Raising A Litter Of Puppies During Winter

[Baileys mum]

Hi everyone,

My litter of puppies are now 4.5 weeks & are becoming very active.

I have moved them out of the whelping box & into a much larger puppy pen,filled it full of toys & cosy blankets, they now have room to stretch their little legs & they absolutely love it. Most of them are also starting to grasp the concept of doing their poos & wees on the newspaper in the pen.

They also get lots of one on one time with us outside of the pen, but I am now starting to worry that they might need to experience some outside time too & learn to wee & poo on the grass.

My hubby is going make a fenced in puppy yard on on the lawn, so we can let them run around outside a couple of times a day, but I worry that it might be too cold for them at this time of year. (we live in the Pentland hills in Vic outer west & it can get cold here.

Will it be harmful for them to let them out for short periods of time, when the sun comes out, or should I just forget about it all together.?

Just wondering what other breeders do when they have winter litters?

Thanks ;)

Nicole.

[Cockerlover]

I let my babies out whenit sunny ,but only for short periods of time ,as long as they r free from draught they should be ok .

[Vonasche]

My litter is now 6 weeks old, but they have been spending their days outside since 5 weeks of age. They are in an undercover area, have kennels for shelter and warmth if needed. They enjoy running at full speed through their tunnel in the rain.

As long as they have an area to escape the elements (wind, rain, sun) they should be fine.

[Joan of Arc]

Put them outside after frosts etc have lifted, in ayard with a kennel for protection - feed them out there, next to the kennel and they will soon learn to head towards the kennel. Bring them in before the cold air settles but as they get older you can leave them out for longer and longer.

[Wilderblu]

Yeh I also let my pups in an outside run when they around 5 weeks old. In SA it is freezing here at night and not much better during the day but the pups still romp around playing in puddles when it's raining and all go into there shed via a doggy door when they have had enough or at night time. As long as they have a nice warm place to get when they need to I think it is good for them to experience all weathers.

I have people coming to pick pups up this weekend and I'm bringing them inside 2 by 2 for baths! Oh what fun trying to keep them clean before the new owners arrive!! :D

[WreckitWhippet]

I have a large garden shed with one side removed and meshed so they can go outside and sit in the sun. It has a kennel in there with warm blanket so they can curl up together and stay warm if they need to. That's from about 4-6 weeks. After six weeks they are then free to explore their puppy yard all day every day and they can retreat to the shed and kennel if they need to.

[becks]

Mine stay indoors in winter with just a short 5 or 10 mins outside from about 6 weeks old to have an explore and play after a meal. I feed them in the kitchen and then shoo them out the back door for a bit.

[Bilbo Baggins]

I give them sort runs in the middle of the day. As I work that means it probably on my morning off and the weekend.

[Christina]

Everyone is different & depends on the breed. My tiny ones don't go out so young. About 6 weeks in winter for a few minutes or a walk around the garden carried if its awful, just so they get the change of scene & used to it, they can charge around the house. I would not leave young pups out in this weather. At 4.5 weeks they are fine inside for now.

[Baileys mum]

Thanks everyone,

I think I might wait until they are atleast 6 weeks old, & then I will start letting them go outside for short periods when the sun is out, in the meantime they are very happy to still have their play sessions in the family room.