what are everyones views on putting a bitch and 12 2 week old pups into a crate/cage have put them in it while i clean the whelping box but am thinking of keepin them in it as there is much more room and i want them to be used to crates so if the new owners wish to use them they are used to it but was just wondering are they to young and should they be left in the whelping box for another week or so

My main concern, would be whether or not the pups can get body parts through the wires of a wired crate instead of a kennel like a Vari. 

If using a wired crate, could there be any chance of pups heads or other body parts getting stuck inbetween the wires and not being about to get themselves out?  If so, then I would hold off using a crate for a bit. 

I used a crate when my pups were 4 weeks old.  This was to have them downstairs to be socialised through the day.  I personally wouldn't keep them in a crate unsupervised.

Crate training puppies can start once they are almost weaned. Have you a whelping box with a door that the puppies can get out of  ? if you do you can start leaving it open for them to explore in to a"freedom" type puppy pen once they have their eyes open & are moving about freely, then you can remove the whelping box once they are say 4 weeks old & replce it with a crate big enough for all of them.

The puppies won't be able to see properly until their eyes have been fully open for a few days, so won't be aware that they are in a crate until they can see it.

I used to pop the puppies in to large plastic storage boxes(the ones that stack together)when they are very small & I clean out the whelping box. Then when they are old enough pop them in a puppy freedom type pen with access to the whelpng box. Then when I replace the whelping box with a crate & with "vet bed"in to encourage them to use it as their bed & so they can be contained in the crate when they sleep at night & treat it as a sleeping place during the day.

This has worked well with Wukee & his litter mates(I didn't breed them but their breeder uses this method)

I would worry that I couldn't get to them as quickly as I could if they were in a whelping box if something went wrong. Once they were up and mobile I would (and have) put a cage into the play area so they can get used to one. I don't think I would use one as the whelping box though. Even at 2 weeks old I would still want to be able to get to them quickly.

My spare room is large enough to use 8 puppy panels (2x2x2x2!) and have a whelping box and a crate in there and still give them plenty of room.

Mine are always in a crate, but when they are younger we put like a baby guard around the inside of the cage, you know like a 4 inch high washable covering that I think is used on baby's cots etc. so that they can't get their arms etc. stuck.  Now my guys are in a crate with the Croft playpen added to it so they are in and out of there all day.

I use a home made whelpbox with two doors one on the side one on the front with slats to add as they grow, then when they are walking I remove the slats from one door and put up a puppy pen so they can see out and lots of  room to play , I also have another playpen for use when I am cleaning , I keep this up until they leave for thier new homes.

well they opened their eyes saturday and are getting pretty good on their feet now and again and are trying to get out of the box alot  where in the cage they clinb up it and put their heads against the bars its sooo cute lol anyway im using the crate during the day so they can see my kids and get used to all sights and sounds and put them in the whelpingbox at night they are in my front room at al times anyway but i can clean one when there in the other if you get me thanks for your help