Boston terrior

Question
I have 3 Boston Terriers.Miss Beans 3yrs in July .Male Buddy 4 in September and Miss Molly 2 in November. Miss Molly just had her 1st litter 14 days ago mom and pups doing fine she had 1 girl and 2 boys ( 1 male died at birth) !. question when to start the puppies on food and what kind do you recommend? 2. question we would like to keep both pups. Should we worry about two males in the house? 3.Miss Beans can't seem to get pregnant her cycle is every 6 months. We skip the 1st two cycles as suggested she and Buddy do the dance but never seem to lock to complete the act any suggestions?

Answer
Hi Cindy,  Usually at around 4 weeks of age, when the puppies get their teeth and begin biting and scratching, the mother will begin to loose desire in feeding them.  When this happens, you will need to begin the weaning process.

It is best to have a postage scale, or some other type of scale handy to weigh the puppies.  Weigh the puppies each day at the same time, and record the weight of each puppy in a note book.  This is basically the only way you can tell if the puppies are getting enough nourishment.  If they are gaining weight, or at least staying the same weight each day, then all is well.  If they are not gaining weight, then you might have to suppliment their meals with hand bottle feedings.  There are several good Puppy Weaning formulas on the market that you can purchase if bottle feeds are necessary.

Begin the weaning process by making what I call "puppy chow" by selecting whatever type of dry puppy dog food you prefer. Use a food processor to chop up the dry food into a course powder.  Add enough water to the powder to create a oatmeal consistency.  Pour the puppy chow into a paper plate and place on the floor.  Dip your finger into the puppy chow and then place it to the mouth of each puppy.  This is usually all it takes.  Once the puppies get a taste of the food they will begin to eat on their own.  

Now is the time to offer the puppies clean drinking water.  Have a bowl of water available in their area at all times.  Feed the puppies the puppy chow mixture three times per day and allow them to nurse whenever the mother will allow. Between now and 8 weeks of age, you will continue to add less and less water to the puppy chow until the puppies are eventually eating the dry puppy food without any added water.

I have had problems with having two males dogs (ones that are not neutered) around when a female dog goes into heat- they tend to fight.  Now I only have one male and three females.

Good luck, and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have additional questions.