need quick advice about puppies!!

[Jamiya]

Hey, if anyone is online now....my foster group is asking me if I can take a couple of 6-week-old puppies. I'm not really set up for puppies. The only tile places in the house are used by my cats, one of which hates dogs. I hate to put a puppy in a crate if he can't hold it, but I can only get home about every 4 hours during the week. If I put the pups in a large crate, will they pee and poop away from where they sleep? Would an ex-pen with something down to protect the carpet be better? If they are in a big crate and can't hold it, will it ruin their chances of crate training later on when they CAN hold it?

[Samsintentions]

Do you have a bathtub? I used our bathtub for puppies. They poo'd away from where they slept, but I made sure I cleaned it up as soon as I found it!!!

IT makes is very easy to clean up as well. LOL

Don't put them in a small crate. If they do go, it could ruin their chances. YOu don't want them to start thinking its Ok to do that. You'll end up with a BIG mess!

[Jamiya]

LOL! I thought about the bathtub. That isn't cruel, is it?

Is a big crate okay? Or a small crate connected to an ex-pen?

The shelter wants me to keep them away from my dogs, but that's really hard. They are about 7 weeks old, one set of shots (today), and a good ten pounds each. Can they go outside in my yard to pee? Interact with my dogs?

[Samsintentions]

NO. Bathtub isn't cruel. Its plenty big for a couple of puppies. I would keep them away from your dogs. Just to be on the safe side to make sure neither transfer anything, until all shots are over and done with.

You can take them in the yard. I suggest first sparying the area where you'll take them with bleach and water first, then let them go in that area only. Just to make sure they don't get parvo.

X pen should be ok. I just don't like the crate idea. Once they get used to it, and use it as a potty area, then its SO hard to break them of it.

If they were separated and you were home all day. I'd start crate training them and making sure I took them out to potty.....

[Jamiya]

I may be able to get home enough to crate train them - I'll see what I can do. I do like the bathtub idea.

So far they have been peeing and pooping outside really well. Most of the other foster homes don't get up with them at night, though, like I would for my own puppy. They just let them use papers at night. I don't know which I will do.

I keep popping them into their crate (door open) when they fall asleep, but they keep coming back out and going to sleep in the middle of the floor. I foresee a lot of crying tonight.

[Jamiya]

Puppies are doing well. I have to crate them now, because they are escape artists and can scale a 4-foot ex-pen, LOL. Silly puppies! So my husband is actually helping out. He goes home once and I go home once, and between us we can let them out every 2 hours. At night, I let them out when they cry, which is usually about every 2 hours. They actually slept last night for 4 whole hours in a row! Woohoo! They keep a clean crate and one pup has had a couple of accidents, but other than that they have been fine. They potty right away when I take them out, which is nice! I swear, I don't know how all that poop fits in those little bodies, LOL.

Unfortunately, the cold I thought I had averted came back with a vengeance when the sleep deprivation started. The night before last I was up most of the night with terrible sinus pain. I'm much better today, though.

I'll post photos as soon as I get them downloaded from my camera. I was going to bring it to work so I could do it here, but I forgot.