# What do you use for a whelping box?



## bluemoonluck (Oct 28, 2008)

I've always used a big plastic baby pool with an expen around it for a whelping box. It contains all liquids and is easy to clean. But (especially if it's a big litter - more than 3) the pups really don't have enough room much past 3 or 4 weeks in even the biggest baby pool. Plus once they hit about 3 weeks, they can crawl out of the pool - expens are square and they leave gaps for the pups to squeeze between the pool and the expen. 

I've thought about getting a few sheets of plastic lattice (with the smaller weave/holes) and wrapping that around the pool, because that's flexible and would make it more escape-proof.....

My house is all either carpeted or hardwood, so I can't put them on a bare floor. My last litter, out of desperation (6 pups!!) I put a sheet of linoleoum down and put an expen on it, and used duct tape to keep the expen from sliding everywhere :ashamed: Of course the pups chewed on the duct tape and I was constantly replacing it :hammer:

I've seen some nice set-ups online (I'd LOVE one of these plus the attachable weaning pen, but  the price!! www.thewhelpingbox.com). I've heard horror stories about using wood, and it'd be chewed to bits in no time anyway, so that's out. And those cheap corregated plastic things that they charge $300+ for are just a rip off as far as I'm concerned.

So for those of you who raise litters in your home - what do you use??


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## Taylor R. (Apr 3, 2013)

We built one using left-over fence pickets around a pallet with plywood on the top, which we laid linoleum on. One whole side was attached with hinges and framed in on the inside of the box. It was constructed entirely of scraps, but took up a TON of room.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

Wow that is a nice whelping box BML! So much has changed since my dad bred dogs, I met a nice couple who raise mini Dach and they'er describing one with a floor they can raise or lower as the pups grow so they don't have to work so hard. It wasn't set up at the time  They also have a human baby incubator with heat, Oxygen control and humidity controls. I gotta say those little Dachs are incredibly cute.


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

Oh gosh, I always used a home made wooden box with 1' sides for my English Setters. I had a basement with concrete floors and just put a large ex-pen around it and let them have plenty of space and plenty of newspapers! I remember making a tent over it with a sheet to keep out drafts and hanging a lamp for additional heat. It was 4' square, had a plywood floor and 1' sides. One of them was split and hinged down to let the little buggers out once they were 3 or so weeks old. 

My Silky Terriers whelped in the raised floor 3' by 3' puppy pens in a 100 dog crate! I could adjust the floor two or three heights and it had a lid. Way too small for you though! 

We made a wooden box for my Beagles decades ago that had a heated floor. My husband made a removable base with some lights and a thermostat to heat the floor and an enclosed box with pig rails to sit on it. The top of the box came off to access mom and pups, it was a sweet deal, but the Beagles didn't chew things up like that!


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## Rock (Jan 5, 2009)

I use a 4x4x2 plywood box, with 2 piece hinged lid, creep rails are 2"x4" set on 45 degree 2x4 angled corner blocks. (No square corners for pups to get stuck in under the rails) Vinal remnant for the floor. 
Have a 14" wide 45 degree plywood seat 16' off the floor in one corner, so I can be in there if needed. It sits on 2x4 cleats screwed thru the side wall, can be removed when no longer needed in under 2 minutes with the cordless drill. I also have a medical stand (the wheeled thing with stainless tray) within reach of the seat, holding supplies.
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If I was setting up in a carpeted area, I would build a sub floor platform. 4x8' box out of 2x4"s on edge with a center runner. 1/2"plywood on that, then I would rip some 6" x 8' long strips of plywood, (duct tape or other barrier, the bottom edge to keep from possibly snaging the carpet,) screw them to the outside edge. Now you have a 4x8' plywood pool 2" deep. Line that with linoleum, going up the sides. put the ex pen inside with 1/2"x2"x4" plywood washers, screwing into the perimeter plywood.

You could do the same on hardwood but get Dow Blueboard insulation (the kind for foundations it wont compress much at all) and cut full length pads for the platform to rest on.


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## bluemoonluck (Oct 28, 2008)

Taylor R. said:


> We built one using left-over fence pickets around a pallet with plywood on the top, which we laid linoleum on. One whole side was attached with hinges and framed in on the inside of the box. It was constructed entirely of scraps, but took up a TON of room.


You don't happen to have any pics of this, do you? My BIL is pretty handy, but he's not around much (he lives in TN and comes up every few months).... if I had good plans maybe I could get him to help me build it.

I'm also worried about where I'd put a home-built box when it's not in use. We have 3 kids who live here full time (soon to be 4 :grin plus we get my DH's 3 kids on a regular basis...plus 8 dogs and the cat.... :stars: Lets just say that every square inch of this house is utilized! 

I've been cruising around cyberspace for weeks, the the box that I put the link for in my OP is the best thing I've seen. And I could take it apart when it's not in use to store it. And I'm sure it's worth every penny that they're charging for it! It's just soooo not in the budget right now


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## Taylor R. (Apr 3, 2013)

I don't, but it was pretty basic. Just built each side separately, like three privacy fence panels plus a gate, screwed them onto the base and each other, then the gate attached with heavy duty hinges. You could just unscrew the sides and hinge and store the panels and bottoms taken apart. We got to where we could put it up and tear it down in under 20 minutes.

I'll keep looking for a digital picture. It's been 8 years since we bred my boxer for the last time. I know there is one framed at my mom's.


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## bluemoonluck (Oct 28, 2008)

Taylor R. said:


> I don't, but it was pretty basic. Just built each side separately, like three privacy fence panels plus a gate, screwed them onto the base and each other, then the gate attached with heavy duty hinges. You could just unscrew the sides and hinge and store the panels and bottoms taken apart. We got to where we could put it up and tear it down in under 20 minutes.
> 
> I'll keep looking for a digital picture. It's been 8 years since we bred my boxer for the last time. I know there is one framed at my mom's.


Thanks!

So if I wanted the sides to be, maybe, 3 feet tall....I could cut 6-foot privacy fencing in half? I'm pretty :gaptooth: when it comes to carpentry :runforhills:


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## Taylor R. (Apr 3, 2013)

We left the pickets intact, otherwise momma boxer might hurt herself trying to jump out, but you could cut them down.


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