[Waterdog611]

Looking for recommendations on whelping boxes. Thanks in advance.

 

[T. Mac]

There are lots of options depending on your whims and the number of times you expect to use your box. Many who do not plan on breeding often use the plastic toddler swimming pools that come in various sizes. I use a wooden box. Cost to build is about $50 if you have the tools; drill and jig saw. Get a sheet of 1/2" sanded plywood and cut 4 ea 2 x 4 pieces (many stores will cut it for you if you ask). Also get a pair of hinges and a couple barrel latches and a 10' length of 2x2. If you want to add pig rails, get a couple sets of closet pole brackets and a length of closet pole. On one piece of the plywood carefully cut an 18" wide by 12" deep notch in the center of the boards length. Sand all edges of the cut plywood and the cut out piece. Re-attach the cutout using the hinges and barrel latches. Cut the 2x2 into 2 ea at 24" and 2 ea at 30". Screw the plywood to the 2x2s to form your box. The higher 2x2s give a place to attach a heat lamp if needed. If you want to add the pig rails (I had them when I first started but never felt they were that useful but more in the way) attach your brackets to the front and back panels about 8" up and out from the corners. Cut the pole to length and then slide pole into the brackets. The cutout door can be left down until after weaning and then raised to contain the pups in the box. Depending on the size of your room and the size of your litter, you may want to extend the sides of the box to 6-8' after weaning as the pups become much more energetic. Or you may opt to just substitute an ex-pen at that time. For the floor cover I use EZwhelp pads https://www.amazon.com/s?k=ezwhelp+washable+whelping+&+puppy+pad&ref=nb_sb_noss. These will just fit under the 4' x 4' box. You will need to double them up for a larger box.

Or there are many commercially available options that can be found using a search of the net. Just remember that the pups teeth begin coming in at about 4 weeks and from then on they have a tendency to chew stuff up. On my wooden box, I occasionally need to change the 2x2 posts, but the front panel is the same one I started with in 1995. I have left the wood on my box raw (untreated), but I know of some who seal the wood with a vegetable oil coating to make for easier cleaning.


Picture of my box in use

 

[Tobias]

As T-Mac wrote, some use plastic pools.... $16 + $20 for the RV sewer hose. I purchased a K&H outdoor heating pad ($60, I think) and put it under the pool in the middle so that the pups would converge to the center with a piece of berber carpet inside the pool - next time I will probably use the whelping pads T-Mac suggested... Overall I was very happy with the pool whelping box.

 

[Waterdog611]

Thanks much! I really appreciate all the details

 

[Tom Conner]

Another option, take your project to a local cabinet shop and ask them to build it for you using melamine board for your side panels and floor. You might prefer a design that can be easily assembled and disassembled many times and stores away in a small footprint. Melamine is durable, easy to clean and disinfect. My design had the panels fit to the outside of the raised floor board but not attached. I place a rubber back sheet material on the floor and set the box rails over the top to secure the sheet. You can have them put a door on one of the panels.