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where do you?

where do you guys let your females have pups? and what kind of bedding do you use?
In the past I have used a large dog house with a lift up top with hay, and had good luck with it. But I'm looking into doing other things.
I would really like to raise my next litter inside, just because I feel they get more attention and exposure that way, as well as its easier to keep their body temperature stabilized. So for those of you that raise them inside, what do you use for a "box" and bedding?

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Jealousy is the most honest compliment anyone can receive ~ L. Key
He who stirs the pot, deserves to lick the spoon.

I have a 6X8 room I made in my basement. Use shavings and have heated pet pads. I have a biy of a rise like a shelf about 4 inches high, so the mother can get a break if she needs. Also keep a light on, tends to keep the pups aware and curious when they get a couple weeks old.

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Dave Rude
Tru-Blu English
Home of Gr.Nt.Ch. Tru-Blu-Spike
Nt.Ch.ChKizmo's Tru-Blu Grit (MIA)
rudedogs99@hotmail.com
www.angelfire.com/oh5/trublu/trublu.html
http://www.acorn-creek.com/signatures/Grit.jpg

All my litters have been born and raised until about 4-6 wks in the living room.
I start with a small wading pool until the pups are moving around more, wanting to spread out, and/or going over the side...which usually happens by the time their eyes are starting to open. Then I switch to the large size wading pool until they're frequently going over the side of that one and starting to wrestle around with each other....which is usually around 3 weeks. At that time I reduce the size of their sleeping area by switching to a homemade wooden enclosure (3'x4'x11" high - no floor) so they have more room to play, can easily get to the food and water, and learn to go to the bathroom away from their bed. By then I'm also trying to get them outside during the day (weather permitting) and eventually transitioning them over to living in the kennel by 7-8 wks old.
To protect the floor in the house I put down a tarp with one of those cheap rolls of linoleum on top of that. I put 2 ex pens around everything and, when the pups are young, I drape a flannel sheet over and around the area where the bed is. I use a heat lamp or heating pad if needed.
In all 3 beds/boxes I buy one of those cheap foam mattress pad things and cut it to fit, then put it inside a zippered plastic mattress cover. I wrap that in a blanket or sheet. It makes the footing a little unsteady for the pups when they're learning to walk, but it also usually has enough cushioning and give that a strong pup can wiggle out if mom lays on it (and the round shape and flexible sides of the pools helps with that also).
Once the pups are in the wooden box and playing outside of the bed, I use kraft paper and pee pads on top of the linoleum to make clean-up a little easier. (I don't have access to newspapers or I'd use them instead.)

It's a VERY labor intensive way to raise a litter with lots of laundry and trash, but I'm always home with my pups. If I wasn't, I wouldn't be able to do it this way.

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Chawn
Rincon Kennel (formerly Chisum-Trail Kennel)

Don't take life too seriously -- nobody gets out alive!

I raise mine in my climate controlled garage and use a 5 ft kid pool maybe 12 inches deep and I put a elect heating pad on the bottom Aswell and after they feed they congregate on the heating pad and gives mama a little time where there not all over her!!works breat and I dont put anything the bottom !!! I tried newspaper and lost a pup do to it getting under the paper and mama laying on it !!!there are so many variables when having pups and the investment !! If it's means enough to me to make a cross I'm gonna do everything to see to it they all live !! Good luck 571-233-5819

iv only raised one litter but i did it in the house in just a big dog cage. pups were born on an old blanket which imo is dangerous but my g/f at the time insisted they had something soft to lay on. they were on that for a few days then some old towels then i switched to pine shavings from tsc. thats what i used til they were all sold. once they got a little bigger i carried them outside in a tote every day and put them in a crude pen in the shade. once they were climbing out of it they just ran free as long as i was home.

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Home of
RIP Pr Hemlock Ridge Buck HTx. Black an tan

Pr Yorks Back Country Skeeter

My last litter was born in Sept, where I plan for my next one to be born in Nov so I plan to have them inside. If it was a warmer time of year, I'd just do what I did just time. I had a 4x4 foot dog.house with a lift up top and put hay in it (might have been straw but I'm pretty sure it was hay) and she made a nice little nest until the pups were big enough to venture out.

Thanks for everyone's input!

__________________
Jealousy is the most honest compliment anyone can receive ~ L. Key
He who stirs the pot, deserves to lick the spoon.