My First Fosters - Our 3rd Week The puppies are officially outgrowing their crate and play area. My Amazon orders started arriving one by one — no specific order, just chaos — but everything was marked “ASAP,” and I meant it. The first lifesaver: playpen panels. I set them up in my office and laid down absorbent feeding mats to protect my floors. They soak up accidents fast, stay in place, and honestly work better (and cheaper) than washable pee pads. Plus, I didn’t want the pups thinking blankets = potty pads. Just my personal preference. I also got hanging food and water bowls for the playpen. No more spills, no more bowls getting kicked over, peed on, or worse. And yes — it will happen. As for feeding, I believe puppies should have constant access unless weight becomes an issue. My 11‑year‑old grazes and never overeats, but a family member had a Lab who would eat until he threw up. So feeding really depends on the dog. The new playpen setup was perfect — more space, more sleeping spots, and the crate stayed open 24/7. They free‑roamed unless I was cleaning, because if something is in your hand… they will try to take it. At the same time, I kept teaching crate time: sitting patiently while I cleaned, then starting all over again. Then came our first backyard adventure. It’s still cold here in California, so we only stayed out a few minutes. At first, they didn’t know what to make of the grass. Then suddenly — running, playing, peeing, pooping — and within minutes they were exhausted. We carried each pup back inside, gave them water, and they passed out instantly. Watching them run outside for the first time was beautiful. My yard is safe for unvaccinated pups; it’s just been too cold to bring them out sooner. By mid‑week, they had their second round of vaccines and deworming. They didn’t cry at all — brave little pups. More to come……