Can you give me advice on how often (many times a day) you feed your litters-3,4,5 weeks etc. I'm looking for a good schedule to follow, don't want to over feed nor underfeed.
Also, how many of you bring puppies outside-I live in a high tick area , lots of animals come thru too with droppings-do you factor this into your decision if you have no "kennel" area?
thank you

I would be very careful about taking them outside and make sure they are elevated on some surface that you can hose easily and keep pups from digging in dirt, eating it, etc. The humidity, heat and insects have been extreme on the east coast this summer and I am having my first experience with strangles with several pups affected...not fun at all. I wish I had done things differently. Don't know if it would have made a difference, but I will definitely take more precautions next time it's a spring litter.

I would not put puppies outside on grounds where many ferrel animals pass daily or even weekly. I had a litter w/9 puppies and at 8 wks I let them run the play area and 5 of the puppies got scabies. Vet told me it was from hair follicles dropped by an infected ground hog, fox, raccoon or even chipmunk. All of which get into my area at some time. Be careful or you will be inviting heartache plus can't even tell you how much work and money to correct the problem because the usual methods did not work. Good luck

Mind you I have never done this, but after reading about others using artificial turf for their puppy litter box I thought that a 10'x 10'piece of artificial turf placed over your ground with an x-pen and shade cover could work as a play area. Puppies stay up off contaminated ground, you can hose it off and disinfect daily, no one gets muddy and when you are done you roll it up until your next litter!! Cost about $350 for the turf, but given a vet bill for things puppies could pick up off the ground that cost is minimal.
Anyway, just my thoughts on a lazy Sunday.

Those were my concerns, thank you for validating them. No going out for the puppies.
Are you feeding 3-4 times a day?

I've always taken my pups out from 4.5 weeks until home bound. We use a certain area close to the home with a double xpen with metal covers. I do worry about swooping birds or other wildlife altho I stay right in that vicinity.

I've never had them get ill and they learn to pottie outdoors. They all sqwat once they hit the grass. Yea, my lawn takes a beating from urine but it comes back after raking and re-seeding. I don't use the doggie play area, it's either a fresh, green, grassy spot that is part of my rear yard or my blue stone patio right out the doors from the walk-out basement.

If you have a deck or patio, you might want to hose it down a few times and use that. Pups need fresh air in my humble opinion. Mine take a good, long nap after being outdoors and are content after being outdoors.

We feed small meals, 4 times a day from 3 to 6 weeks, then we go down to 3 times daily. We begin with 2 small meals and increase to 4, then decrease at 6 weeks.

Do what you are comfortable with.