Where should I put the box for Puppies?

Question

I am wondering where to put a big box for my dog that is due to have puppies just over 2 weeks away.

My mam thinks it should be in the shed but I think it should be in the house because my dog sleeps in the house and when she is in labour and I doubt she will go out to the shed especially since it will probally be at night when she has them and she will be in the house.

What should be put into the box for the puppies and the dog?

And how will I get her to have the puppies in the box?

Answer 1

Question.....where does your dog sleep, as in what part of the house? I have a mama dog who sleeps in my bedroom and when she had puppies her whelping box was in my bedroom for the first 2 weeks of the puppies life because that is where mom was most comfortable after that I moved her to the puppy nursery which is a room in my home that is specifically for moms and puppies. She just wasn't comfortable having her babies there since because it wasn't her relaxing room. Not to mention she's a total mama's girl and wanted to stay close to me. I also did this because I didn't want to wake up one morning to find I had stepped on a puppy because mom had moved them in the night to somewhere she thought was better. After the first 2 weeks she was fine with moving to another room because she had adjusted to having puppies and her mother's instinct had kicked in. This worked great!

Answer 2

When it gets close for your dog to have her puppies you need to put the box somewhere in the house. This is a house dog. Why would you make the dog go outside to have her babies?
You are right if this dog is used to being in the house you will only confuse the poor dog.
You will need to make sure the box has lots of papers in it. That way the mother can make her bed. The puppies will need to be kept inside anyway. They need to be kept warm and safe. You never know what could get the puppies outside or in the shed.

Good Luck

Answer 3

Put the box in a HEATED, quiet room in the house, like a guest bedroom. Put some nice bedding and blankets in there and put your dog in it periodically and let her nest around. Then, when pups are due, she will probably automatically go to the box, but you can take her there on the day she is due to whelp or if you see a contraction. You will need a secondary source of heat for the pups in addition to keeping the room warm, something like a ceramic heat lamp or hot water bottles. Keeping puppies very warm is essential because they have no internal heat and when they are newborn their temperature is only around 94º, (normal doggie temp is 101º) If you put the box on the floor, make sure there is some good insulation underneath it to block drafts (like stacks of newspaper & a blanket). A draft can kill a litter of pups. Use common sense, though and don't put anything with electrical wiring in the box and don't overheat the whole box. Just use a ceramic heat lamp in one corner of the box for the pups. They will naturally go to the heated spot and then spread out again when they are warm enough. Remember that keeping them warm for the first few days is very important.

Answer 4

yes, the house would be fine, since thats where she is most the time.
Find a warm, quiet place to put the box, and introduce her to the box. Put an old warm blanket in there, and show her the box. The blanket cant be too big, or thick.....


Watch her for signs of labor(heavy breathing,restlessness,uncomfortable) and if she shows these signs, keep her in the house. She should go right to the box.

If she has them somewhere OTHER than the box, in the house, you can move them after she gives birth. Do not move them until they are all born, dried off and shes nursing them. Then try to do it all at once.

Puppies are the greatest thing :)

Good luck!!!

Answer 5

I don't know any pro choice people who put puppies in boxes.

Answer 6

Find a place in the house, since that seems to be where your dog is most comfortable. Get her used to laying in her box right now. When it's her time, chances are good she will go by herself.

Answer 7

She should probably be in the house if that's what she's used to. It would probably be too stressful on her to make her go to the shed.
It's hard to know what to tell you to put in the box. Truthfully, it can be dangerous to have blankets or towels because puppies can get lost in the folds of the material and die if they aren't able to get to their mommy.
Getting her in the box to have puppies can be a trick! Introduce it to her soon and maybe put her food and water in it so she starts going there. Once the puppies are born it will be easier to keep her there.

Answer 8

You need to talk to your vet about this if you don't know.

Also talk to him about having her spayed after her litter is out of the house - If you don't know the answers to these questions, she should not be having puppies in the first place!

Answer 9

I'd suggest getting a large dog bed that she can sleep on until then (she'll get used to it) and when it gets closer to the time, cover it with plastic=)

...it's a tried & true method=)

Answer 10

Yeah good luck with that. Hopefully you don't lose the whole litter asking for whelping info here.