A whelping box, also known as a birthing box or nesting pen, is designed to protect puppies during birth (whelping) and early life. The whelping box will keep them safely contained, protected from the cold and safe from the dangers of crushing or smothering by the mother.

Most whelping boxes will have a low railing, which is commonly referred to as ‘pig rails or roll-bars.’ Usually fixed to the inside perimeter of the box, this rail will protect newborn puppies from being crushed by the mother if she were to roll over during birth or while asleep. These ‘pig rails’ are needed for all types of dogs, however, are especially important for larger dog breeds. 

At Kennelstore, we recommend setting up your whelping box and introducing the mother to it around a week before she is due to give birth. By doing this, she is able to adjust and get comfortable with the box before her puppies arrive.

Many professional breeders will often choose a small room in their home or kennel that is secluded and quiet to set up their whelping box. However, if you do not have access to a spare room, then we recommend placing your whelping box in a big enough corner. 

There are many different types of whelping boxes to choose from, including stainless steel and wooden boxes, however, the most important thing to consider is comfort and size. Whelping boxes come in many different sizes, so it’s important to ensure that the one you choose is one and a half to two times the length of the dam, so she can stretch out in full length with room to spare. 

Many dog owners like to line their whelping boxes with shredded newspaper, however, we recommend avoiding this as the pups may chew and eat the paper. Instead, we suggest, using blankets, wood shavings or even sand. It’s also essential to have an appropriate heat source over your whelping box to keep the newborn litter warm. Your heat source could include the likes of heat lamps, electric or water-filled heating pads, and microwavable heating pads.

Some puppies may leave their whelping box at around three weeks old. However, we recommend keeping your new pups in their box until they can fully open their eyes, and have strong mobility. It’s important to monitor this on a case to case basis, as all dog litters mature differently.

It’s essential that the mother stays with the pups for the first few weeks of their life to allow for some crucial bonding. Following this, it is just as important to give the mother some time alone to fully rest and have time for herself. For example, this includes her own separate feeding time and walk, exercise grooming and time with the owner. Once the pups become more active and mobile they will require fewer feeds from the mother, which means the mother can then be separated more frequently during the day. However, we recommend keeping the mother and her pups together at nighttime.