Hi All
Can you please let me know at what age (weeks) & approx how long, you let the pups out in the garden for the first time, bearing in mind we are in the winter months. Thanks for your help.

Around about 4 weeks with my cockers.  I reared one litter in the winter and they thoroughly enjoyed the snow!  Of course I would not recommend they spend long outside when the temperature is very low and any wetness from rain or snow should be well towelled off before snuggling them down someone warm.

Even at this time of the year, my lot started venturing out into the garden (erm concrete yard) at 5 weeks. I dont put a coat on, so when I felt really chilly, it was time for pups to go back in,....roughly 5-10 mins at a time, depending on whether the sun was shining or not.....

>I dont put a coat on, so when I felt really chilly, it was time for pups to go back in

Thats a really good idea for judging it right.

Talking about your pups...still waiting to see the pictures!!!

:D  ooops, on thier way now

So when are you moving or have you and I have missed it ? :)

How is Scooby by the way ? :D

Bet you are missing the little blighters :D ( four legged poo/wee providing ruppies :D )

Oooh Lucy you missed it :D   been here 9 weeks now..... moved 1 day before whelping took a calculated risk to move day before due whelping date, rather than upset dogs when pups were only 3/4weeks old....

Actually, I moved in with the dogs on the Thursday before, but removals were not arranged until the Saturday, so dogs were all settled....I slept in my sleeping bag in front of the coal fire :) with the dogs, and when furniture arrived, mum decided it was time....and my 1st night in a bed in over a week she goes into labour :D :D   her timing was damn near perfect...shame about the 3.30am start ;)

They love it here...straight out the back door and into a 10acre field....out the front door and 10 paces were are in the middle of the forest.....and the side door they have their own paddock and stables....Labrador heaven :D

The shooting fraternity gather outside my door on Saturday mornings and I have 12 bore's going off 10ft from front door :D  Pheasants dropped and retrieved from my livingroom windowsill :D  last week I had a visit from 'A Horse'...he had opened the bolt on his stable and decided to have a little wander, enjoyed the grass in my front garden :D   I couldnt catch him, so I walked off down the drive and he followed, opened the nearest gate into a field and off he thundered...Apparently he is 25 years old and a little B***ger according to his owner :D

Ooooh Scooby is brilliant. only done around 600 miles this week lol

Missing them, only just ;)  everyone has updated me, most withing the first 48 hours.  and all are doing just great....Its the three I have here that are driving me round the twist lol.....Little Becca is going on Sunday, I think she is the one I will miss the most....I soooo nearly kept her too :(

>four legged poo/wee providing ruppies  

have whittled down some corks....perfect fit now :D :D ;)

Ooops...Sorry Tracey, seem to have highjacked your thread :)

Thankyour for the replies, KAYC you are a dog guru thankyou.

not until 6 weeks and they have had a parvo vac ever no exceptions i dont want any of my pups possibly getting it and if there is a possible chance then thats enough for me to decide against it

i was told by vet you cant have the first jab till 8 weeks? its unlikely that they would pick up anything if your garden is secure. i dont think you could keep them in untill then they would be climbing the walls! i agree with 4 weeks being the right time

in australia first vac is at 6 weeks then another at 8 and then at 12 the coincide with the last lot of wormings and if your garden is next to your neighbours yard and your neighbour has ahd a dog with parvo within the last 7 years then your pups can and probably will catch it they arfe climbing the walls by then but thats all a part of it really parvo is pretty bad in my neck of the woods the hot tempreture helps it thrive so i definelty not let my pups out until after the first vac because that one is for parvo its really a personal choice if you feel your pups are safe or if they will just be on concrete where there is no dirt then shaw let them go but make sure they dont go near the dirt my neighbours had a jack russel with it once it died and then i bred one of my females (this was years ago) i let my pups out into the ponded area where i felt it was safe and soon enough they all started showing signs of parvo i lost all but 2 of the pups it attacked some of the pups worse then the others and some responded to treatment and others didnt i was later ask if i had or knew of a dog who had parvo and i instantly remembered back to my nieghbours and the vet confirmed if my neighbours yard was carrying it it is so easy for my yard to be carrying it
better to be safe then sorry

The one thing that I do when we have puppies (which is not oten btw) is that I soak a doormat in parvoviricide (sp??) and ask everyone coming into the house to PADDLE on it!  That way I do know that no germs are being walked in.    We also spray the ground - be it grass or patio - with it as well, daily, once puppies start going outside, at about 3-4 weeks.

Doesn't hurt to be on the safe side!

Margot