Weaning day varies with your type of dog breed. Larger Breeds develop teeth earlier than smaller breeds so mothers have a tendency to want them weaned earlier. I have a friend that breeds Great Danes, she weans as early as 2 to 3 weeks. My Shih Tzus start getting weaned at 4.2 weeks old and are totally weaned by 4.6 weeks.

Q . Why wean early? Most of us believe that pregnancy or giving birth is the factor that tires out our females. This is not so. Puppies nursing is what tires out a female, causes poor coat, and bad teeth with an emaciated look. By weaning earlier she will live longer and stay healthier. There is no excuse for your dog not living out its normal life span according to her breed; no matter how many litters she has had.

How to began weaning your litter of puppies.
Start by making up a smooth gruel puppy food. I will describe how I make the first food for puppies. I use Mighty dog ( because it smells ) and dry puppy food. Mix 1 teaspoon Mighty Dog with 1 cup of small bites kibble. I put in all in a blender, add water and blend till creamy. I introduce it to each puppy off my finger so they can lick it off. If the pup doesn't' attempt to gobble it up I wait a day and return it to its Mother. When a pup that licks it off my finger, then I give it a teaspoon of water and teach it to drink. If the pup licks the water then it moves to the weaning crate. I place a bowl of water and gruel on one side of the crate spaced at least the length of a puppy's body because puppies have a tendency to lay on one bowl while eating from another. Pups will walk into the bowls and get covered with food for a day or so. It gets really messy but it's part of breeding and it's kind of comical to watch.

First Day of Weaning
I will usually let the mother in to be with the puppies once a day to nurse them. And once again at night the first 24 hours of weaning.
Second day of Weaning
I will allow mom to nurse the pups an hour before bedtime. This is usually the last time she nurses her pups.
Care of the mother
Observing mom is extremely important at this time, keep an eye on her for Acute Metritis.
Bathing
This is usually the first time they get a bath.
Stool Check
This is a good time to check the pup's stools for a firm consistency. The stool should not have a bad odor or a mucus like appearance. If this is the case, then it is time to take the puppy into the vet for a fecal analysis. On my worms page, I teach you how to perform the fecal analysis if you own a microscope.