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PUPPY FOOD: The puppy is eating KIRKLAND, available at Costco. The bag is maroon colored CHICKEN, RICE, VEGETABLE ADULT DOG FOOD.
NOTE: it does NOT say "puppy food" on the bag. The pups are FREE FED around the clock. ALWAYS have a bowl of food in front of them. They will "graze", you will not get a fat dog! See the Dog Food Chart before selecting a food. You want a corn free TOP quality food. I will send you home with some of this food. Since this dog food comes in 40lb bags buyers often buy the 5lb bag NATURAL BALANCE BY Dick Van Patton Natural Balance is available at PetCo and many feed stores. Pups transition onto this food with no difficulty.
HEAVY DISHES FOR FOOD AND WATER: pups knock them over! I use the Small “soufflé” dishes
 CRATE: A crate is a must. A dog weighing 8-12 lbs should have a crate with approximate dimensions of 24" deep x 14" wide x 12" high. The best price is at Wal-Mart, or your grocery store $30 or, PetCo, PetSmart. A good size for your small/medium mature dog is 24 x 14 x 12. This is a “bedroom” for your dog. It is also a safe way to transport your pup. Get them used to it when they’re young and you will always have a happily crated animal. DO NOT LOCK A PUP up UNTIL well over 4 months old. Pups have NO “brain to bladder” connection and will go potty in the crate. Once they start doing this, it is a difficult habit to break. To get pup to use the crate as a den, I remove the door, put the bed inside and you will find the pup curled up inside. If you wish to start this while your pup is in dog jail, take off the top as well. When over the age of 4 months, you can start leaving the pup in the crate for a few hours at a time. Eventually, the pup will know to hold “it” until you let the pup outside. When you begin this training, use common sense so the puppy will succeed. Take food up by 6pm and water by 8pm. Take pup outside about 10pm and then lock pup up. I find they can successfully hold it until 6am or so. DON’T FORGET - SHOTS ARE COMPLETED AT 4 MONTHS OF AGE AND PUP MUST NOT GO OUTSIDE UNTIL THIS IS DONE.
BED: round/square fleece, looks like an inner tube to fit crate, Pet Co about $8-10
HEATING PAD: you must find a brand that stays on 24/7, Sunbeam may have this, you do not want one that shuts off in 2 hours, read the box carefully. If you cannot locate one you will need a “trouble light” with a 250 watt bulb. You can find these items at WalMart about $10. It clamps onto "dog jail" (see below) and will provide warm overhead heat to the pup below.
 LITTER BOX: In dog section of PetCo-get LARGE SIZE. Another thing I use is a cement mixing tub (see photos on web site) and cut down an area for pup to enter.
You will need a LITTER BOX. Inside the “dog jail” (see below) on the right is a litter box specifically made for this purpose and available at PetCo (about $20.) The other examples are equally suitable. The black one on top is a cement tub with an entry cut in the front, easily done with a jig-saw. The gray one would work as well but is not as deep as the others. The litter boxes measure: 23” x 19” for the one in the pin, the black cement tub is 27” x 19”, & the gray container is 26” x 18”. Use these measurements as a guide when purchasing or inventing your own. Remember: dogs always “circle” when going potty and their best intentions can result in a mess on the outside if your litter box is too small!
LITTER: I use HORSE PELLETED BEDDING. Do not get shavings. It is 100% pine, available at horse feed stores. You can also purchase FELINE PINE which is the same thing in a smaller bag at PetCo. Use a cat scoop or scissor type salad tongs to remove the poo off the top.
FENCING OF SOME SORT TO CORRAL PUP:
DOG JAIL is a MUST! Puppy cannot be allowed to have “free roam” of your house. It is unsafe for pup and since there is NO brain to bladder connection, you will constantly be cleaning up a mess. My pups are litter box trained for a complete month before you take them home. They are comfortable and secure. You are not being “mean” the confinement helps with their confidence while they grow and adapt to your home.
To start your pup off in dog jail make it SMALL. You have a 3’ x 5’ size, but I suggest you make the area only large enough to hold the litter box, food/water and the bed. The pup should literally step out of the bed into the litter box. A few days of transition is usually all that is needed. You can start moving the 3’ piece out so you enlarge the area for pup to play. If the pup goes potty outside the box then make the area small again. Below are a couple options you can choose from for your "dog jail."
 OPTION 1
Inexpensive: a 4 x 8 sheet of white plastic LATTICE from Home Depot is about $25. Cut it in half lengthwise, cut 3 feet off each piece, and use ZIP TIES to hold the sides together. The result is shown below and is fine for all day. A second option is to purchase an EXERCISE PEN from a pet store, about $25-$100.
 OPTION 2
MIDWEST Exercise Pens: without Doors available at Pet Stores. Keep Pets Safe and Secure Spacious Exercise Pens are easy to set up and fold flat for convenient storage and transport. Eight-panel design allows pen to be configured in a square, a rectangle, or an octagon shape. Each panel measures 24"W and has rounded borders for added safety. Creates a 16 square foot area. Requires no tools for assembly. Four included bolt snaps connect ends and allow easy opening of panel for access. These come in various heights and sizes. IF your pet will spend a LOT of time in one, be sure to get one that allows playing. Exercise Pen available WHOLESALE on line: at www.petEdge.com. Item #ZW930 – 42” tall
Regardless of what you decide, YOU MUST HAVE SOMETHING!!!
How tall should I get? Look at this example of how smart a pup can be!
Sometimes we get a clever one that would rather be having fun outside of dog jail.
When you can’t figure out how the pup is getting out REMEMBER THESE PHOTOS!
To STOP this simply put a “LID” on top.
This could be chicken wire, a bed sheet, anything that when the pup looks up it sees a "ceiling" and that ends the problem!
~ KEEP YOUR RESOLVE ~
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