# Those that use Pine pellets for puppies bathroom area



## achiro (Jun 17, 2003)

Have you had any problems with the pups trying to eat the pellets? Mine seemed to want to put it in their mouth right away so I am back to newspaper for now.


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## Last Frontier Labs (Jan 3, 2003)

I am starting the pellets today. I was told that at first they will try to eat them, but soon stop. One friend said she put a urine scented "wee wee pad" under the pellets to let the pups know right away what the area was for.


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## achiro (Jun 17, 2003)

Last Frontier Labs said:


> I am starting the pellets today. I was told that at first they will try to eat them, but soon stop. One friend said she put a urine scented "wee wee pad" under the pellets to let the pups know right away what the area was for.


So if they eat them is it an issue?


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## Last Frontier Labs (Jan 3, 2003)

achiro said:


> So if they eat them is it an issue?


Are they the pellets that are made of compressed sawdust? If so, I don't think there would be a problem... hopefully someone else will chime in and I'll make a couple of calls too.


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## FetchExpress (May 31, 2006)

Not that it helps... I have raised 2 litters of pups with fireplace pellets. A couple of pups ate at them at first and then quite. All the pups are 8 months to 2 years old and doing fine. My whelping box has an attachment that gives them an area to "go" away from the main box. I did notice a couple of the pups liked to dig in the pellets and I would find toys somewhat buried sometimes but other than that no issues. The thing I liked most... since the pups are in the house in my dining room area the smell was much better!


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## yellow machine (Dec 7, 2005)

I have a litter due June 1rst. Where do you purchase your pine pellets?


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## Last Frontier Labs (Jan 3, 2003)

I'm getting mine at Lowe's, but there are lots of places that carry them.


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## windycanyon (Dec 21, 2007)

I've never had a problem, but always put some soiled newspaper on top (I use a kids swim pool w/ a "doorway" cut out). I think getting the pups using them sooner vs later helps on the munching though as another friend w/ Goldens has had a problem w/ her pups eating them. I move my litters from the house to my attached garage (where the potty pool is set up inside of an ex pen) at 3-4 wks, depending on the weather. My friend's pups were a couple weeks older before she changed from the shavings to pellets.


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## C. Johnson (Mar 21, 2004)

How often do you change the pellets/clean them out?


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## Certainty (Apr 17, 2008)

I am going to have to give these a try! We have a litter due mid May, and I too, like whelping them in the house.


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## Vicky Trainor (May 19, 2003)

I have not tried the pellets with any litter but use them all the time in my horse trailer. I'm not sure if we are talking about the same thing, but the pellets that I use with the horses become like saw dust when wetted down and allowed to expand.

I would be cautious and worried about the pups eating the pellets and becoming blocked or even having GI upset. I used to use pine shavings until I had a pup ingest them and caused GI upset. I went back to using newspaper that I put through a cross-cut paper shredder.


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## DMA (Jan 9, 2008)

C. Johnson said:


> How often do you change the pellets/clean them out?


Poop Scoop a couple times a day and depending on the litter size replace pellets every 4-6 days. 1 1/2 bags works good in the pool.

I am not the breeder but she does let me throw birds and clean turds. Here is a photo of her set up.

*http://www.rattlingridgelabs.com/MCpupswk5.html*

These are the horse bedding pellets.


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## windycanyon (Dec 21, 2007)

DMA said:


> Poop Scoop a couple times a day


DMA, I can hear Joan now-- "where were you??"  With my litter of 11, I can guarantee you I was scooping SEVERAL times a day (and night!), and counted my blessings that they figured the potty pool out fast! I do think the key is to get them out in the expen/pool set up at ~3-3.5 wks if at all possible. 

Way less smell w/ the pellets too, btw-- and just cleaner all around. I always hated shavings since they find their way into the laundry, etc.


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## Last Frontier Labs (Jan 3, 2003)

Well, of my 4, 2 have already figured it out after 2 days. Do not use wee wee pads underneath... they will try to shred them. I put a towel over the pellets. Every time they peed the floor, I wiped it up with the towel and put the towel back in the pee box on top of the pellets.

I am pleased with the results so far and they are not eating the pellets.


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## windycanyon (Dec 21, 2007)

Last Frontier Labs said:


> Well, of my 4, 2 have already figured it out after 2 days.
> Do not use wee wee pads underneath...they will try to shred them.
> I put a towel over the pellets. Everytime they peed the floor, I wiped it up with the towel and put the towel back in the pee box on top of the pellets.
> I am pleased with the results so far and they are not eating the pellets.


Yep, that's a good way to do it too. I intro'd mine w/ using stinky newspaper the first couple days (from the whelping box), put it in the far back corner from the "doorway" and that worked too. They were too young to figure out at that point that newspaper shredding was fun.  To transition them from the box, I also put one of their blankies in the pool initially so they would think it was a good place to be. I was also there constantly after they woke up that first day and put them on the paper to do their deeds.


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## DUCK DGS (Nov 29, 2007)

What kind of pellets are we talking about?  i.e. what are they marketed for? 
I'd like to give them a try.

Sue


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## windycanyon (Dec 21, 2007)

The brand I've got now are ABM but I think one brand is Barn Dry or something like that. They are non toxic pellets made specifically for animal bedding. If you have a Cenex or similar feed store near you, they'd likely carry it.


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## Jo Ann Reynolds (Jul 2, 2007)

The brand I get in Connecticut is called WoodyPet and they are made for horse stalls. You can buy the fireplace pellets but the WoodyPet smells better and is cleaner.

My breeder potty trained her litter of 11 and it was a beautiful thing. My pup came knowing how to use his potty and so had very few accidents in the house. I never had to worry about him while I was at work because he had a place to go and housebreaking has not been an issue. At first he would run to his potty when he had to go but I always took him out at the appropriate times (after meals, upon awakening) and soon he was sitting at the door to go out when he had to. He is 4/5 months old now and rarely uses his potty while I'm at work, if he does it's only to pee.

He never ate the pellets but my older dogs tried to eat the fireplace pellets which I had at first.

It's a great method.


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## DUCK DGS (Nov 29, 2007)

Thanks! I'm going to try the pellets right away. I've always used the pine shavings in a specified potty area - it really does make housebreaking easier -but those shavings track EVERYWHERE! What a mess! 

Sue


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## Last Frontier Labs (Jan 3, 2003)

I am just using the ones made for a pellet fed woodstove.


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## Chris S. (Dec 15, 2004)

Hughest, I thought this was a helpful thread for my litter a few years ago.

RTR


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## Buzz (Apr 27, 2005)

I was told by my vet to stay away from sawdust or wood pellets because he had to get some pups unblocked up from eating it. I read about ground corn cobbs on the other thread and plan to. He k into it. I get the impression that folks use these thing sort of like a litter box for a cat? Has anyone put the pine pellets on the ground outside when transitioning to going potty outside?


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## sterregold (May 27, 2005)

I've used them for three litters without problem. There is also a newsprint based pellet called Yesterdays News that is found with the kitty litter that I have used as an alternative to the pine pellets. I send a ziplock bag of it home with each pup--new owners put it in the corner of the yard they want pup to use as the potty and have reported that the pup seems to know exactly what to do when they get their feet on it!


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## Sabireley (Feb 2, 2005)

To train them initially, do you put them in the pool, or just let them discover it? I can see how the urine towels would help them recognize what to do. I had a litter of 14 born yesterday, and the are in the house (walkout basement). This should help contain the mess.

Steve


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## ErinsEdge (Feb 14, 2003)

Buzz said:


> I was told by my vet to stay away from sawdust or wood pellets because he had to get some pups unblocked up from eating it. I read about ground corn cobbs on the other thread and plan to. He k into it. I get the impression that folks use these thing sort of like a litter box for a cat? Has anyone put the pine pellets on the ground outside when transitioning to going potty outside?


I tried pellets once in the beginning and they didn't work as well as the fine pine shavings. Like I said, I had a friend that had a puppy get impacted by coarse shavings. I also put the shavings outside so when the pups go outside they use them. I then tell buyers to place some shavings in the spot they want the pups to go when they go to their new homes. Most of the pups are just attracted to the boxes and jump in naturally. The very first time you use a new box you might have to throw some soiled newspaper in there.


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## Sharon Potter (Feb 29, 2004)

I use the pine pellets... but I use them as directed for horse stalls. I wet them first to let the pellets break up and expand. It leaves a very inviting potty area of fine sawdust, which is not appetizing like a pellet, yet absorbs well and is easy to clean. When they've expanded, the resulting material is just a bit damp but not wet, which keeps the dust down.


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## ErinsEdge (Feb 14, 2003)

Sharon Potter said:


> I use the pine pellets...but I use them as directed for horse stalls. I wet them first to let the pellets break up and expand. It leaves a very inviting potty area of fine sawdust, which is not appetizing like a pellet, yet absorbs well and is easy to clean. When they've expanded, the resulting material is just a bit damp but not wet, which keeps the dust down.


That sounds like the right way to use them. I can't imagine what would happen to a puppy that ingested one dry and it expanded in him. Just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean one of them might not try it.


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## Cindy Read (Nov 13, 2004)

With my terriers, I use the wood burning pellets once they are using the litter box. I start with a clumping cat litter that is made from pine and corn. Puppies never tried to eat it. Once they were using it well I added a small amout of pellets. They picked up a few but never ate any. Now their litter box is 100% pellets. Use a cat scoop to scoop out the moist pellets and the poop. Also have a small space of indoor-outdoor carpet next to the litter box with news paper under it. They will pee on it if someone else is in the litter box. I can wash the carpet and when I move them outside the carpet goes out with them. When I go to shows I take a small section along to use in the x-pens till they learn it's OK to go inside on sawdust or shavings. 

Cindy R.


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## Billie (Sep 19, 2004)

When my pups move out, there's Stall mats on the floor of the puppy barn(on top of concrete floor-, it insulates from the cold floor better). Last litter, I used pine shavings, as I always have. but found that they were not very absorbent with the mats on the bottom. Urine soaked thru the shavings like I've never noticed before. This was my first litter in the barn with the mats. Does anyone have these mats down on the floor, and what do you use, shavings or pellets, and which is more absorbent. I want to do it better again, this time if possible. I'll move them out from the house, at about 3-4 weeks.

Thanks


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## Sharon Potter (Feb 29, 2004)

My 12 x 12 puppy area in the kennel building has rubber mats, and I use the pine pellets. They absorb better than shavings, and are very easy to clean. I always soak the pellets to break them down, and the urine will clump almost like cat litter. Very easy to clean, and much less wast than shavings, plus less waste.


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## Billie (Sep 19, 2004)

Sharon Potter said:


> My 12 x 12 puppy area in the kennel building has rubber mats, and I use the pine pellets. They absorb better than shavings, and are very easy to clean. I always soak the pellets to break them down, and the urine will clump almost like cat litter. Very easy to clean, and much less wast than shavings, plus less waste.


Thats it, I'm going to to use the pellets this time. They are more $$ but as much shavings as I went through, last litter, probably amts. to the same. And, when the breeze comes through-it blows the shavings EVERYWHERE...
Thanks


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## North Mountain (Oct 20, 2003)

Okay, I have a small litter ready for potty training. How do you wet the pellets? How much do you wet them? Spray bottle or hose  ?


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## Sharon Potter (Feb 29, 2004)

I use 1 bag in a 12x12 stall. I put the bag in, and use a knife to slit the bag from corner to corner to form a big X. Then I put about two and a half gallons of water in, let it sit for about five minutes until it expands out the top, dump it out, and spread it around. That leaves it thick enough that it can still absorb urine, yet thin enough that picking poop isn't a treasure hunt.

It is a good idea to lightly spritz them every couple of days to keep the dust down. I use a watering can for flowers.


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## North Mountain (Oct 20, 2003)

Dang, now I have to do some math. With only 3 pups I will use my smaller 2x4 area for shavings and the 4x4 box for sleeping/playing. Still dusty a bit dusty though? That is one thing I don't like about the pine shavings.


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## Sharon Potter (Feb 29, 2004)

Not dusty at all if you keep them just slightly damp.


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