The puppies are just figuring out how to get out of their whelping box. They are a little hesitant at first but then love playing around in all of the extra room. They are so darling when they are still trying to figure out how to hurdle the door. The pine chips on the ground make clean up after playtime fast and easy. They also keep the puppies clean. At this age, they are learning to keep one side of their box clean and to go potty in the other side. We will be putting in a divider in the box this weekend so that they can understand that they have a sleeping/eating/ play area that needs to stay clean. We clean this area of the box several times per day and clean their potty area once per day. This way they can smell the potty area and they prefer to go there. Slowly we expand their play area and by eight weeks we hope to make their potty area outside the doggy door. They will probably still have accidents but they usually get it right.
Every day my two boys help me get the "puppy chores" done. They can sweep, give them food and water, and help me wipe everything down. My four year old thinks that using the spray bottle is the coolest thing ever and he lives for mixing the puppy food with the water. I never realized what a great bonding experience taking care of these puppies would be. It's a lot of work but absolutely worth it!
