Sleeping Puppy seems to be suckling?

by Katie Farrar
(England)

Hello I was wondering if you could Help.

My puppy is 8 weeks old and she is a mix between a border collie/labrador......Now when she is starting to fall asleep i lay next to her sometimes on my bed, she gently bites and gentle claws my stomach.

It looks like she is suckling, but then she gets agitated, i hope she wasn't taken too early from her mum :(





Hi Katie
The minimum age a pup should be removed from her canine family is 8 weeks, and if your pup has only just left her momma and littermates then she is old enough. If you've had her for several weeks then she probably did leave too early, but I wouldn't worry too much about that at this point as long as she's happy and healthy.

The kneading and nipping that you describe is most likely a left-over suckling action, some puppies continue to do this (as do kittens) especially if they've left their momma early. BUT, it's not something that will do her any harm and she'll grow out of it as she gets older.

Don't encourage it, but don't scold her either, it's a normal behavior that she just needs to outgrow. Hope this puts your mind at rest. Best of luck with your puppy.