DIY Whelping Box

DIY Whelping Box is more than just a birth or delivery place. For instance it is a place where the new offspring will be residing for around the first 2 months of their life.

It must have four corners with a length of between 10 and 20 inches on each corner. The mum has to be able to enter and exit the whelping box from the front entrance, so ensure the door is the right size.

What’s the Ideal Size of a Whelping Box?

It varies, depending on the breed of the dog.

Beyond everything the dog should be able to stretch and lie comfortably inside the box, obviously they need to also move about comfortable within or outside the whelping box.

In order to determine the right size, you can refer to puppy forums, other breeders, breeding websites, or consult your vet.

How To Make a Whelping Box at Home

Whelping boxes are sometimes made using a number of materials and techniques, both recycled and new. What defines it is the box’s material’s durability and usefulness for puppies and mothers, hence its construction and the material’s safety for the pups are one of their most essential features.

Below are some instructions on how to create a DIY whelping box:

Hardwood Cutting

1. Cut a .80-inch (1.8 cm) thick wood sheet into two. The opening dimensions of the hardwood sheet must be 5 feet (1.4 m) by 10 feet (2.5 m). On the hardwood piece, draw the midpoint using a ruler and pencil. Use a circular or a hand saw to cut through the wood piece.
2. You may ask about having the hardwood sliced at the hardware store or craft store where you purchased it.
3. Keep a 5 feet (1.4 m) square of hardwood for the flooring. You should cut the hardwood sheet twice to create a square. These squares will be the foundation of the whelping box.
4. Make 3 strips, each 18 inches (42 cm) broad and 5 feet (1.4 m) long. These pieces will serve as the whelping box’s exterior walls. Make strips by marking the dimensions on to the hardwood using a ruler and a pencil.
5. Create a strip that covers 1.5 in (3 cm), 4.5 ft (1.5 m), and 1.5 ft (0.5 m). The pregnant dog can easily exit the whelping box through these strips, which will serve as a door. Then again, when you slice this piece, mark its boundary with a ruler and a pencil.
6. For bigger dogs, increase the height of the entrance by a few inches.

Building the Box

1. Use a comfortable material with a self-adhesive coating to coat the 5 feet (1.4 m) square. You need to check the materials before you put them in. Estimate the size of the material using a pencil and a ruler where necessary. Use scissors to cut the material into parts.
2. Place the comfortable fabric on the hardwood, and then use a stapler to attach it.
3. Rub the fabric with your thumbs to eliminate any trapped air or air pockets.
4. Use a stapler to attach the comfortable fabric to the hardwood. The self-adhesive fabric should adhere to the hardwood. Even though the fabric appears stable, this might move, and the pups could nibble on this. Attach the fabric to the floor of the box using the stapler. If you want additional protection, put staple pins between two separate pieces of fabric. Set the stapler to bind the edges of the first and the second piece.

Building the Box continued……

1. Arrange the 35ft (1.5 m) big strip pieces across the floor’s edges. Ensure the strips are exactly aligned with the box’s floor. The whelping box’s three sidewalls will be made up of these strips.
2. After you’re done, combine the three strips to make a “U” curve across the flooring borders.
3. Use a 1.5-inch (3.8 cm) drilling bit to make small holes in the floor and walls. If necessary, get someone else to support each wall while you make a hole into the hardwood while standing on the hardwood flooring. Create a small hole, one at each of its corners and in the middle of the walls.
4. Once you’re done, each sidewall must have a small hole in the center, one on its right and one on its left sides.
5. Use 1.5-inch (3.8 cm) bolts to fasten the sidewalls to the flooring. The sidewalls of the box should be fastened to the flooring using bolts and your screwdriver. To tighten up the screws or bolts, twist them clockwise. Move the screwdriver till it becomes quite challenging to do so. Push the sidewalls with moderate strength once all the bolts are in. Take a hammer’s help to tighten the bolts if they jiggle or seem unstable.
6. Align the entrance sheet and tighten it to the flooring. Once the entrance sheet is aligned with the flooring of the whelping box, make holes on the right side and left center of the piece once again. The entrance sheet should be fastened to the rest of the box with 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) bolts, which you may find in your toolbox. Repeat the process with the entrance sheet if more bolts and holes are required to fix the walls properly.

Conclusion on DIY Whelping Box

Of course after going through this blog, you must have a clearer and better idea understanding how making your whelping box at home. Making a secure place before your puppies and your pregnant dog is necessary.

You need to collect the right in particular materials and choose the ideal location at home.  You will also need to determining the amount of space you will need. Building a simple structure out of hardwood or infact someting of similarly like plasterboard and then stuffing it with the likes of newspaper or linens before adding the finishing details like nesting boxes, doorways, and ramps are all steps described in the blog.

If you are really not feeling the time and effort is for you then a great alternative is petnaps disposable whelping boxes which are great value for money and can be found here