We live in the Midwest and it's cold in December. My five week old puppies want out of the whelping box and I am wondering, can they go outside to play if it's around 40 degrees? I mean, for a short while? Can they safely be put in an indoor-outdoor kennel for a few hours each day? I think they are going stir-crazy.

I would think that as long as they are playing they will be plenty warm. Ours go out in the snow and yard for short periods of time. They tire quickly still at this age so 15-20 min is good. They also, if not freezing but in the high 30-40 degrees, play in a puppy yard with a dog house filled with hay. They will get in there and snuggle up. When they stop playing and start to settle in the dog house we bring them in. I would just be sure that they come in when they are tired and stop playing, they will start getting cold. Fresh air is good for them, so is being allowed to stretch their legs and practice getting their bodies to do what they want to do. Running, chasing and playing are fun and a warm activities.

I put 2 ex-pens together in my attached garage out of the wind. My pups are trained to use a litter box (rabbit tray) with horse stall pellets in it. I put this on one end of the attached x-pens and attach a crate which I cover on the other end. I put an almost indestructable heating pad from Gunddog Supply in the crate. If it's nice enough, I leave the garage door open. (ie. 40 degrees). But if it's really cold, they can just run and play with the door closed. They go into the crate and lay on the heating pad if they get cold. If it's below 40 in the garage, I put a heater blowing into the pen near the crate. This set up gives lots of room to run and play.
In the evening, they come back inside until morning. I have a little area for evenings/night which has an expen with blanket on one end and another potty box set up inside; it is in a large empty closet which was designed for washer/dryer/laundry tub.

The words -playing for short periods of time- sums it up. You could do that 3 times daily but for short times and keep them moving. Then get their buTTS indoors for hours, a nap in a warm room. Do it again later, for a short time.

You get the picture.

When i have winter pups i will take them out for about 15 min at a time. They need the fresh air. However i stay with them and as soon as one pup starts to shiver inside we all go. They get repeated trips outside in a days time BUT only for a few minutes.

I was going to ask the same question!

I have an outdoor run covered with a carport. Today I hope to put tarps up on 1/2-3/4 of the run, put shavings in (have three dogloos in ere also. Not only for the fresh air, but to start them on pooping outside. I want them used to being outside (for short periods) before the dead of winter hits

I have a puppy area with a sleeping area inside then a 6'x8' shavings room where they dirty, and then an outside pen 12' x 12' and they can go in and out at will and even on cold January days the pups will be out playing or napping, they are sturdier than we think. When mine get cold they just come in to the heated kennel.