Chapter 4 - HOUSING - PUPPIES

TABLE OF CONTENTS

HOUSING BOTTLE BABIES – BIRTH TO 3 WEEKS

Chapter 4 - HOUSING - PUPPIES

If you have not done so, please read Whelping, Basic Rules of Housing.

HOUSING BOTTLE BABIES – BIRTH TO 3 WEEKS

Housing Options

Unless you’re feeding a large number of puppies, you can normally keep puppies in containers that are not much larger than the puppies themselves. At least for the first few weeks. Small spaces are perfectly adequate for housing and often best to help keep puppies confined and warm.

Options for containment include but are not limited to a bathtub, plastic or rubber storage tub (Figure 8), a small dog cage or crate (Figure 9), a critter cage (Figure 11). Of course, an incubator is a wonderful tool to have but not everyone is going to invest in an incubator for fostering. But Figure 12 and 13 are two models that I’ve used and can recommend.

Figure 9: Storage Tub Figure 10: Dog Cage Figure 11: Critter Cage

Figure 12: Brinsea Incubator Figure 13: Curadle Pet Brooder Incubator

Whatever you choose to use, it is important to consider whether or not it can:

Safely keep the puppies contained. It needs to be sturdy enough, with sides high enough, and if using a wire crate or cage ensure that bars or holes are small enough that a puppy could not squeeze through.
Be cleaned and sanitized. You will need to clean and bleach the container often. So it should be made of materials that will not absorb odors, germs and not be harmed by cleaning and bleach.
Keep the puppies warm within container. Wire crates and cages can be used but keep in mind they do allow drafts and they don’t hold in the heat like closed containers.

Convenience can be important if you are going to need to take the puppies with you. A bathtub is great, except they’re not mobile. The same is true of incubators. While they aren’t heavy, they are bulky and not so easy to transport as a plastic tubs or small crates that are easy to clean, inexpensive and mobile.

Bedding

While the tendency is to create a deep fluffy bed for your tiny babies, keep in mind that newborn puppies can get caught up in soft cloth or folds of material. They may find themselves entangled and unable to breathe. So keep it simple. A light soft fleece blanket or a folded potty pad works well.

Newborns also will urinate and poop in their bedding. Using materials that wick moisture is advisable to help avoid urine burns on bellies, legs and paws.

Temperature Control

More important than the container itself or even the bedding is the absolute necessity to provide a warm enough environment for newborn puppies who are unable to regulate their body temperature from the time they are born until around 3 weeks of age. This topic is discussed in detail in the previous section Hypothermia but in general you will need to provide a source of heat for newborns through at least the third week to help them maintain their body temperatures.

You should also provide a way for them to move away from the heat. A practical and safe method is to place a heating pad in one half of the bottom of the chosen container.

Heating pads can be purchased that do not have auto-shut off features. I recommend those otherwise you’ll need to keep turning the pad back on every 2 hours.

HOUSING PUPPIES – 3 WEEKS AND BEYOND

General Discussion

By three weeks the puppies not only have opened their eyes, but they’ve begun moving about. Depending on whether they were bottle babies in a small tub or in a whelping box with mom, they may soon be outgrowing their first home and in need of a new one.

Unless you’re using a container with high sides or have toy puppies you may soon need to add a playpen, kennel, gate, or a room that can hold the puppies inside. But while they are starting to become more mobile, they’re still not ready for too much freedom.

The good news is at this age they have greater ability to maintain their body temperature, so temperature control is less important. You don’t want them too cold or too hot but whatever you’re comfortable in is probably good for them too.

Ideally environmental temperatures based on the age of the puppy are:

Wk 1: 84 - 89° F

Wk 2 & 3: 80 ° F

Wk 4: 69 - 75° F

Housing Options

Small breed puppies may still be fine in a tub or baby pool for several more weeks. Possibly through weaning if they are tiny. You may find a small room with a baby gate a good option for 2 or 3 puppies and/or small breed puppies.
A playpen, plastic or metal, set up preferably on a nonporous floor. A tarp, a piece of scrap linoleum (check with flooring stores for scraps), or playroom or garage floor matting that is water resistant can protect flooring.
Metal kennels meant for outside use are great in a garage or a basement where space permits. They come in different sizes, and heights and some are easy to disassemble and store away. A great investment if you intend to foster long term.
While puppies may be ready for more space, mom too may need more space soon. I install a divider that is high enough to keep puppies in but low enough to let mom out. I use ClosetMaid shelving cut down to size and use spring clips to attach to each side of the wire kennel.

Bedding & Zones

As puppies become stronger and more mobile, you can safely add more bedding if you want. Even small beds (they will likely chew them), blankets, toys, etc. They are less likely to get caught up in blankets and now have the strength and coordination to free themselves. I do avoid blankets with holes. Amazingly a puppy can somehow find a puppy head sized hole and get stuck in it very easily.

As the puppies develop, the use of paper potty pads can prove to be nothing but a chew toy and don’t provide much traction for mobile puppies. While more expensive, washable puppy pads are a great addition to the tool kit. They usually come with a waterproof backing, can be bleached, provide more traction, and aren’t easily destructible.

Around 4 or 5 weeks is the time you also should begin to create zones for them in their living quarters. Zones should be provided for:

Food/water
A potty area – puppy pads in that area
Sleeping zone – with beds or extra blankets
Play zone – where you can provide some safe toys

Temperature Control

Again, the temperature in their area can now be the same as your home and they should no longer need auxiliary warmth. But not too cold and not to warm. Just right.