Hi I would like advice of what to put in my puppy pen of eight medium sized gundog breed puppies aged 7 weeks old. They are tearing the puppy pads up. What do you use? Slightly desperate with trying to keep them clean and tidy.

I use newspaper, loads and loads of it. The pups also have a nice big outside run for dry days (and wet ones...mine don't care ) with access to the indoor pen. Unfortunately with  a large litter they can get yucky...you need to be on the ball and keep picking up poos as soon as you can. With a litter at 7 weeks I seem to do nothing but change paper. I hate wet days if they need to be inside as I get through piles and piles of paper. I keep kitchen roll handy at all times and floor wipes and pick up immediately. I have a wooden frame that holds newspapers down outside even in the wind and we try to paper train the pups. Nothing will keep puppies clean except your efforts. No matter what you put down it will be peed and poo'd on so its up to you to pick up time and time again !
I seem to be constantly wiping mucky pups with a clean wet flannel too Its part of the package !! At this age I try to have puppies outside in a large pen for as much of the day as possible. I have organized my house to accommodate this with a big tiled conservatory with fans and underfloor heating and easy access to an outside pen. Large breed puppies need lots of space.
Aileen

By 7 weeks I had done away with a communal puppy pen indoors and had the litter of 11 join the rest of my dogs, using smaller crates for the pups to sleep in (3 to a crate) this also meant pups were used to a crate before they went to their new homes. I put vet bed in each crate.

They were regularly taken outside, where my husband had put puppy panels around our gazebo to contain them (I was recovering from a badly broken ankle at the same time) which also helped with the start of house training them. I never used puppy pads, just newspaper when they were really little.

Much the same as biffsmum. I don't use a pen at 7 weeks. My previous litter was of 12, the current one 11. They have the run of several rooms and spend time outside weather permitting.

Our litter of 7 medium sized breed puppies had an outdoor run which they used 3 x a day while I did a big clean of their indoor pen. Other than that it's constant picking up of poos and adding newspaper. We found out the hard way to layer the paper  A LOT as a smeared puppy poo really does seem to turn to cement when it's gets through to the tiles

I remember what a thankless and difficult task this is, especially after a big clean and someone gets straight in and poops, and someone else rolls in it and walks it around! But, your days will feel empty once they've left so try to enjoy your remaining weeks with them - despite the constant pooping!

May I sing a song about the joys of breeding.  Most of it is wonderful, but there are "those times" ....  such as last night and this morning. 

Yesterday evening one of Nimue's five 6.5-week-old puppies stepped on a bee.  I don't know what is with the bees this spring (now summer).  They seem to lurk in the lawn.  Four of my dogs have been stung so far.  The puppy's gums began to turn a sort of greyish and he was acting pretty out-of-it, so I rushed him to the vet (the one on duty Sunday evening - emergencies always occur on Sundays, especially Easter Sunday, or else Christmas Eve), not wanting to risk a collapse of circulation or an allergic reaction.  He is now fine, but the poor little tyke suffered with his paw for several hours.  I don't think he had ever experienced pain before, so he was quite upset about it.  End of relaxing evening...

This morning I got up to find that the food I had thought my puppies had become accustomed to and therefore had given them quite liberally yesterday had backfired.  Poop EVERYWHERE in the pen, sat-on, slid-on, smeared-on, slept-on, and stinking!  Not diarrhea, just poop.  What a clean-up, what a way to start the day!  Ah yes.....

They DO seem like poop factories, don't they!  Interesting you mention layering the paper.  What I have found works best for me is to put the newspapers down THICKLY, and instead of adding paper as you go along, you take away the top layers which are soiled.

I could never let puppies run around with my Terrier breed. Would be far too dangerous. My dogs have access to them and the pups get used to them being around and running by etc but they do not mingle as such
I have a by that age a much larger indoor pen and a very large outdoor run which is adapted so pups can go in and out a free will other than overnight and if we pop out. The panels are joined and able to be secured inside when we need too.
they should be soiling outside most of the time at this age when they can do.
I use newspapers in layers so it can be covered up straight away and if it is too bad then just remove the entire pad. It is extremely irritating when you have a nice clean pen and the first one................ but I'd be more concerned if they were not pooing!!!!

Thanks everyone for great advice.  It is very reassuring and seems paper and space is the best.

My pup came from a litter of 10. We visited several times before picking her up and often found the breeder watching the pups like a hawk for when they poo'ed so it could be immediately picked up before all the others stepped in it. It was like some kind of military operation going on - red collar dog preparing to poo, get kitchen roll, wait for it, wait for it, get in there and grab it, oh no green collars stepped in it!!!

And so on and so forth. Would put me off ever contemplating breeding dogs, far to lazy.

This is why I tried to have my litters into the better weather so at least they could spend a percentage of the day outside when that old.   I used newspapers and was souring the neighbourhood for them, when I knew where they came from, but even then I almost always ran out by the time the puppies went home.   They were, after the first 3 weeks or so, in a big indoor box (8 X 4) with the main emptying area in the one 4 X 4 half, the other being the sleeping area (with vet bed on top of more newspaper).    When outside I gave the box a good clear out so it wasn't too niffy!   I too couldn't have my puppies with my adults and once those who were going off to new homes, went, the whelping box was collapsed and the usually two went into the puppy pen in the kitchen with again, them outside during the better weather.   And I was there so was able to pick up pretty much when poohs arrived - it was just the constant pee!!   I did layer the newspaper but for sure, there came a point when with the pee soaking in, the whole lot needed to be removed and renewed.   My box wasn't on the floor - it had a wood floor.

I had to watch which newspaper I used or the white paws would soon go grey from the print.   Before I realised this, early on I'd have to bath the puppies before they went home - legs at least.

Shredded paper.

I shred everything we get (junk mail post) and get stuff to shred from family and friends and store the results for the next litter.  Probably go through a shredder every 18 months.

Keeps pups clean and also reduces smell.

Only disadvantage is that the shreds do travel a bit around house but worth it.

You can buy bailed shredded paper pet bedding.

> often found the breeder watching the pups like a hawk for when they poo'ed so it could be immediately picked up before all the others stepped in it.

Yep that's my life, very distracted hostess running around after pooing pups, in between offering cups of tea.

Mine are out for large part of the day once over 4 1/2 to 5 weeks, where they have a covered 10 x 6 foot run with a Plastic dog house (enough for them to nap in), a board across the doorway means that by 6 - 7 weeks they are jumping out the run and joining the adults, (so board removed) who by then are less unhappy about little pups looking for a milkbar, and if they have had enough foo the little loves they can get out of reach on benches or come indoors.

Indoors their puppy run is mostly used at night, as they far prefer their outdoor time and day shelter.

With multiple dogs (half of them veterans) I don't have the pups running freely indoors, apart from anything else with my poor eyesight and clumsiness I could damage them if I had them underfoot all the time..

Newspaper for me and endless vigilance, every time they wake up or after meals then the kitchen roll is ready, when they are outside on the concrete then the mop and bucket is in place for wee removal, they spend the nights in their indoor puppy pen and outside in the day with an 8 x 4 wooden shed converted into a puppy house with large run. It may be somewhat frowned upon but I reduce the puppies feeds to 3 a day from 7 weeks and they have 6 am breakfast, 1 pm lunch and 7 pm dinner, they have just as much food but split 3 ways and I have found that more often than not the puppies are virtually clean overnight when they go. I did debate this but one of my extremely good mentors recommended it and it has worked very well, puppies look just the same in condition as they do on 4 or 5 meals

> when they are outside on the concrete then the mop and bucket is in place for wee removal, they spend the nights in their indoor puppy pen and outside in the day

Just same here but I'd forgotten eh mop and bucket in constant use

>Yesterday evening one of Nimue's five 6.5-week-old puppies stepped on a bee.  I don't know what is with the bees this spring (now summer).  They seem to lurk in the lawn.  Four of my dogs have been stung so far.  The puppy's gums began to turn a sort of greyish and he was acting pretty out-of-it, so I rushed him to the vet (the one on duty Sunday evening - emergencies always occur on Sundays, especially Easter Sunday, or else Christmas Eve), not wanting to risk a collapse of circulation or an allergic reaction.  He is now fine, but the poor little tyke suffered with his paw for several hours.  I don't think he had ever experienced pain before, so he was quite upset about it.  End of relaxing evening...

Poor chap! That reminded me of my litter last autumn when we had a nice sunny day when they were 5 or 6 weeks old so I let them have 10 minutes pottering around outside and one of them must have stepped on a nettle. He was yelling about it for nearly an hour! I do not have the most stoic of breeds......