Question for those that breed. Abandoned puppies.

[chelstfrox]

I picked up 5 abandoned 4 week old puppies for a rescue. They were in front of a apartments office building in a box. So there is no way of reuniting them with their mom. I have taken care of puppies before but these guys were only 3 weeks when they came. I just made a new set up (as they weren't moving around much at first) I have a crate for bed area, 5ft by 2 1/2 ft potty area about 5in from crate and a play area on the other side. Set up pretty much like any misty method type pen. The problem is they have most of their teeth, are eating softened food very well, pawing things and walking around and otherwise seem on Track expect for the potty area. I've tried paper and covering up stool so they smell it but they all just slide around in it if I don't see it right away. I closed off the play area until they start using the potty area. I also put in wood shaving as the poop doesn't slide around if they walk on it as much and I can cover with more shaving to keep smell there. At this age what are peoples experiences. I don't mind cleaning the mess but am trying to set them up for success. They just seem to wonder around walking through it without a care. I'm changing the bed area 2 times a day to keep it clean but am afriad they are falling behind in the bathroom understanding. Any helpful hints or advice. Again I am fine with cleaning them up etc but want to do the best I can in getting them ready. I put them in after eating and waking up etc.

[jvw]

It has been a very long time since I have taken care of a litter of puppies, but as I recall they had no concept of "bathroom understanding" until they went to their homes individually, or were separated.

[G. Festerling]

I have found, that no matter if they are rescues or homeraised pups..., they are messy. Simple as that. But at the age where they start getting up every time they see someone, I had set ups, where I would scoop them up and put them out. My house has very low windows and I had set up a fence outside. That enclosure had shavings and was kept clean. So I would scoop them up and stick them out before they ever got to lower their little bums. Why the window? Because it was faster and allowed me to get most of them out in time. This was done as soon as they started moving around to poo. Not expecting them to understand at that age but to create a habit. I suppose it is kind of imprinting. They would still mess up their places in the house. But I did find, that I often had the pups almost house trained by they time they got adopted or went to their new homes. One thing about that though...I did live alone back then and there was little happening as far as a lot of people walking up to them. So I was somewhat in control over the scooping them up and getting them out.

[chelstfrox]

So overnight you just cleaned them up in the morning? I don't have the same set up sounds like you had a good method though.

[Liz P]

Hm. I litterbox train and begin the house breaking process for my pups before they leave. At 4 weeks old I put potty boxes filled with equine bedding in their pens. These take up almost the entire pen, minus the bed. At that age they start to not want to potty on their bedding. If they do make a mess outside of the potty boxes, I clean it up ASAP. If I am at work I have someone stop by every 4 hours to do this for me. At 5 weeks old they start to go outside to explore if the weather is decent. By 6 weeks old they are preferentially going potty in the boxes or outside, but will often not make it to the box in time. By 7 weeks they are trying to hold it to go outside and there are very few accidents outside the boxes.

 

It does take more work than just cleaning their pen twice a dog to train them this way, but I find them easier to house break and it keeps them cleaner.

[chelstfrox]

Yeah I've been puting them in when they wake up and not letting them play etc till they go. After they eat and then I hang around to catch them when they wake about an hour after eating. I can't catch them while at work. They are alone about 4 hours then feed lunch and in the litter box then about 3 more hours and overnight I get up twice but still there is smeared poop all over. I just don't think they are coordinated enough yet. I won't worry to much about it. It's just the smearing it all over everything that gets frustrating. Haha. Wood shavings help some if they go in the box.

[Mom of Mya]

Would it be easier to put potty pads down? Then you could just throw those away and put fresh down. They have the kind with a circle in the middle that they say draw dogs to them to go potty on, I have not used them just what I heard. I have never raised a litter of pups so don't know. Thank you for taking them in.

[G. Festerling]

Being that they were in my room, if they made a bunch of noise overnight (I am a light sleeper so it never takes much), I would set them out as well. So as time went by, it all got to be routine.

I did however never set up a potty area inside. Partially because at the time, I worked from home. So schedules were fairly easy.

[Pam Wolf]

I am lucky and have a puppy pen in the house that has a doggie door in a sliding door so my pups go outside on their own fairly young. But I like Liz's method of litterbox training the pups.