rescue shitzu

Question
We rescued an approximately 1yr old shitzu. Unknown to us...she was pregnant. Had 4 puppies who are now 4 1/2 wks. Everything is going well with the puppies but a few questions on the mom. 1. We starting to feed the pups (water and puppie food (blended). How do we leave it for the pups and not let mom eat it?? Do we try to leave it out or offer the food 3-4 times a day and try to keep mom away?? 2. How do we keep the mom from cleaning up after the pups? We have created a big area for sleeping, training. Everytime they use the paper (which they are great at) she runs and cleans up after them. 3. she wasn't really trained when we rescued her...have been working at it and she is really doing well but we put her in the room with the pups at night and close the door...occasional accidents - normal????
Thanks for the info.

Answer
Everything you are describing is perfectly normal. Since you are trying to housebreak the rescue, I would separate her from the puppies at night and put her in a crate.

Here is what I do at that age. Mom is only with the puppies at specific times of the day, since the idea is to start weaning them away from her.

The puppies are kept confined in a pen, which will be made MUCH smaller when I start housebreaking at five weeks. They are fed a wet kibble mixture three times a day, and when they are done eating, Mom is brought in to finish up whatever might be left. The puppies are allowed to nurse off of her while she cleans up the food, and she is allowed to play with them for about an hour after feeding or until they fall asleep, and then she is removed again. All is supervised, and any poops are quickly cleaned up, hopefully before Mom can get to them. They are allowed to nurse off of her one last time before bedtime... so puppy food 3x and Mom's milk 4x a day. Also, once the kibble is introduced, so is water, which is always available during the day and removed in the evening.

As the weeks go by, the last feeding is dropped, and the kibble is reduced to twice a day (morning and late afternoon). Water is removed at 8PM since the primary goal now is housebreaking. By then, Mom usually is done with nursing, although she is still allowed to play with them... except... if she starts throwing up for them, she is not allowed with them for a few hours after she has eaten.

Think about everything you do with the puppies. The goal is to make dogs who will be the BEST pets for someone in 4-5 weeks. All training is really started now.... handle them frequently, holding them on their backs and waving them through the air. Look in their mouths and ears, and put fingers between their toes. Introduce them to a comb and a brush, and scissors if they are hairy (trim around their feet). Start gearing the potty training toward dogs who will eventually be trained to go outdoors to potty. It is good that they are learning to eliminate on the paper, but you will have to teach them that they can hold everything until they are put outside (hence confining them except for specific times during the day). At this point, all they are learning is how to potty at will, and maybe on paper.

Get the book, How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With, by Rutherford and Neil. Also, read Dr. Carmen Battaglia's Early Neurological Stimulation:  http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/breeding/ensp.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB-yiYXm-10