At what age are young pups able to stay alive in a cool/cold room overnight?

I've got a litter (6 weeks old) who were due to be moved out of their cosy whelping room this week and into their playroom instead, but the playroom is absolutely massive and impossible to keep warm when it's chilly/freezing outside so i'm not sure if i should risk it. What do CDers think??

The pups will be in 2 large crates (fully covered by quilted horse rugs) with lots of vetbed and blankets inside. There will also be a portable oil heater inbetween the crates to generate some direct heat.

How big is the whelping room? Is it big enough for them to play in? The weather's really cold at the mo - and I know your breed have single, short coats like mine

It's big enough for their crates and there's enough room for them to run around and play but there's not enough space for feeding & toileting aswell so i need to move them out.
Basically, they've outgrown that room now and i don't want them rolling around in their own p**s and s**t all day but if they're not ready to handle a cool environment yet i'll have to leave them where they are and keep cleaning/mopping every 30 minutes!!! (grrrr)
:(

Part of the joy of rearing a litter :)

I wouldn't put them in a cold environment to be honest, puppies are vulnerable after all. I kept my four in a puppy pen in the kitchen; perhaps buy a larger one and put it in your living room?

could you set both rooms up and let them play in the larger one during the day and back into the warm to sleep? Does their mother sleep with them? they'd be much warmer if she did. I've known puppies kennelled outdoors with a heat lamp and do fine from birth, but not sure i'd want to risk it with pups that are used to inside temperatures.

In weather as cold as we're having at present, my pups have central heating on 24/7.  I wouldn't use an unheated room for pups.

>Does their mother sleep with them? they'd be much warmer if she did.

Unfortunately the mother was taken away from the pups before 4 weeks. :-( Pups in an unheated environment without adult company to keep them warm are likely to suffer, and in temperatures that we have at the moment could even die.

QUOTE JEANGENIE "Unfortunately the mother was taken away from the pups before 4 weeks"

That's not true.
We started weaning at 4 weeks and gave the dam a few days rest to soothe her swollen teats, but she hasn't been "taken away from the pups before 4 weeks" and i would prefer it if you didn't make assumptions like that or make comments that are false.

Thanks for the rest of your reply. I'll take your advice onboard.

I would perhaps let them play in the bigger room during the day, but bring them back to the warmer room at night.

As to them getting dirty and rolling in unmentionables, the little I know about puppy rearing seems to hint that's par for the course, and part of the bigger picture.

>she hasn't been "taken away from the pups before 4 weeks" and i would prefer it if you didn't make assumptions like that or make comments that are false.

I apologise, but I believed your previous comment "I suppose we could just trim the nails down as suggested but to be honest it's been a long few months for her, she needs a rest, and i've put her back in with our other dogs now. She's really happy to see them all again after being in solitary for so long,... so i'm leaving her where she is and finnishing the pups off myself.".

I'm very glad you took on board people's advice and allowed her free access to her puppies again.

i have the heating on 24/7 even when the temps went up the other week, mine are younger but makes no difference. 

Mum would have cleaned up some for you but the pooping and peeing comes with pups.  I'm sure it only feels like every half hour.  Do they sleep in the day inbetween playing.