Hi, I have a litter of 4 1/2 wk old rottie pups and they are totally weaned from the mom, eating mushy lg breed puppy food 4 times a day. My question is how do i know when to start making the food more coarse.
Thanks
Tazzy

Hi TAZZY
IMHO...don't be in a rush to give it dry..sometimes pups eat too much and the food swells in theirs tummies/ this can be disasterous.
I usually start off treating them with dry food which you could do now, call them to you and give a few nuggats of the complete food you use, so you are in control of how much they get, it's good to get their little teeth working too..
I don't usually give completely dry feed until the pups are about 9 weeks of age..other may do different as we all do.
Tracey

I start with giving a small dish of just the dry feed when they go to bed. this is in the vain hope of keeeping the little darlings quiet for a few minutes when they wake up, long enough to roll up the pooey paper before they tread through it in order to stcik their now pooey feet on my face!

I often make up a littkle less moistened food than normal, nad give them a little dry food at the end of their meal, so they can have somethinghard t clean off their teeth.

With the wet food I gradually make it less wet, so that eventually they are getting it dry with just some water splashed on, but not given time to really soak.

I'm sure as with anything hard i have to worry about them choking on the dry food, right? I know i just don't go straight from the mush to the hard, i need to mix it gradually right?These pups are now devouring the food i put down for them. This is the reason why i ask when is the right time:) Puppies are wonderful....
thanks for you responses
tazzy