In short, if you've got a very mucky pup with a penchant for the grubbier parts of their walk, you likely need to clean their bed at least a couple of times per week. In that case, the most convenient solution is to choose an easy to wash dog bed that you can clean and dry within a day.
Pet bedding should be washed once a week, just as often as our human bedding (if not more often) to keep the nasties away. Pets don't bathe as often as humans so ensuring their bedding is in top condition can help avoid bad smells too!
The length of time that your dog bed will last for could vary in time from two years to five years - there are no hard and fast rules but if you follow our tips above then you will get a good idea of when it is time to replace your dog's bed.
At 2.5 weeks, open the whelping box and add an area two times the size and cover with newspaper…. Change the bedding in the box several times per day, but do not change the paper often (keep it smelling like a toilet and keep the bed smelling like a fresh bed…)
They should be trying to climb out of their nest or whelping box by three weeks. By four weeks, the puppies should be able to walk, run, and play.
Puppies should not leave their mom and littermates before eight weeks of age. The mother dog has so much to teach the new puppy; lessons that will affect him all his life, and his littermates teach important lessons as well. If the mother dog has passed away, the littermates need to remain together.
An absorbent material for the whelping box, such as newspapers (but these may become sodden quickly and often stay wet and cold), puppy pads, incontinence pads or vetbeds. Clean towels or paper towels to help clean up during labour.
Make sure your box or crate is in a quiet space, that's warm and large enough for movement and lots of little puppies! Bedding & Lining - You'll want to line the box with clean absorbent bedding or makeshift whelping pads.
How Long Can Puppies Be Alone? Remember, dogs and especially puppies need to urinate often. As a guideline, new puppies up to 10 weeks old typically can't hold their bladder for more than an hour. Dogs between 10 to 12 weeks old can usually hold it for around two hours.
Generally speaking, a healthy dog with a short, smooth coat and no skin problems doesn't need to be bathed often. In most cases, dog baths are more for the benefit of their pet parents than for the dogs themselves. Even so, it's a good idea to bathe your pooch at least once every two to three months.
Use Secondhand Pet Supplies Safely
You can give your pet the best while you save money and help to lighten the load on landfills by using secondhand pet supplies. Generally, used pet products are safe to use, provided that you check for damage and sharp edges that could harm your pet.
In normal domestic use Vetbed Original will last for many years. Vetbed Original's unique construction allows air to permeate the fibres, giving it superior drainage and drying properties. It keeps your pet warm and dry even on surfaces like concrete.
As the pup learns, make the confinement times longer. In no time at all, you should be able to put the pup in the laundry overnight.
Dogs love clean laundry too, for a different reason. Many dogs are known for immediately rolling on freshly-washed laundry that you've laid out to put away. The reason for this is that dogs identify their family mostly through scent.
A daily full bath is more than what most dogs need. So a bath mixed with rinsing or wiping him down is a very good plan. You can tell if his skin is getting too dry if you see seborrhea ("dandruff") or dry skin flakes. If his skin looks healthy – you are probably doing just fine and not over-doing it.
If the puppies huddle close to each other under the heat source, it may mean they're too cold and are trying to use the group's body heat to stay warm. If the puppies are scattered in different areas of the box, it could mean they're too hot.
A puppy's body temperature should be around 100 degrees Fahrenheit at night, according to the ASPCA. The puppies' bodies need to be warm in order to regulate their own body temperatures. If a puppy isn't warm enough, it could become sick or die from hypothermia.
As long as the puppies stay close to their mother, the room temperature is not too critical. However, if the mother leaves her puppies alone, they need to be provided with an external source of warmth.
Whelping Area:
Place the box in a dark, quiet area of the house. This can be a basement, a closet, or a spare bedroom with the shades drawn. Allow the mother to freely come and go from her whelping area. Keep other dogs away from her whelping area so that she knows it is her place to deliver.
By the time the puppies are 2-3 weeks old, the mother should have an area near the whelping box, but separate from the puppies to allow her time to rest. At about this time, the puppies will start trying to leave the box to explore. They should be well supervised and have safe toys available.
Indestructible bedding is best for a puppy. Avoid piles of blankets and towels, which a puppy can reduce to shreds and then swallow. Ingesting shredded textiles can result in a trip to the veterinary ER to treat a potentially life-threatening blockage in your puppy's gut.
You can use towels, sheets, and blankets for bedding your puppies when they start moving here and there. Make sure that the bedding material should possess body-heat retention level. The bedding should be such that it can absorb body fluids and urine properly. It is essential to keep the bedding dry.
If your pet insists on being near you with her puppies, allow her. A whelping or nesting box in a quiet corner of the living room is preferable to an anxious mother constantly leaving her puppies. Some dogs like the owner to be with them the whole time they are in labor.
Put the whelping box in a room that is isolated from other dogs. Many breeders set it up in their own bedrooms for the first three weeks. A door and/or gate should be used to keep other dogs away. An ex-pen around the whelping box provides an extra layer of safety.