Cardboard Whelping Box

The Cardboard Whelping Box. Whether you are breeding your first litter or you are a professional breeder is a great option.  As you approach the date your bitch is due to whelp you will be excited, anxious and vigilant! 

The start of whelping

It is recommended to wait until they are a minimum of two years of age. A dam’s first season around 6-9 months of age and this will repeat in a cycle every 6 months. After mating the bitch will carry the puppies for a gestation period of 63 days – you will notice during this time she becomes larger, her teats grow and towards the end she may start to “nest”. This is the process of making a bed she feels is safe to give birth to her puppies, it is an evolutionary response to the hormones caused by the pregnancy and is seen in wild dogs and wolves where they need to find a location away from predators and the elements. 

The Whelping Box

You can help your bitch choose a suitable area to whelp by providing a cardboard whelping box – this can be anything from a cardboard whelping box to a UPVC plastic puppy whelping box. Ideally it should be 6-8 inches longer than the bitch and 10-12 inches wider to provide enough space for her. A whelping box will not only help the bitch with the nesting process. It ensures you have a safe place to keep the puppies. It is hygienic in the case of accidents and birth.  In an emergency can be transported and used at a veterinary practice to provide reassurance to your bitch with her familiar scents.

If you are expecting a litter and are looking for puppy whelping boxes, visit Petnap.  Petnap offer a range of types from disposable one off use boxes or UPVC Plastic whelping boxes to hire.