Have a litter of 8 medium size pastoral puppies and we're galloping through it now that they're nearly 4 weeks old. Please can anyone suggest where I could get more? Wasn't sure whether to try to find some newspaper offices to see if they have back copies that they will part with? Would like to use tea-bag bedding but the nearest supplier is too far away and it was nearly £60 in courier fees to have it sent, unfortunately (plus £8 per bag for the bedding itself, which seems very reasonable).
Many thanks, Marisa

Oh that is a toughy, I usually start saving 3 months prior to whelping gathering from friends and family too, I only use paper on a night-time spread out on a portion of the floor and boy you go through a lot of it even then, I have always used towels, fleeces, blankets, sheets etc in the whelping area.

I guess along with the newspaper offices you could call your local supermarkets, newsagents and ask if they can give you the newspapers left at the end of the day?

What about knocking on neighbours doors or asking family if they can round some up for you?

Pretty certain shops and newspaper offices must return their unsold copies for recycling and cannot give them away.

Try Freecycle. My husband asks everyone at work but yes, we usually start saving up months in advance for large litters. There is a house near our doctor's surgery that sometimes has a sign outside it saying "Newspapers wanted"!

Thank you for your replies which are much appreciated. It is completely my fault. I had started saving newspaper but then someone said they now used the patterned table covers instead, that they were easy to wipe down and did away with the need for newspaper. This sounded good to me, so I relaxed too much! Trouble was it was very hard to find such covers and when I did I found they had a slippery surface so thought they wouldn't be good for puppies who were trying to move around on unalready unsteady legs, bless them. We also moved recently so don't feel I know the neighbours well enough to ask them (and don't want to advertise that I have a litter for security reasons, sorry if I'm being paranoid). Like Goldmali said, I think the shops have to return their unsold copies because the work on a sale or return basis? Freecycle sounds great, will try that. I don't have any family nearby (they're way down south and I'm now in the NE) and I haven't told them my litter has been born as they would be sure to ignore my requests for mum and babes not to be disturbed for the first few weeks, especially as this is mum's 1st litter (and only my second, the first was 13 years ago). Hubby is already asking at work for me, so fingers crossed for that too. Many thanks again. 

Yes they all have to be returned now. I was getting the express and star that was unsold but then when my litter were about 5 weeks old the newsagents said they had to send them all back now eeek i just scraped through. I am keeping newspapers now just in case people need them lol, shame im not closer. Like Marianne said, some notices up in your area / free cycle (freegle) may be beneficial or your local petshop? failing that a midnight trawell of the recycleing in your street :) done that :).

Does any body keep newspapers in their garage at all, if so do you have problems with mice nesting in it ?

When I was desperate for newspaper once I went to Sainsburys recycling bins and got loads OUT of the bin which was overflowing. Nice and clean and dry, though felt like a criminal......!!!!

failing that a midnight trawell of the recycleing in your street :-) done that :-).


LOL done that too!

Does any body keep newspapers in their garage at all, if so do you have problems with mice nesting in it ?

No because my garage is now my cattery LOL!!

Does any body keep newspapers in their garage at all, if so do you have problems with mice nesting in it ?

Yep! Don't keep anything in the garage now, unless in a container. I put a cat flap in there and now no probs. The mice even shredded a swimming pool and bouncy castle.  Or the amount of damage that was done, it may have even been rats!

Marisa,

Just had a thought to tide you over until you can get some more newspaper, how about popping into a B & Q, Hobbycraft, WH Smith, Staples, Storage place etc and getting a ream of brown paper to cut off and use for now?

Many moons ago, I remember my Mum using rolls of lining paper, thicker than newspaper and very absorbent.

Brown paper's not very absorbant, is it?

I always collect mine months in advance , however a lady around the corner from me gets her kids to post letters through letter boxes asking neighbours who don't have dogs if they can keep their papers and they will collect once each week. It works for her she always gets plenty , the kids pull a trolley around full of newspaper. And afterwards she sends thank you cards to everyone that has helped her out :)

Guess not JG, :-( but it may be worth looking to see what other sheets and papers they do in these places, the lining paper is a good idea.

Hi Carrington

Sorry, probably didn't make myself clear. I too use vetbed in the whelping box (with newspaper underneath), then have newspaper on the floor of the rest of the room (which luckily is tiled). The pups are great and now frequently leave the whelping box to be clean on the paper but of course they are only babies so the newspaper under the vet bed does get wet and need replacing regularly. Now that they are starting the weaning process, mum is less keen to clean them (understandably) so I get up in the middle of the night/early hours and clean up if she has just popped in to feed them. I'm on the sofa so can react fairly quickly (given the hour and my age, lol). Same during the day, picking up dirty newspaper as soon as they have emptied. Otherwise it's amazing how quickly they can trawl through it and how fast it dries on them! Baby wipes are handy too. I don't think there will be a 'next time' for a good few years but you can be sure I will be collecting paper well in advance (by then there may be some new miracle floor covering that you can wipe clean but which also has good grip for the puppies?) Off to put another load of laundry on, thanks again for the suggestions everyone!

i dont know what area you are but in our area on a sunday/thursday the big supermarkets have a display of free local newspapers :-) they are usually just outside in the voyer area and you can virtually take what you like !!! all new as well :-)

What about going round your local shops and picking up copies of all the local free-ads and other free newspapers?  Would an old phone book or yellow pages work (I always seem to have an old one of those lying around) if push comes to shove?

Or what about going to a local carpet/flooring store and seeing if they have any lino offcuts?  Or would lino be too slippy?

LOL! I dont think they will take too kindly to people taking the whole lot in one go!

You could try talking nicely to your local chippy and see if the would sell you a bundle of their newspaper offcuts that they wrap the chips in, clean printless newspaper paper.

if you have a tiled area and you are able to how about shavings or cardboard (horse type bedding) i know it means buying it but a friend has used it and is really pleased with it, much easier than paper she said, just a thought.

> Does any body keep newspapers in their garage at all, if so do you have problems with mice nesting in it ?

Yes, I got about a years worth or maybe more, of DW's ready for when I have my litter in the spring. Never any problems with mice in garage in the last 11 years. Perhaps I'm just lucky??

I tried the carpet shops, B&Q etc for a floor cover I could lay but the lino type offcuts for a 15ft x 12 ft room were very expensive, especially as I would only really want them for 4 weeks. My breed (being on the Activity Register, not the KC breed register) do not command high prices (hope I don't offend anyone) and I don't plan to breed again for a while so couldn't justify it as an investment, sadly. I did buy a really thick black liner from B&Q (£20) to cover the surrounding floor for the first 3 or so weeks when the pups were really only in the whelping box anyway but now they need more space they are in another room off the lounge, which is tiled with newspaper down. I think shavings can be difficut because they might contain chemicals? There is a pallet company locally that lets you go and bag up as much sawdust as you want and it's very reasonable. Think I could ring them and see if it is puppy friendly? I also looked at newspaper/shredded bedding and this led me to the tea-bag bedding which would be my favourite if I could get it. I remember Brainless saying she used the shredded bedding and liked it?

Do you not have any neighbours?  I get mine off my neighbours from their wheely bin with their permission of course :)

you can buy unprinted newpaper off cuts .. see http://www.bagnboxman.co.uk/acatalog/blank-newspaper-offcuts.html

k

I have used the thin lining paper from B&Q , just that you have to keep cutting it which is a pain, good thing about it is that puppies stay clean and dont get mucky from the print as they do with newspaper.

Wow, thank you klb. Does anyone know if this type of paper is absorbent (just thinking of the greaseproof type of loo roll we had at schoool, lol)?

Many thanks, Marisa

Following on from the idea of newspaper offcuts, have found this
http://www.mdpackaging.co.uk/store/index.php?target=products&product_id=182.
Just need to find out if they will deliver north of the Watford Gap now, lol.

This is standard unprinted newpaper fromthe end of the roles so just as effective as the papers themselves .. just cleaner :)

K

Thank you for that, that was very reassuring. I have ordered some (1,000 sheets lol) so look forward to it arriving. It will also be very useful when the pups have their big day out - eye and hearing testing which involves a 250 mile round trip and 7 hours on the road. If there's any left over, I can take it to the local animal rescue for lining cages etc Thanks again to everyone for their ideas xx

Hi, you could also join your local freecycle and post a wanted ad for clean dry newspapers, you would then just pop round and collect them.

I've applied to join the local freecycle but do you think the new paper I've ordered might be safer anyway as there should hopefully be no risk of introducing an infection? Sorry if I'm being paranoid!!

> I've applied to join the local freecycle but do you think the new paper I've ordered might be safer anyway as there should hopefully be no risk of introducing an infection?

Nothing to stop you specifying any paper from Freecycle to be from a pet-free home :) It's often "proudly" stated these days on certain items up for grabs, on Freecycle and Ebay.

I did ask my local Freecycle for newspapers when I got my pup 5 years ago. I'd bought a crate but for various reasons it didn't arrive in time and ended up being cancelled. So I asked for papers on Freecycle and the nice lady who brought some round owned a Border Collie... as a result our dogs became friends.

I'm the mad lady who cruises the recycling centres and takes newspapers  out rather than putting them in. I've tried asking neighbours but they all seem to read the news online rather than buy papers so my covert activities will continue!

Also, how do you all dispose of the poopy papers ? I take mine to the tip but again feel this is not the best option environmentally .

Taking it to the tip was what I did 13 years ago when we didn't think about carbon footprints and things taking forever to decompose in landfill. Very lucky that we have inherited an incinerator bin here so hubby has burned 3 black binbags of the stuff today (two days worth). Our new local tip won't let my dog van in unless it has a permit (free from the council).

Where could  I buy an incinerator bin ?

They're on Ebay (start from about £20ish). Hubby puts a little bit of petrol in and the papers/baby wipes/kitchen roll burn even in wetter conditions. I'm also using two bits of bedding - the size of large crate liners - on the floor as well. They are nice and flat, have good grip, are waterproof and wipe clean. Bit like a children's play mat I imagine? The pups can play and have fun, and I can clean up easily after them on this. Good luck with the incinerator bin! 

Be careful some areas don't allow bonfires or incinerators as I found out when I was moving into my present house and was burning the wood chip wall paper that was there and an irate bobby who lived 2 doors down came storming into the garden where I was slowly loading the incinerator safely away from the house and any surrounding properties, he said it was against local regulations apparently and he got a bucket of water and put out the flames.

Yes, I guess the neighbours will soon let you know lol

Thank you marisa ! I'll have to get some floor covering too. My current litter have ruined the parquet floor with their wee. I had plastic crate liners down but the wee got on the floor nevertheless.

The cheapest covering I found was ASDA's 99p shower curtains, covers carpets, furnishings and flooring and cheap enough to throw out if damaged or can be thrown in the wash if dirty.

And I've just ordered a garden incinerator. Impact on the environment marginally less than current system of plastic sacks of poopy papers being driven to local tip ( 6 mile round trip).

Now what to do with adult dog waste ? At the moment I double bag it and put in in with household waste into wheelie bin. With 12 dogs ,that's a lot of waste not to mention the plastic bags. I've heard that  dog waste composters create a helluva stink and take a millennium to decompose. Any ideas on this ?

We are supposed to put dog and cat waste in the household wheelie bin and that;' where the puppy stuff goes too,.

As I said before I now shred everything including thin cardboard that would normally go for recycling and sue this as puppy litter.

I have found that the shredded paper works really well in my canvas and mesh dog crate as it doesn't escape.  This has meant that the pup at her first two shows, (WKC ans Richmond) where she was sick (expected it for WKC especially) meant that she and her Mum arrived clean Aden dry with the shreddies soaking up the wet.

If I don't have enough saved up over the next year (I stuff an old bean bag outer with ti) then I will buy the paper bedding bales for horses.

Various paper bedding here: http://www.finacard-uk.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=24

This would seem to be what I would probably get, less tracking about the house than my shredded paper: http://www.finacard-uk.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=23 or this which si larger pieces: http://www.finacard-uk.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=22

Thanks for those links Barbara, very handy to know where get it from. If anyone is interested, the teabag bedding is available here http://www.jswhorseboxes.co.uk/product_info/872_tea-bag-dog-bedding

We used to have a separate poo bin for the dogs but with the move to fortnightly collections we now 'drop' off our daily collections in waste bins provided round the neighbourhood. Have tried the bin that sinks into the ground which is supposed to decompose it but it didn't work.

I started collecting in advance and also got extra for work colleagues etc but I have to say I did patrol the streets on recycling day!!

I've got a rule - puppy visitors have to bring cake and newspaper lol. The paper I ordered came today (courier arrived at 7.30am!) so looking forward to using it. I rang the pallet company and they said that the sawdust would be fine to use as the trees it comes from are delivered straight from the forest, so a natural product. I won't be using it now that I've got paper again - think it would be too messy, especially at feedtime - but a useful stopgap in an emergency perhaps? Ironically, the tea bag bedding people have now got an offer on - useful if you want to order quite a few bags or can get other people to share the costs of a pallet load delivery (I'm not in that position).

At our recycling centre you can get big yellow bags that you fill with the excrement (not too full though, don't want spillages in the car) and then take them to the centre and put them in the non-recycling. The men see the bags and know NOT to open them at all.

Great idea!

For a whelping area covering I buy plastic tablecloth off the roll from dunhelm. Its quite thick and you can get white, which is useful. Very easy to keep clean. Am already saving newspapers for my next litter in Spring 2012.

That's what my scanner recommended but the nearest Dunelm is over an hour away and the nearest thing i could find to it, in a hardware store, would have been too slippery for 8 busy pups and to buy enough to cover the area they would be in from 4 weeks on would have been prohibitive (being someone who only breeds once every 13 years lol). Yours sounds very good, agree the white is excellent for spotting 'things' lol which is what I've found with the newspaper cut-offs. It's like being on snow lol

Ooh well not sure what postage would be but would be happy to help people who hadnt a branch nearby.

Must mention though that it does stain. I bought enough to replace the stained one which obviously shows up on white more than it would on a colour.