Crate Training

I wanted to write a post about crates and how they are used.  Some people buy a hard shell crate for their puppy.  Those are perfect for air travel, or for trips to the veterinary.  For everyday use a wire crate works great in the house.  Here is the best size for a Miniature Schnoodle.....

Buy a wire crate that measures 20" wide x 20 " tall x 24 long.   

This is the size that Dixie has used all her life....and she still fits in it great.  

The wire crate is a doggy's den.

I would not own a puppy if I did not first buy a crate.  They are that indispensable. It is best to introduce a crate early in life....and use them properly.  Never lock a puppy in a crate all day long.  That is cruel.  Never lock a puppy in a crate, longer than he can hold his bladder.  That is also cruel .....and will teach him to soil his sleeping quarters.  DO use a crate for sleeping at night, for nap time in the day, or for limited periods of time that your puppy needs to be out from underfoot.  The crate is indispensable for potty training a puppy to the outdoors.

I definitely wanted our litter of puppies to be comfortable in a dog crate before they went to their new home.   To do this, I attached Dixie's crate to the Puppy pen and draped a blanket over it.  The wire pen easily attaches to the sides of the wire crate with clips.  (no puppies can escape and it is quite secure)   Inside I put the carpets and blankets.   I knew the pups would enjoy their new 'den' space.   The puppies IMMEDIATELY went in and started using the wire crate as their preferred sleeping place.  Dogs love crates as long as you introduce them early.  They feel secure in an enclosed area...that is why I drape a blanket over it.

We moved our puppies to our basement as soon as the weather got hot.

We keep our wire dog crate open to the play area.   The puppies are NOT locked up in there (except when we need to clean the pen).

You will do well to also use a crate as your puppies sleeping quarters.   Put the crate in your room, so you can hear him if he whines to use the potty.   If the litter box is nearby it will be easy enough to take your puppy to his indoor potty spot at night time.  Your puppy WILL need to use the potty once during the night for several months.  If you have a master bathroom, you could put the open crate and the litter box in your bathroom.  Then put a puppy gate in the door way.  That way your puppy is close to you, but  still has access to his litter box at night without waking you up.   I have known some families to have an upstairs litter box and a downstairs litter box.

Puppy's love their wire crate 'den'!

If a service worker or guests comes to your house, you will have a safe place to keep your puppy.  When you want to train your puppy to potty outside you can close the puppy in his crate during his nap time.   Then when the nap time is done, you can take him outside to use the potty right away.   This is the best way to potty train a puppy.  (I will send home a sample potty training schedule)

Dixie has had her crate since she was a puppy and we still use it today!   It comes in very handy when we need to keep our dogs away from repair men...or little kids who are nervous with dogs.   They love to sleep in their crate at night...it is their very own space.

Where to find Dog Litter pans

 A few of you have commented that you are unable to find the Dog Litter pans in Petco.    It appears that they have been discontinued in stores.   There is a very small stock remaining on the shelves and some stores may have one if you are lucky.  But certainly call ahead, as it seems most stores have run out.

I have to wonder why they are discontinued.  The product itself has received very high reviews on their store website.  Additionally dog litter training in general has also been very highly encouraged by all the breeders who are using them on the internet.   I wonder if so few people know about it, that it was not profitable for the pet stores to keep such a bulky item on their shelf.

If you were not able to find one by now, it may be time to be innovative.   All they are is a plastic box with one side that is very low to the ground ( a 2 1/2 inch lip )  The low side is really important, since the puppy needs to be able to get into it very easily.  The other 3 sides measure 7" high.  The box itself is a rounded rectangle that measures   23" x 20"  .

What I would recommend that you do is to get a Rubbermaid or Sterlite container with low sides and a similar rectangular size.  Here is one online box that would work well ...but I see it is a set of 6. 

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sterilite-10-Gallon-Stacker-Storage-Bins-Nickel-Driftwood-Set-of-6/17164519

Perhaps the local Walmart store sells them individually.  The size works well as they measure 25.75"L x 18.37"W x 7.13"H
But for this box to work, you would have to cut down one side leaving a 2 1/2" lip.  That allows puppy to EASILY enter, and litter does not fall out.

One man on the internet, commented that he was able to cut down the side with a utility knife.  He got it hot to make it go more smoothly.

"Sterilite boxes from Walmart, Lowes, or Home Depot work fine. You just have to get one of the low sided ones. I make the ones we start puppies in out of a Sterilite box. I cut one side down to a height that we want with a utility knife blade clamped in ViseGrips, heated up red hot with a propane torch-don't do this inside....."    Tom King


Here is an blog post I found from a breeder who used a cat litter box.   Perhaps some of her ideas would be helpful to some of you  ..... http://www.kturby.com/litter/litter.htm

I hope that is helpful to some of you.   

Supply List for your New Puppy

I have compiled the following list to help you prepare for your new puppy.  I hope it helps your shopping!

Stainless steel bowls -- I like the rubber on the bottom and wide base, so they don't tip over.

Puppy food --- The puppies are eating California Naturals Puppy Food available at 360 Pet supply on Rt 3 (Right down the road from my house).  Here is the web address where you can check to see if you can find a supplier near you.  http://www.californianaturalpet.com You need to keep your puppy on this same food, and after the first week you can switch gradually to the brand of your choice.  I do recommend a high quality natural food.  Do your research as there are many dog food that have problems and end up being recalled.  

Leash- Your puppy will not be familiar with a leash, so introduce it slowly.

Collar - buy an inexpensive toy sized collar.  Your puppy will outgrow it quickly.

Dog tag -  Always keep a dog tag on your puppies collar.
Talk to your vet about Micro chipping your puppy as well.

Crate --- Pictured below is a hard shell crate.  You may prefer a wire crate.  We use both.  (I will include a pic of the wire crate later) This is essential for keeping your puppy safe when you cannot watch him.  A puppy who is familiar with a crate, feels secure in his crate.  It is not a prison.  You should not leave your  new puppy in a crate for more than a few hours ---do not leave your adult dog in a crate all day.  Ir is cruel and you will have behavior problems.

 Litter pan -  The Litter pan pictured below is the best!  This is what the puppies are currently using.  I found mine at Petco.($14)  Get a size Medium.  Do NOT buy a cat litter box!  The dog litter box is roomy enough for your dog to circle around, and it has a low lip so the puppy can enter in and out without a barrier to detour him.

Petco contour dog litter pan (size medium)

Puppy Litter: The puppies will be using Wood Pellets for litter while they are at my house.  I found the Wood pellets at a Wood Stove Supplier nearby.  When you take your puppy home it will be easiest for your puppy (to avoid confusion) if you start with the same litter and transition to Dog litter.   If you cannot find Wood Pellets then ask me to have a bag ready for you at Pick up time.  ($12 for 40 lbs)  You can use this first bag to transition your puppy to Second Nature Dog Litter ($15 for 12lbs)  from Petco.  Wood Pellets dissolve to saw dust with moisture...Second nature are pellets made from paper. 

Wood Pellets

Second Nature Dog Litter

Grooming supplies  A slicker comb, and Curved blade scissors are most important to begin with.  The puppies need to have their fur brushed regularly.  They also need the fur trimmed at the corners of their eyes, the pads of their feet, and at their anus.  The curved blade is important for safety near the eyes.

slicker brush

curved blade scissors

Puppy Book -  Puppies for Dummies -  Don't get me wrong.  I don't think you all are dummies.  But it is always great to take a refresher course on puppy rearing.  By reading these tips, you will set yourself up for success from the beginning!

Small soft toys ---small tiny balls --- soft chew toys.  Buy toys suitable for toy breeds.   Don't buy hard toys like Kongs, that are suited to a Border Collie...your puppy won't like them.

Whether or not you need the following items depend on your living situation.

Puppy gates

Puppy pen

Dog water bottle -We are using this in our puppy pen because the puppies knock over a water dish.  This will also attach to a puppies crate door. 

Whelping Pads...Newborn puppy bedding

I wanted to share a lovely product that is great for puppy bedding especially newborns.  They are called 'whelping pads' and they are soft and absorbent on one side and waterproof on the back side.  This is really great for us, since my puppy pen is on our carpet.  They are easily washed so I can replace the pads daily, and they come in multiple sizes so they fit our little pen perfectly.   It is super important that a breeder put the right product under the puppies.  I forgot where I had stored my whelping pads from last year, so  I tried using a plastic sheet with a blanket on top as a temporary measure, but it made me really nervous because Dixie would scratch the floor and put holes in the plastic.  If a puppy got under the plastic, it would easily lead to suffocation.  So that is really not a safe option.  I went ahead and ordered a few more pads, and then I found the old pads (LOL!)

After placing the puppy pad on the carpet, I threw a little blanket in the corner for Dixie.  This gives her something to push around and sleep on...and she doesn't scratch the floor anymore. 

This photo shows the top and bottom side of the whelping pad.  They also come in light blue.

The brown side of the pad, is absorbent, and the white side is waterproof.  We can wash them hundreds of times and they hold up well.  These also work well for puppy pea pads when puppies get older.  I like to put this under our puppy litter box, for those pups that have an accident before they get to the box.

You can buy these pads in multiple sizes at http://www.ezwhelp.com/AboutWhelpingPads.htm.   I foudn the exact same product (by the same manufacturer) on Amazon.com.  I didn't pay any extra....and I got free shipping!   This is the exact size of our pen and the edges fit under the plastic walls.

Here is another photo of our puppy pen.  I love this pen, since it is the perfect size for the corner...and for Dixie and her pups.  Dixie can actually jump in and out when she wants to.  But I like to keep the door open for Dixie ....when I am around to keep an eye on things.  The puppies are not mobile enough to climb over the 2" lip on the door frame.  

The children now understand that they can't touch the puppies without permission. ....and Dixie helps to enforce that.  She will let out a very stern bark at the kids if they go too close.  She will even jump up and push them back.  The kids take this very  seriously, since she normally is very friendly to them.

Look how quickly these puppies are growing!

 This is Dixie with a vigilant look.  My husband just drove up the drive way, and she is very concerned as to who is coming to the house.
 
We keep a full bowl of food and water outside the pen for Dixie at all times.  She eats and drinks a lot when she is nursing.  I have never noticed any extra weight gain, so I let her eat as much as she needs to.

I usually don't have the camera in hand at the right time. But it is always funny to see the various positions these puppies will eat in.

Puppy Supply List

It only a few weeks away for the puppies to go to their new homes.  Here is a suggestion of things to have on hand:

Collar  -  puppies necks measure 6 1/2 " but they are still growing fast, so get a collar that is adjustable

Dog tag - get a dog tag with your address and your phone number clearly displayed


Leash-  have a few on hand.  Inexpensive ones are found at Dollar stores and Walmart

Food- I will send a small bag of California Natural, just enough to transition to your own brand.

Water bowl - get a low sturdy bowl.  Pups knock them over very easily.

Crate- highly recommended to keep your puppy safe and also useful for potty training

Blanket  -a soft old blanket works just fine. Don't spend too much since pups go through a chewing stage.

Toys and balls - small soft toys are best.  Hard rubber is better for larger breeds.

Brush -  I soft brush will get your puppy use to being groomed at an early age.

Puppy training book - Check the library.  I liked 'How to Teach a New Dog Old Tricks' by Ian Dunbar.

From veterinary:

Micro-chip - ask your vet about it when you get the shots.  I think it is definitely worthwhile.

Frontline- flea prevention

Heartworm - protects against Heartworm disease by prescription