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Puppy Weaning Schedule: Week by Week Printable Chart

November 11, 2026 • Dog Due Date Calculator Team • 10 min read • Newborn Puppy Care
A small brown dog eating from a white bowl on a wooden floor in a living room.

A puppy weaning schedule runs from 3 to 4 weeks, when the first gruel is offered, to 6 to 8 weeks, when most puppies are fully weaned and eating four solid meals a day. The schedule below is built from VCA's weaning guidance: gruel at 3.5 to 4.5 weeks, moisture reduced daily until the puppies eat with little or no moisture by 4 to 6 weeks, and four meals a day once fully weaned. Work out your litter's exact dates with the puppy weaning schedule calculator, then use the chart in this article as the day-to-day plan. Print it, stick it by the whelping box, and tick each stage off as the litter reaches it.

The full weaning schedule at a glance

Week Age in days Food Meals per day Nursing
3 21–27 First gruel: milk replacer and water, 50:50, in a flat saucer Offer 2–3 times a day; puppies lap when ready Main nutrition; mother starting to walk away
3–4 25–31 Gruel with a small amount of soaked puppy food mixed in 2–3 times a day Still main nutrition; first solid food at 3.5–4.5 weeks
4 28–34 Thicker gruel; canned or dry puppy food mixed with milk replacer 3–4 small meals a day Less often; puppies eat more solid food
5 35–41 Canned or dry puppy food with less moisture each day 4–6 small meals a day A few times a day, mostly for comfort
6 42–48 Solid puppy food with little or no moisture 4 meals a day Occasional; most litters fully weaned at 6–8 weeks
7 49–55 Solid puppy food, four meals a day 4 meals a day Rarely; some litters still comfort-nurse
8 56–62 Solid puppy food, four meals a day 4 meals a day Finished; fully weaned (some litters 8–10 weeks)
12 84 Puppy food, larger meals 3 meals a day —
16–24 112–168 Puppy food 2 meals a day by 4–6 months —

How to work out your litter's dates

The schedule above is in weeks, but a real litter needs dates. Use the birth date and add the days:

  1. Birth date: the day the puppies were born. Write it down.
  2. First gruel: birth date plus 21 days. That is the start of week 3, when teeth appear and weaning begins.
  3. First solid food in earnest: birth date plus 24 to 31 days (3.5 to 4.5 weeks).
  4. Little or no moisture: birth date plus 28 to 42 days (4 to 6 weeks).
  5. Fully weaned: birth date plus 42 to 56 days (6 to 8 weeks), or up to 70 days (10 weeks) for some litters.
  6. Three meals a day: birth date plus about 84 days (3 months).
  7. Two meals a day: birth date plus 4 to 6 months.

The puppy weaning schedule calculator does this arithmetic for you from the birth date or the mating date, and the dog due date calculator works out the due date before the litter arrives. Use the calculator for the dates, and this article for what to do on each date.

Week 3: first tastes (days 21 to 27)

What to offer: puppy milk replacer in a flat saucer. VCA Canada recommends a 50:50 mixture of milk replacer and water. Cow's milk and goat's milk should not be used. Goat's milk does not have enough protein or fat for a puppy.

How to offer it: put a little mixture on each puppy's nose, two or three times daily, until it starts lapping, usually within one to three days. Never hold a puppy's face down in the saucer. A puppy that has inhaled food can develop aspiration problems.

What to watch: the puppies' teeth. Weaning starts when the teeth come through, usually in the third or fourth week. Suckling starts to hurt the mother then, so she spends longer away from the box. If the puppies have no teeth yet, wait a few days and try again. If they have teeth and are lapping, move to the next stage.

Nursing: still the main nutrition. The mother is doing most of the feeding, and you are only introducing the idea of food.

Week 4: gruel and first real meals (days 28 to 34)

What to offer: gruel made from milk replacer with a little soaked puppy food stirred in. Next, offer canned or dry puppy food mixed with milk replacer. As the puppies lap at the liquid they will also ingest the food.

How to offer it: three to four small meals a day, in a flat saucer. The puppies' noses should be carefully dipped into the mixture two or three times per day until they begin to lap, which usually takes one to three days, according to VCA.

What to watch: weight. A healthy puppy adds about five to ten percent of its weight each day, and roughly doubles its birth weight within a week. Weigh daily on a kitchen scale through the whole weaning period, and use the puppy weight gain calculator to check each puppy against that rule. A puppy that stops gaining during weaning needs a vet call, not a change of food.

Nursing: less often. The mother is leaving the box for longer stretches, and the puppies are eating more solid food. This is normal. Do not separate the mother from the puppies to speed it up.

Week 5: solid food takes over (days 35 to 41)

What to offer: canned or dry puppy food with the moisture reduced daily. VCA's rule is to decrease the amount of milk replacer each day until the puppies eat the canned food with little or no moisture added, ideally at four to six weeks of age.

How to offer it: small amounts about four to six times a day, according to VCA Canada. By now the puppies should be lapping confidently and eating without help. Offer a shallow dish of clean water alongside the food.

What to watch: the mother. Weeks 3 to 5 are the peak risk window for eclampsia, or milk fever, because her milk production is at its highest. For the warning signs and what to do, see our guide to caring for a mother dog after giving birth.

Nursing: a few times a day, mostly for comfort. Solid food is now the main nutrition.

Week 6: mostly weaned (days 42 to 48)

What to offer: solid puppy food with little or no moisture added. The puppies should be eating canned or dry puppy food confidently by now.

How to offer it: about four meals a day once the puppies are fully weaned, according to VCA Canada. Feed a food made for puppies, and check for the AAFCO label on the bag or can. Food made for adult dogs does not meet a growing puppy's nutritional needs.

What to watch: the first vet visit. Puppies generally need to start their vaccination series between 6 and 8 weeks, and the first vaccination is often done while the puppies are still living with their mother. Ask your veterinarian when your puppies should be vaccinated and what the parasite check involves.

Nursing: occasional. Most litters are fully weaned at 6 to 8 weeks, though VCA Canada notes some take until 8 to 10 weeks. Some litters need a little longer, up to ten weeks. Call weaning done only when each puppy eats solid food confidently and keeps gaining weight without nursing.

Weeks 7 to 8: finished weaning (days 49 to 62)

What to offer: solid puppy food, four meals a day. No milk, milk replacer, cow's milk, or goat's milk is needed once a puppy eats solid food confidently.

How to offer it: four meals a day, with clean water always available. Keep the meals small and regular. Puppies that eat too much at once can get an upset stomach.

What to watch: behaviour and socialisation. VCA Canada advises keeping puppies with their mother and littermates until about 7 to 10 weeks of age, because that period is when they learn bite inhibition and normal dog behaviour. Nursing ending and leaving home are separate steps, and the second happens later.

Nursing: finished for most litters. If one puppy still tries to nurse at 8 weeks, let the mother decide; she will refuse when she is ready. If the whole litter is still nursing heavily at 8 weeks, check that every puppy is actually eating solid food well, and ask your vet if you are unsure.

After weaning: the feeding schedule to 6 months

Weaning ends, but the feeding schedule does not. VCA Canada's guidance after weaning:

Age Meals per day Notes
Fully weaned, about 8–10 weeks 4 Small meals of puppy food; water always available
3 months 3 Increase the quantity per meal and reduce the frequency
4–6 months 2 Most breeds progress to two meals a day by this age
Giant breeds More frequent until nearly 2 years Slow-maturing breeds may need more frequent feeding for longer

Different breeds develop at different rates, with small breeds like Chihuahuas maturing much faster than large breeds like Great Danes. Your veterinarian will recommend the best time to transition your puppy to two meals based on breed and individual needs.

Printable weaning schedule

Copy this table and stick it by the whelping box. Fill in your litter's birth date and the dates the calculator gives you.

Litter birth date: _______________

Stage Date Done?
First gruel offered (birth + 21 days) _______________ ☐
Puppies lapping confidently _______________ ☐
First solid food in earnest (birth + 24–31 days) _______________ ☐
Moisture reduced to little or none (birth + 28–42 days) _______________ ☐
Four meals a day (birth + 42 days) _______________ ☐
Fully weaned, eating solid food (birth + 42–56 days) _______________ ☐
First vet visit and vaccination series (6–8 weeks) _______________ ☐
Three meals a day (birth + 84 days) _______________ ☐
Two meals a day (birth + 4–6 months) _______________ ☐

Daily checks during weaning: weigh each puppy; check that every puppy eats; check the mother's teats for heat, hardness, or redness; check her discharge; watch for restlessness, panting, or stiff legs in the mother (weeks 3–5).

What can go wrong during weaning

Problem What you see What to do
Puppy will not lap Walks through the saucer, does not drink Try again tomorrow; dip the nose lightly 2–3 times a day; check for teeth
Puppy loses weight during weaning Weight flat or falling on the daily scale Vet the same day; do not wait to see if it improves
Puppy has diarrhoea Loose stools after a food change Check the food is not too rich or too sudden; if it continues more than a day, call the vet
Mother's teat hot, hard, red, painful Mastitis Vet the same day; do not let puppies nurse from that teat until advised
Mother restless, panting, trembling at 3–5 weeks Eclampsia Emergency vet now; stop puppies nursing
Puppy chokes or coughs while eating Food inhaled Let the puppy lap at its own pace; never push its face into the saucer

Related guides

Frequently asked questions

What is a normal puppy weaning schedule?

Gruel at 3 to 4 weeks, solid food in earnest at 3.5 to 4.5 weeks, little or no moisture by 4 to 6 weeks, and fully weaned at 6 to 8 weeks, with some litters taking until 8 to 10 weeks. After weaning, four meals a day, then three meals at 3 months and two meals by 4 to 6 months.

How many times a day should I feed weaning puppies?

Small amounts about four to six times a day during weaning, according to VCA Canada, then about four meals a day once fully weaned. By three months, three meals a day, and by four to six months, two meals a day for most breeds.

Can I wean puppies at 4 weeks?

Yes. Four weeks is squarely in the normal range. Most litters begin eating solid food at 3.5 to 4.5 weeks, and by four weeks they should be able to walk, run, and play, which means they can reach a saucer and lap from it.

What if my puppies are not weaned by 8 weeks?

Check that every puppy is actually eating solid food well and gaining weight. Some litters, particularly where the mother has a large milk supply, finish at 8 to 10 weeks. If a puppy at 8 weeks still depends on nursing and will not eat solid food, ask your vet.

Do I need to give puppies milk after weaning?

No. Once a puppy eats solid puppy food confidently, it does not need milk, milk replacer, cow's milk, or goat's milk. Give a puppy food made for growth, and put water down too.

Should I change the food during weaning?

No. Pick one good puppy food and stick with it through weaning. Changing food suddenly can upset a puppy's stomach. If you need to change food later, do it gradually over several days.

Next step: get your litter's exact dates

The schedule in this article is in weeks. Your litter needs dates. Use the puppy weaning schedule calculator to work out every stage from the birth date, the puppy weight gain calculator to check each puppy's daily gains through the transition, and the dog due date calculator to plan the next litter's due date. How to tell when to start, and what to feed first, is covered in our guide to when to wean puppies, and how long nursing itself lasts in how long puppies nurse.

This article is general information, not veterinary advice. If a puppy will not eat, is losing weight, or the mother seems unwell, call your veterinarian. Any calculator on this site gives an estimate only: it does not confirm pregnancy and it does not replace your vet's advice.

Sources

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