and makes mom more comfortable because she will produce less milk if she does not eat. After her milk has dried up, I will supervise play time with mom and the puppies. Once I am sure that the German Shepherd Dog puppies will no longer nurse, I allow mom and the puppies to spend considerable time together until the puppies are nine-weeks-old. The German Shepherd Dog dam teaches her puppies manners and how to exist in a social pack.