toy dog Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 (edited) just wondering on other breeders opinion on when to start introducing bones to young puppies either toy dogs or larger breeds. usually we start at aged 6-8 weeks when they are weaning and they take to them, other toy breeders have told us they believe it ruins their teeth so don't introduce but we end up buying dogs from others that don't even know what bones are! also one boy we bought from another breeder had retained teeth, ended up having to remove at vets (10 of them) because it took a while to get him to take bones. spoken to some breeders of pugs and some seem to think it is a herediatary problem. i am inclined to think thats it more not being given bones early enough to help naturally lose baby teeth and growing in the permanents. the last litter we had of 3 they all were into pigs ears, raw bones at a very young age and we've had no problems with retained teeth ever. here's the problem, i have a young pup about 8 weeks now and he seems to be breaking the mould with everything from ears sitting backwards instead of forwards (straight up now after a few sessions of rubbing ears each night) (strange!) to lead training. some breeders never seen the ears backwards instead of foreward neither have we in 26 years of breeding this delighfully challenging toy breed :D although with chis you never know what you are going to get really. now it seems he licks his food doesn't bite into it to grab it which is very unusual im thinking. he has a full set of chompers and his bite seems okay at this age. maybe i should wait until he matures and try and slowly introduce bones etc. then, not sure as to what im going to do yet. although tonight i thought i'd cook up some nice roast chicken and hold it in my fingers to see whether he goes for it and grabs hold of that and attempts to eat it (being very careful the little teeth don't accidentally get my fingers they are like little needles at this age). sniffs the big meaty bone i put in there and walks away not interested. still feeding off mum, on and off. just interested to know what others do or don't do. Edited May 18, 2011 by toy dog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparkyTansy Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 Could his teeth/teething be affecting his ear set? perhaps there is something more going on in his mouth... has he been vet checked? Interesting to see replies on this topic - i'm planning to introduce bones early but not sure exactly when. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toy dog Posted May 18, 2011 Author Share Posted May 18, 2011 Could his teeth/teething be affecting his ear set? perhaps there is something more going on in his mouth... has he been vet checked? Interesting to see replies on this topic - i'm planning to introduce bones early but not sure exactly when. gets his first vacc this friday actually and a general vet check, he is very tiny for his age thats why i didn't take him in any sooner, usually yes when they are teething the ears tend to go a bit hay wire usually they flop down though not up LOL. the ears are fine now they are sitting straight up where they should be. i had visions of trying to show a dog with its ears permanently sitting backward. i'll be mentioning all this to my vet good idea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bisart Dobes Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Our puppies get their first bones at 3 weeks - slightly smashed chicken necks and they do a pretty good job with them, they cannot fully eat them at that age but they start and develop their head, jaw & front muscles quicker when given them. They are fully weaned and eating bones with no issues btwn 4 & 5 weeks. I wouldn't have an 8 wk old drinking from mum still. Not good for the bitch and you are compromising his vaccinations by doing this as well. If he isn't eating properly I would be removing access to mum & checking digestion / stomach for any issues. Our breed is a much larger breed though and this is what we do for them - toys could be totally different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 If he is very tiny ..and is disinclined to chew ..perhaps he has a problem . If, when he suckled from Mum , he got 'just' enough milk to live on, but not to grow on ? his jaws or muscles may not have allowed him to suckle as much as he needed? What else does he eat? Mince? kibble? chewy toys? Does he lap water/milk ok? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakway Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Our puppies get their first bones at 3 weeks - slightly smashed chicken necks and they do a pretty good job with them, they cannot fully eat them at that age but they start and develop their head, jaw & front muscles quicker when given them. They are fully weaned and eating bones with no issues btwn 4 & 5 weeks. I wouldn't have an 8 wk old drinking from mum still. Not good for the bitch and you are compromising his vaccinations by doing this as well. If he isn't eating properly I would be removing access to mum & checking digestion / stomach for any issues. Our breed is a much larger breed though and this is what we do for them - toys could be totally different. +1. I would be more concerned about feeding of the dam compromising the vaccination than chewing bones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shazzapug Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 I start my pug puppies at 6-8 weeks on chicken necks, they dont really do the meaty bones. They lick the necks till they get the hang of them, and then they are fine, so by the time they go to their homes they are having about 3-4 a week. At this age they learn to put their foot on one end of the neck. Once I wean it is a total stopping of mum feeding them...otherwise Pug puppies would not eat solids at all, they are so stubborn. I think once you take mum away totally from your guy he will be much more eager to eat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toy dog Posted May 19, 2011 Author Share Posted May 19, 2011 (edited) Our puppies get their first bones at 3 weeks - slightly smashed chicken necks and they do a pretty good job with them, they cannot fully eat them at that age but they start and develop their head, jaw & front muscles quicker when given them. They are fully weaned and eating bones with no issues btwn 4 & 5 weeks. I wouldn't have an 8 wk old drinking from mum still. Not good for the bitch and you are compromising his vaccinations by doing this as well. If he isn't eating properly I would be removing access to mum & checking digestion / stomach for any issues. Our breed is a much larger breed though and this is what we do for them - toys could be totally different. no he is eating properly he eats like a horse just licks the food doesn't try to chomp it, that was until yesterday when i didn't mush his food this time i cut it up (puppy food) and also cut up some steak very small. he attempted to grab it but didn't quite know what to do. feed him and mum separately ofcourse, mum's bit of a guts when it comes to food. then fed her in with him and he goes straight for her food and pushes her out the way and grabs big bits of meat and was eating it! so my concerns are probably being too picky and worrying for nothing. he will get there i think. it will just take a bit more time more than the others in the past. ETA: chloe was so good with him, she never growls at her pups she just let him hog the whole bowl an 8 week old puppy, and then just looked up at me. his dad is like this, he likes his food too, his dad would eat all day if you allowed him. seems to be a dead ringer for his dad. yes toys are totally different to larger breeds. chihuahuas a bit more delicate, every litter is different with new challenges. Edited May 19, 2011 by toy dog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toy dog Posted May 19, 2011 Author Share Posted May 19, 2011 I start my pug puppies at 6-8 weeks on chicken necks, they dont really do the meaty bones. They lick the necks till they get the hang of them, and then they are fine, so by the time they go to their homes they are having about 3-4 a week. At this age they learn to put their foot on one end of the neck. Once I wean it is a total stopping of mum feeding them...otherwise Pug puppies would not eat solids at all, they are so stubborn. I think once you take mum away totally from your guy he will be much more eager to eat. yes totally agree will separating starting from this week. chihuahuas dont' take too kindly to being left on their own when pups, they like company. this little guy is ruling the roost it is really hard not to spoil him he is so very cute, hency why he will be named "toy boy".... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stolzseinrotts Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 Bones are introduced at 3 weeks of age for the pups to get a taste of them, they tend to suck on them at this age but soon learn what they need to do with them over the week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toy dog Posted May 19, 2011 Author Share Posted May 19, 2011 If he is very tiny ..and is disinclined to chew ..perhaps he has a problem . If, when he suckled from Mum , he got 'just' enough milk to live on, but not to grow on ? his jaws or muscles may not have allowed him to suckle as much as he needed? What else does he eat? Mince? kibble? chewy toys? Does he lap water/milk ok? vet will be checking him out today so i will be mentioning all this to him see what he thinks. i have a very good vet on hand. he is very tiny because sometimes we get very smallish pups with chihuahuas - smaller than usual but still strong and healthy, sometimes breeders get tiny ones that don't do as good as the rest of the litter so need extra help like hand raising etc. he has a very short back this is what is making him look tiny too. short backs are good in the breed, i am just use to seeing a longer back and bigger dogs. he is on puppy food at the moment with a bit of chicken mince that the adults eat mixed in with some steak, vegies etc. etc. i will be trying to introduce pigs ears later on. he does play with toys i've left in the pen if i muck around with him for a while. and i notice the ball moves alot. he loves milk (i give them lactose free milk) and i've seen him lap water yes. sometimes - this breed can be a bit slow off the mark bit different and very challenging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toy dog Posted May 19, 2011 Author Share Posted May 19, 2011 (edited) Bones are introduced at 3 weeks of age for the pups to get a taste of them, they tend to suck on them at this age but soon learn what they need to do with them over the week. i can't remember exactly but the last litter of 3 i had i did introduce bones very early, pigs ears and meaty chuck bones i think about 5 weeks maybe 6 weeks. that litter is now 18 months old half sisters and brothers to this one now. same mum. they took to the bones very easily, grabbed onto them straight away whereas this one just sniffs it and walks away as if to say to me, what the heck are you giving me mum? funny little buggar. i only got one in the litter this time. so perhaps im fussing over him a bit too much :D Edited May 19, 2011 by toy dog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andisa Posted May 20, 2011 Share Posted May 20, 2011 (edited) I start my pug puppies at 6-8 weeks on chicken necks, they dont really do the meaty bones. They lick the necks till they get the hang of them, and then they are fine, so by the time they go to their homes they are having about 3-4 a week. At this age they learn to put their foot on one end of the neck. Once I wean it is a total stopping of mum feeding them...otherwise Pug puppies would not eat solids at all, they are so stubborn. I think once you take mum away totally from your guy he will be much more eager to eat. yes totally agree will separating starting from this week. chihuahuas dont' take too kindly to being left on their own when pups, they like company. this little guy is ruling the roost it is really hard not to spoil him he is so very cute, hency why he will be named "toy boy".... toy dog - my pug boy from the single litter was a very spoilt little bugger, being a singleton I suppose it is bound to happen . He took to food pretty well, he was hand raised so didn't have the luxury of having mum on tap keeping him full (em c section and no milk). Her first litter of 5 were lucky and she had too much milk so I did as Sharon said above - removed mum so they were looking for food. They were lazy little buggers and would have been around 5 1/2 - 6 weeks old before they showed any real interest in fending for themselves but once they did, they were very happy babies. I find the Rotties are looking for food and bones from around 3 - 4 weeks old but the puggies are not in any hurry if mum has plenty. Edited May 20, 2011 by Andisa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prydenjoy Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 Good topic, i myself was wondering when to introduce bones Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakway Posted May 21, 2011 Share Posted May 21, 2011 If it's any help I start Whippets off at 6 weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mystiqview Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 I introduce bones as early as I can. between 4-6 weeks. I start off with chicken necks, cut in half or so, so they do not try to swallow the whole thing. I will keep generally with chicken until about 7-8 weeks where I will introduce lamb brisket. Maybe some beef brisket around 12-16 weeks when they start to lose their front baby teeth. I don't introduce hard bones until 6 months or until they get their adult canines. Found if you introduce hard bones too early, they have a greater chance of breaking their baby canines. (That is not to say, they don't break them chewing something ELSE they shouldn't). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toy dog Posted May 29, 2011 Author Share Posted May 29, 2011 (edited) Our puppies get their first bones at 3 weeks - slightly smashed chicken necks and they do a pretty good job with them, they cannot fully eat them at that age but they start and develop their head, jaw & front muscles quicker when given them. They are fully weaned and eating bones with no issues btwn 4 & 5 weeks. I wouldn't have an 8 wk old drinking from mum still. Not good for the bitch and you are compromising his vaccinations by doing this as well. If he isn't eating properly I would be removing access to mum & checking digestion / stomach for any issues. Our breed is a much larger breed though and this is what we do for them - toys could be totally different. thanks for everyone's response, i've also asked other breeders of chihuahuas to see what they do too. we've been with this breed for 26 years now but there is always something different that presents itself with this breed. this little puppy has not been 100% right from the word go and he started having seizures last week where i had to rush him to the vets. he was burning up so we don't know if was low blood sugar puppy, had a trauma to his head or ate something but the vet did say that he thinks his nervous system is not 100% correct. so i had to keep dropper feeding him all through the night and had the vets tell me he is going to die if i don't put him on a drip and i have no choice!!! but meanwhile said i'd have to leave him in the vets overnight on his own as they don't have staff to attend to dogs overnight!!! with chihuahuas they panic if left in with strangers as tehy look for you and start a panic i could see he would fit even more because seizures can be brought on by too much stress as well as overheating (which he was doing he was 40.1) so the vet gave him a big injection for antibiotics just incase it was an infection and he screamed the house down and was very uncomfortable afterwards then an hour later was going into a seizure so i suspect the stress of that may have played a little part. he is now on liquid clavulox that i dropper feed to him twice a day. he is very tiny as normally with chis they continue to grow but he has stopped as the small ones often tend to do about 8-10 weeks of age and then it becomes apparent they are going to be tiny. chi puppies are tiny anyway but this one is abnormally tiny. rang my friend who has been in chihuahuas for a lot longer than us and deals with puppies just like this one and is very good nursing them back to health and i am to put him on nutrigel which stimulates their appetite and also if low blood sugar levels will help with that. my friend had a chihuahua that she sold who apparently got dropped on his head and was going into fits and is now a little bit brain damaged, the vets told her to put the puppy down but she perservered and now the puppy is a happy little boy and getting better every day. she worked very hard with this puppy at the moment he is doing well despite the vets telling me he is going to die! if not put on drip so i kept giving him 2 mls of honey water every hour and he pulled through now he is back to his old self running around with his little tail up all happy. this puppy is not normal hence why he is not chewing on things just licking but still gets enough in to survive. didn't eat for a day and lost all his puppy fat but now slowly putting it back on. so that was our drama on monday with this little one. my boss was not too happy that i had to take 2 days off work to tend to my baby but thems the breaks when you have sick children. cheers TOY DOG Edited May 29, 2011 by toy dog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mini girl Posted May 29, 2011 Share Posted May 29, 2011 Good luck with the little guy hope all comes good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toy dog Posted May 29, 2011 Author Share Posted May 29, 2011 Good luck with the little guy hope all comes good. thanks mini girl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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