Setting up your Whelping Box
Your whelping box is one of the most important and most used tools in your arsenal as a breeder. There’s a few factors you will need to consider as you are planning your whelping area.
Ask yourself these questions:
Do you need a permanent setup? Do you have a dedicated whelping area?
What are your priorities? Space or convenience?
Do you have dams that get along or do you need additional separation? How will you manage it if the dams fight post-whelp?
How will you manage older puppy climbers?
Designing your whelping box to fit your dam and your space, while keeping in mind the growing and changing needs of the litter and dam over the 8 week course is vital.
Whelping Box Dimensions – A box that is too large can have the risk of newborn puppies getting lost and unable to find their way back to their mother/heat. A box that is too small increases the risk of the dam stepping or lying on a newborn. Most Pomsky breeders have found that a whelping box 48”x48” has been ideal. Some Pomsky breeders have smaller plastic swimming pools kept inside the larger area as a way to corral the newborn puppies closer to the dam and heat source until they are moving well.
Side Wall Height – Flexibility is necessary for the sidewall height. From newborn to 2 weeks, puppies cannot climb over 4” in most instances. To keep from switching out your entire setup to add height as puppies begin to climb out of the box, you can set the height of the main box for 12” for the first 3 weeks. Then from there, either add to the wall height with a solid wall or an exercise pen to prevent climbing. 12” also allows breeders to sit beside the whelping area and easily lean over to play with and begin socializing the puppies.
Floor – This is a critical decision. What floor will be used under your whelping box. Is it porous like carpet or concrete? Does it need to be protected like hardwood? Is it cold due to not being insulated? If you are in your home, adding a piece of laminate flooring is an easy and cheap way to protect your current floor. If you are whelping litters in a basement/garage/barn, the floors are cold to the touch depending on the season. So, consider building with a raised wooden floor that sits 2″ off the ground to keep the pups off the cold cement floor with a sheet of Styrofoam insulation between the layers.
Puppy Rails – Install a pig rail around the inside edge of the whelping box approximately 5 inches off the floor to keep the dam from pinning a puppy between her body and the wall causing suffocation. If you search YouTube, there are a wealth of DIY whelping pig rail instructions or you can purchase a ready made system like EZWhelp.
Absorbent lining – Whelping boxes will need to have an absorbent lining to soak up puppy urine to keep it away from the puppies. The Dam will eat the puppy poo for the first 4 weeks until the puppies begin on solid foods. Below are what some of our Pomsky breeders use and the pros/cons of each:
Towels or blankets can be used but there are disadvantages to them. They should not be used with newborn puppies as puppies can be trapped or lost between the layers. Towels and blankets do not provide the best traction for puppies when they are trying to cuddle close to the nipples.
Some will use rubber backed bath mats. Large ones that fit the whelping area are difficult to find and wash. Some may piece them together but that also provides a disadvantage similar to the towel/blanket dilemma.
Indoor/outdoor carpeting for the first few weeks in the whelping box can be used with success. It does need to be cut to size to fit the box. It requires a thorough washing to remove all chemical residue and to soften the nap. At least 2 pieces would be needed, one to use while the other is cleaned.
Veterinary fleece bed liners. Come in various sizes and are easily found. These pads are designed to absorb liquids to keep puppies from laying in urine, and are easily cleaned. They are thick and allow puppies to get good traction. Look for ones with rubber backing, as they usually stay in place and do not face the same bunching that towels/blankets do. They are expensive but you can buy in bulk for a greater discount. You can either purchase exact dimensions or a roll of a larger size to cut.
Location is KEY - Where do you plan to place the whelping box for birth? Is it a nice quiet place where the dam can be comfortable? Where do you put the puppies as they get older and more adventurous?
Noise Levels – Make sure the location is in a place convenient for you to monitor the dam and puppies. It is best to whelp puppies inside the house. Dams are notorious for whelping overnight, so having her a dark comfortable place inside your home is also a benefit to you. Find an area convenient but with low traffic, quiet and dark. Your dam will need to feel like her puppies will be safe. Remember that dams with newborns are not the normal dog you have the rest of the year. She may be temperamental and very protective of her newborns. Giving her a quiet and secluded place to nest with her babies will prevent her from becoming overstressed and possibly hurting the puppies - which is every breeder’s nightmare. Once the puppies begin to open their eyes and move about, you will notice the dam is not as protective as she once was. This is when you can move the whelping areas to more noisier areas of the house to allow the socialization of household noises to begin.
Temperature – Temperature is a key factor in the success of newborns. Chilled babies cannot digest their food and quickly fade. So you must be able to control the temperature of the whelping box. A draft free room during cool weather is critical. Strategically place an adjustable heat lamp in one corner of the whelping box. Puppies that are 3 weeks old do not need the heat that newborns do, so the ability to lower the heat is important. There’s a fine balance needed as the puppies need the warmth, but often the dam does not. So heating the whelping box is better on the dam than heating the entire area. There are hard plastic heat mats (Kane is a well known brand) that can be used under the main whelping area as well. Word of caution - dams may chew the cord so encasing it in a PVC pipe or similar will keep her from chewing it and possibility electrocuting herself (as with any electrical cords near the whelping box). Keeping a thermometer near the floor under the heat lamp is a good way to monitor the area to keep the puppies warm enough but not too hot. I always keep a thermometer fastened securely to the whelping box and near the floor under the heat lamp so I can monitor that the area is warm enough to prevent the puppies from chilling but not overheating. Both options of heat lamp and/or heat mat are a matter of preference.
Dam’s Needs – Don’t be surprised when your dam refuses to leave the whelping box for potty breaks. She prepares by defecating before her birthing process begins and can often hold out for 12+ hours post whelp. And she will be in high protection mode with her puppies. It is a good idea to have a larger xpen area with pee pads in case she refuses to leave the whelping box and has an accident. Dams will eat the placentas during birth. Most breeders try not to allow their dam to eat more than 4 as it can cause diarrhea. By providing her an area away from the whelping box if she cannot hold this will be of benefit to you as well.
Water - The dam must have access to fresh water at all times very close to the whelping box. She will barely leave the box for the first week or two, so have the water within easy reach.
Food/Supplements - Give your dam access to food 24/7. You will also want to increase her calcium after the birth of the first puppy and closely watch her for signs of calcium deficiency.
Vaginal discharge - The dam will have a discharge for 2-4 weeks post birth. It is often heavy and messy, so take this into consideration in the location of the whelping box.
Expansion needs – Puppies grow so fast! It is only about 4 weeks from the time they are the little wriggly potatoes to where they are climbing over the walls and ready to explore! Mom has begun the weaning process and now you are starting to see the poop appear. If you are not well prepared for this stage, you will also have DIRTY poopy puppies as they will walk/sleep/crawl through their poop. So now you need to consider expansion. Check out our next article on the Weaning Pen and play area.
