Ideas for 'Pens' for Rottie Pups

[MrsMozart]

The mad pups are nearly seven months old.

Not a bad bone in their bodies, but the not-so-little bobbos do like to chew, so have to be penned when we're not home. The pens are the biggest I could find, only the pups need more space now.

They've been crated separately, on advice to prevent separation anxiety, and can start to spend more time together now, so I'm wondering what the best option is. So far have come up with:

Outside standalone pen;
Outside penned area - outside the back door, which would mean metal grill panelling;
Grill panelling of some sort and effectively line the utility so they'd have all the floor space,

or something else?

I sort of know the grill panels only can't find tall enough and strong enough ones.

I was thinking they could have the outside option to burn off some energy, then the utility option at night.

They like to explore, to chew (did I mention the chewing?!), and to play. They're walked twice a day but it burns off little of their bounce! They're also not doing well on the house training front, so whatever option we go with has to withstand all that...

 

[Clodagh]

Outisde kennel with a sleeping area and the biggest run you have space for? You could either put them together or have two kennels adjacent?

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

The mad pups are nearly seven months old.

Not a bad bone in their bodies, but the not-so-little bobbos do like to chew, so have to be penned when we're not home. The pens are the biggest I could find, only the pups need more space now.

They've been crated separately, on advice to prevent separation anxiety, and can start to spend more time together now, so I'm wondering what the best option is. So far have come up with:

Outside standalone pen;
Outside penned area - outside the back door, which would mean metal grill panelling;
Grill panelling of some sort and effectively line the utility so they'd have all the floor space,

or something else?

I sort of know the grill panels only can't find tall enough and strong enough ones.

I was thinking they could have the outside option to burn off some energy, then the utility option at night.

They like to explore, to chew (did I mention the chewing?!), and to play. They're walked twice a day but it burns off little of their bounce! They're also not doing well on the house training front, so whatever option we go with has to withstand all that...

What about heras fencing mrs M

 

[MrsMozart]

Clodagh - a plan. The outside area shape is awkward, but we could do something. It's the fun of protecting anything that isn't tough metal! Little blighters.

ILuv - not heard of it. Will investigate. Thank you.

One of them whines when he doesn't get his own way. He can keep it up for a surprising length of time and it's surprisingly cutting. He can't always be where the humans are.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Are they siblings? I would do two kennels adjacent, outside. Look at companies like Haborn Kennels or Premier Animal Housing for inspiration or see if there's someone local doing flatpack kennel runs/boxes.

 

[Alec Swan]

The mad pups are nearly seven months old. …….. They're also not doing well on the house training front, …….. ...

At 7 months and they aren't clean …. I suspect that you may have an impending problem.

Alec.

 

[MrsMozart]

At 7 months and they aren't clean …. I suspect that you may have an impending problem.

Alec.

Apart from the obvious in terms of just general Bleugh?

 

[MrsMozart]

Corvus - yes, siblings. Will look at those, thank you.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Our pair of Rotties have always been crated together - they have two crates lashed together with the side doors removed to make one big crate. They were extremely easy to house-train, so I don't understand why yours aren't, really. Rottweilers are very clever dogs and very trainable.
I wouldn't keep them separated, let them live together so that they can play and work off some of their energy. I think you were very badly advised tbh. The poor things must be absolutely miserable, all pups need to play and Rotties are so clever that they need a LOT of stimulation, which they can get from each other all the time, and which humans can't possibly give them all the time. The separation anxiety thing is utter nonsense, the way to deal with that is to take them somewhere with you separately, if you need to do so. Did you ask someone who actually understands Rottweilers for advice?

 

[MrsMozart]

Pearl - Ta. Yup to taking advice. Did a fair bit of research and all came back to separate 'till six months.

No idea as to why they won't housetrain. Long walks where so far there's been one wee, and lots of outside time where they'll sometimes do something, but will often wait 'till back in the pens. They're good on the rest of their training.

 

[Alec Swan]

Apart from the obvious in terms of just general Bleugh?

As they're 'crated' presumably they're living in your house? That you're still struggling with getting them to be clean, it sounds very much like they're bonding with each other and that they may be oblivious to you and your requirements.

I've kept pups in multiples from litters that I've bred, but never in my home and only ever in kennels.

Alec.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Do you know how they were kept before they left their mother. Can have a bearing on how clean they are later on.

I kept my siblings kenneled beside one another when we were out for the first few years and allowed to be together/play when we were home. Adolescent dogs can push each others boundaries, I personally find it safer.

 

[MrsMozart]

Alec - Ta. I wondered that, but they're crated separately and with a barrier. They're walked separately. They have play time together and separately and time with us both together and separately. They seem keen to please and be with us. The only things we can't 'break the habit of' is housetraining and chewing, despite suitable chew toys available.

Corvus - big pen, opened to outside as was warm then. Got them at eight weeks.

Had many dogs, both from pups and older. Managed fine with all including the older ones who arrived not housetrained.

 

[Alec Swan]

Alec - Ta. I wondered that, but they're crated separately and with a barrier. They're walked separately. They have play time together and separately and time with us both together and separately. They seem keen to please and be with us. The only things we can't 'break the habit of' is housetraining and chewing, despite suitable chew toys available. …….. .

How ever you separate them, they will always be a pack of two until they focus on work which probably isn't the reason for their acquisition. Some pups actually benefit from the support of a sibling, but breed and temperament dependent, many don't. Again, temperament dependent, most Rott pups would benefit from a 1-2-1 relationship.

May I ask 'Why did you take in sibling pups'?

Alec.

 

[MrsMozart]

Reason for two - long story. One will be moving away after Christmas (with D1).

Will look at the work options, see what might be suitable for them. Ta.

 

[Alec Swan]

Reason for two - long story. One will be moving away after Christmas (with D1).

Will look at the work options, see what might be suitable for them. Ta.

All is not lost and once split up, I'm all but certain that you'll find that 'normality' will return!

Seven months may be a bit early to consider 'work', but giving them something to occupy their minds, and so getting them to focus AS INDIVIDUALS, may have benefits.

Alec.

 

[MrsMozart]

Ta again We play puppy brain games and they enjoy those short (separate) sessions. Both are great sniffers so thinking volunteer search work might be the thing. Quite convoluted to get into but worth it.

Thank you all. Definitely some food for thought, along with some accommodation ideas. Will investigate

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Reason for two - long story. One will be moving away after Christmas (with D1).

Will look at the work options, see what might be suitable for them. Ta.

Well makes the keeping them separate thing a bit more understandable but it wouldn't have been my advice.
Our two Rotties (female siblings) had been reared in a house with both parents, so maybe that makes a bit of a difference but they have been amongst the easiest pups we have ever had to housetrain. And we have had lots of dogs, pups and 'rescued' adults, some kept outside, some indoors all the time, over the years.
Ours don't usually wee away from their own home - we can take them to a show for the day and they will only wee in the carpark, never after they have gone through the gate, even though no-one else can see the difference in the grass - and they do sniff occasionally where other dogs have been. They will sometimes wee on a walk locally but it does seem more like scent-marking, I can't remember the last time I needed to use a 'poo-bag' on a walk anywhere.
It is difficult to advise without seeing your pups but this lack of understanding of house-training is definitely odd. We used 'puppy pads' to encourage them to wee where we wanted them to do so, when they were small. I doubt that kennelling them outside will help with house-training - and I don't suppose that you will want to pass one on to D before it is house-trained. Ours have responded well to food reward based training. I think in your position I would find out about clicker training and see if that helps. I know that assistance/guide dogs are trained with clicker training, so if it works for them.......

ETA, as for the chewing - one of ours in particular but both to some extent, love different textures to explore and we do have to make the difference between their toys and our things very clear. It can be difficult to provide them with safe chew toys of different textures because their jaws are so powerful but it is certainly worth it to keep them busy with their own stuff.

 

[MrsMozart]

Ta m'duck. Very interesting about them not wee-ing away from home. We tried the puppy pads - they ate them, despite having chew toys to hand. Will go investigate clicker training. It's all odd as they're doing really well on all the other training and they're sociable with people and dogs both out and at home. It's part of thee reason for thinking of another 'containment' solution, in case they now have it that the pen is the place to go. I'd be happy for them to be loose if it weren't for the chewing, one in particular likes wood... Their toys range from kongs to the supposedly tough stuffed ones (get through them every two weeks or so) to nylabones. Open to suggestion for other toys.

 

[Moobli]

I would look at a kennel run situation in the back garden if you have room and personally would kennel them separately. Adolescents (are they male or female?) can be pushy with one another or may get possessive over the bed, food, toys etc and if there were a fight, there would be nobody home to split them up. We kennel all our working sheepdogs (bar the retired bitch) outside and only ever double up with younger pups (under six months) as the potential for a scrap is just too great imo.

A friend had kennels from these guys and they look fab ... https://www.facebook.com/chicubes/posts/1684394014913319?comment_id=1715834648435922

Regarding the house training issue, I would go back to treating them as small pups individually, taking them out regularly and praising for toileting outside. Some dogs do take longer than others, but with patience and consistency it can be done. As Alec said, once they are split up you will probably find house training comes much more quickly.

 

[MrsMozart]

Working - thank you. They're males and a couple of their plays have been full on recently, so separate whilst we're not around is probably the best plan. They have three of everything to try and reduce any angst. Will keep trying on the house training. They can be outside for a couple of hours and not do anything until the moment they're back in the pens. Oddly though, when the back door was open they'd only do anything outside. First time I've been stumped on the house training front. Will go look at those kennels. We have a massive but odd garden. Might be best if we ask a couple of suppliers to make suggestions.

 

[CorvusCorax]

What WGSD said, especially if they are same sex.

When they go outside do they have a favoured surface.

 

[MrsMozart]

Corvus - no apparent preference re. surface. There's a GSD as well, who gets on and plays with them both, but isn't left alone with them just in case.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Yes we always kenneled ours separately/adjacent when we were out. There were together but wouldn't risk injury in the case of something happening when we were out. Had a bad experience with previously cordial/related animals and another with two females who had previously lived together with no problems.

Pups that are reared with no distinction between bed/whelping area/outside/toilet area and just learn to go wherever, are harder to toilet train in my experience. There are ways of fixing it but hard if you're not there and there's two of a similar age.

 

[SusieT]

Trick is to go back out when they've just been out in a calm fashion, probably separately as they get easily distracted when out and 'forget ' to go so in and then straight back out.

 

[pippixox]

I am certainly no house training expert- I have been lucky that both my rescues basically did it themselves.
But I have found dogs who always have access to outside can be worse- as they don't think about holding it. my MIL has puppies close in age (three only a month or so apart- no reason really- just decided to go crazy and puppy shopping- and doesn't really do training or regular walks- i did not enjoy having to dog sit for a few weeks) who basically get to stay outside in a dog proof paving slab pen/garden for the day. They will do to the loo, but on return inside they will often do a wee. I sometimes think it is excitement. But if I go out with them and watch them they started to realize they got praise for going and less accidents happened indoors.

although I'm sure you are not praising them for going in doors! It may of somehow become a habbit

chew wise- have you tried a range of toys? some dogs have a real preference. or furniture is tastier!

 

[CorvusCorax]

Mine won't even go in his kennel, he's fastidious and has been outside during the day since he was old enough, he will hold it all day sometimes.
It's more to do with teaching them what is appropriate to do, where. You have to teach them sometimes, they don't automatically know.

I think Susie also has a good point as regards focusing on the job. I do still use a command/link word event though my dog is six. Helps for when we are travelling or on limited time as well.

 

[Alec Swan]

……..

A friend had kennels from these guys and they look fab ... https://www.facebook.com/chicubes/posts/1684394014913319?comment_id=1715834648435922

…….. .

Fab? They're near palace like! I do have a problem though with outside runs, even those with a roof. In the winter the floors of the run are permanently wet, the dogs traipse in and out, the beds get wet and all so often the dogs sleep on wet beds. At least if the dogs have no bedding then the bed floors at least partially dry out, give them bedding and it never seems to dry.

At one time when I had several sheepdogs, then they were on chains and their 'kennels' were beer barrels with deep straw beds, and they managed to stay fairly dry. I'm not sure W/GSD if you know Atholl Clarke, but many of his dogs lived in an old and redundant milking parlour, they were on chains and each had a tractor tyre which was filled with straw. They were always warm and dry, it seemed to me!

Alec.

 

[oldie48]

Stanley would chew our kitchen chairs in preference to his chew toys but I made a solution of hot chilli powder and water and painted the chair legs, one sniff and he decided he'd prefer to chew his toys. It worked so much better than the bought anti chew stuff, I've also put some on a rug which he started to chew, fortunately it's chilli coloured!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I am utterly befuddled, we have had father and son, mother and daughter, brother and sister, sisters, unrelated bitches and never had any of these problems. They have been kept outside and inside, elderly, middle-aged and youngsters all together. The only times they have been separated has been when we have had dogs with bitches in season whom we did not want to breed or when the elderly were brought into the house to sleep, when the others were kept in a kennel. We have never had fights.

You do need to be on top of Rottweilers if you don't want them to become unruly but that is part of having clever, big dogs.