Registered: Jan 2004
Location: West Tn.
Posts: 10

I plan on breeding my female in Jan. and would like your thoughts on what whelping box design to use.

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Registered: May 2004
Location: in the hills of wv
Posts: 465

if you lived in wv i'd let you have the box i used when my gyp had pups.if you have a way to get the box your more than welcome to it i am located in wva

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stacy r. bates
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Registered: Jan 2004
Location: West Tn.
Posts: 10

btt

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we made our box out of plywood and 2x2 's . It was 42" x42" x 36". We also ran a pig rail around the inside of the box (about 6" from the bottom and 4" wide) to keep the mother from laying on the pups. We spread newspaper on the bottom for warmth and clean up. It also gave our female something to destroy during nesting. I wouldn't recommend cloth because pups can get fuzz in their mouths and sufficate although some people do use it. Puppy training pads (you can get them at walmart) work well as liner (for after the pups are whelped and the female isn't tearing up too much) but are less cost effective than the cheap newspaper alternative.

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Registered: Jan 2004
Location: West Tn.
Posts: 10

How tall would you make the door opening from the floor of the box. I plan on making the top of the box hinged.

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we left a 6" gap between the floor and the bottom of the opening so the pup can't get out. we made to opening on our box the same size as on on a regular dog house. about 24" x 24"

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Registered: Apr 2004
Location: Gadsden, AL
Posts: 508

I built mine 5'x5& 4' tall. It has a hinged top with a 2x4 screwed in to hold the top up for cleaning. I came off the floor 3" and attached 1x5's all the way around so the mother can not lay on the pups. I used plexiglass on all sides and bottom for easy cleaning and disinfecting. I know that sounds big, but the bigger the whelping box the better.

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Shinbone Ridge English Kennels
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Gadsden, AL
Home (256)546-4464
Cell (256)504-7235
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Registered: Dec 2003
Location: Gold Beach, Oregon
Posts: 324

This is a stupid question, but how does the pig rail keep the bitch from laying on the pups? They always seem to be balled up near the middle, and she seems to wrap herself around them when she lays down. Are the pups supposed to crawl out to the edges and lay under the rail when momma steps out of the box for a minute? Thanks for the insight.

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