Movin' On Up

My pups are now a month old. Can you believe it? Yesterday we moved them out of the whelping box and into a more spacious ex-pen so that they have lots of room to romp and play. As you can see, the move wasn't too hard on them and they find their new accommodations quite comfy. The ex-pen has a raised gate that allows me to come and go, but keeps the pups safe inside. They even have a cardboard box to hide out in. Who could ask for anything more? And there's a little puppy bed in case they do. And toys. Lots of toys. The kids are now noticing and playing with their toys. Although they find the edge of the box just as interesting. In a couple weeks we will move the ex-pen downstairs and add some panels to make it even larger. It will grow as the pups grow. And downstairs it will have easy access to the backyard so I can try to get them thinking about the great outdoors as a great big toilet. We'll see!

You probably know that during housetraining it’s helpful to confine the pups to a small area with hard flooring while you are at home. You can use a gate or, if you can’t use a gate to confine your pup to, say, the kitchen, you may want to buy an ex-pen. You can put a vinyl flooring remnant (usually readily available at stores such as Lowes or Home Depot) under the ex-pen if you have carpet. JB Pet Wholesale has relatively inexpensive ex-pens (www.jbpet.com) that can be expanded with add-on panels.

At night and when you must leave your pup for any period, I recommend that you remove their ID collar and place them in their crate. It is unlikely that they will have an accident in their crate. Immediately take your pup outside upon releasing them from their crate and allow them the opportunity to relieve themselves. I find this crate training to be highly effective in house training my pups. The crate is also a safe and secure refuge for your pet and they are likely to feel more secure confined in their crate when you must leave them alone.

Either a vari kennel type airline crate or a wire crate will do. My parents like the wire at home and at shows when the weather is hot. The airline crate is safer for travel in a vehicle and some dogs prefer them as they make them feel safe. I use a wire crate, the Midwest Lifestages 1630 (30” x 21” x 24”).

Despite all this serious business I did get outside today to shoot this video. Angus and Roxie are definitely ready for their close ups Mr. De Mille.