is that while it is quite pretty you should spend all of your time building my 35 RV with Wi-Fi and satellite TV.

and friend of mine had her hubbie build a box for her (do I dare say the word?)..poodle pupsters...(nothing nearly as grand as this one you made....)
but anyway they cut a piece of bumpy...plastic..like the kind you get for shower doors..and it cleaned well.and with blankets over it iwas no harder then wood...the reason for the bumps is so it's not as slippery...just a thougt...ce

the box as Willow's bed. The incubator is a good idea though. Thanks for that suggestion. I might be able to get more sleep that way in between feedings. Now, this is all based on whether the breeding is successful since this is Willow's first time. If not successful, it may very well just be her bed. I'm hoping that everything goes as planned and is very successful when and if it does happened. She goes into heat in another couple of weeks. I have time to change things around.

A much better idea is a home made incubator. I dont even allow mama with pups until 3 weeks old. The only time pups are with mama is nursing time, and a little cuddling time after they have fed. Then its back in the incubator! No fuss no worry. I use a kiddie wading pool instead of a whelping box, very easy to clean! Think about this suggestion.

of leaving Willow by herself with the pups to crush them. I plan on making a long rounded pillow for that side and I plan on sleeping right next to it since I'll be the one helping Willow. Besides, if I find I need a fourth rail, I can install one. I personally think that if I'm going to spend every waking minute with the mom and pups, I'm really not going to need a fourth. I think a design is based on how one intends to use it -- and since I plan on spending all of my time with them except for bathroom breaks and quickie showers which I lined up relief, you need not have to worry about a pup getting crushed. I'm going to have to fight everybody else off who will probably end up sleeping in the same room. Don't worry -- the puppies are covered, poor Willow will be lucky if she spends five seconds alone with the pups.

Of The Doggie Dirt rag news..he may be depressed..and wandering aimlessly around the Streets of New Orleans...not a place for the timid ,the depressed or a sweet bullie with a heart ache....ce

Henry WAS saving up for that but we will see. He has been M.I.A. for a couple of days.

I was hoping he had made it to New Orleans by now. We will have to see.

That much is a given. There will be halves sections that meet in the middle, tacked down on the sides and in the middle to those slats. I think a vinyl cribe sheet can be wrapped around them, stretched tightly, and then tacked dow to hold it in place. Also, they are cheap, so they can be thrown away and replaced easily.

A waterproof mattress pad can be put down under the bedding also. Its just a thin but heavy pad to go in a crib to catch drool, spit up, etc. That will help as well. (Can you tell I had my babies 12 months apart and spent almost 3 years with babies in cribs? lol)

vinyl sheet for a crib mattress could be put over the flooring before it is tacked down?
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That might be a good idea. But you can understand about not wanting the urine to soak into the wood.

Right now, the rail is 5 inches from where the floor will be. She said she has comforters, etc to put down on the floor and that will add about another 3 inches. Once it is prepped for the pups, there will be about 3 inches of space for the puppies to get under, give or take. The overall height of the box is 11".

As far as the sealant goes on the floor, I cant think of any way to keep it fool-proof as far as any moisture goes. I will talk with her about what can be done/ put down to help protect the floor. It is sealed with something but not sure what until I get to Lowes and actually check into it. I wonder if a vinyl sheet for a crib mattress could be put over the flooring before it is tacked down?

Ill have to check into that and talk to her. Thanks!

It allows an area of protection between the mom and the wall of the box. Even when a bitch is laying down sleeping/nursing, puppies crawl around behind her. So if one does, and she moves around, she won't kill one by accident between her body and the wall.

It helps, but one should still never leave a bitch and puppies unattended, they can still lay on them in the middle without any walls.

Since I've never seen a whelping box can you tell me what the "pig rail" is for. The box itself looks beautiful.

Betty, Buddy and Mighty Dog

Forget to mention the four sides. I don't know what instructions you found, but it doesn't make sense. The bitch and pups aren't going to know the difference of one side from the other three. Why take a chance of the bitch laying on one pup on the one side without a rail???

Wendy,

A friend of mine made her own years ago (25) and she cut out a door way that was hinged, so it laid down like a ramp for the bitch to walk in. When you didn't want to use the doorway (when the pups were a few weeks old and getting around and able to then climb out) you just raised the ramp up and had sliding closures on each side.

Keep in mind, that is too high for a bitch to step over and get in, especially with dragging boobs.

Also, not sure what/if you can/will seal the flooring. Even though one uses lots of papers or blankets, urine still gets thru and soaks into the wood. So you need to be able to clean it good, and try not to be able to have the urine soak into the wood.

As far as the railing, from the picture it looks a little high. Usually it is lower, so that a newborn to 3 weeks or so can't get caught between mom and the wall. So it has to be where they could crawl under, yet mom's rump or back will be pushed away rather than crush the baby.

One idea on the railing, is to make it moveable, so when the pups are older, and when cleaner, you can lift it out. What we did years ago was make a "frame" of one by two inch wood, squared the corners with blocks so it would set raised off the floor about 5 inches.

Hope this helps. You have gotten so darn handy and talented. Very nice.

Great job like always.

Thanks for the input!

Thats what I was asking for! hee hee
(I think the reason for three instead of four sides was the comfort of the mother. -To at least have the one solid side to lean against.)

well, I looked them up online and all the sites said to put the rail on three sides. I asked the "owner" about it and they said that was fine with them, so we went with three.

You are very talented! That is a great whelping box. I have seen others and they are not nearly as pretty and yours looks like it will be easy to clean and keep everything just the way it should be for those pupsters!!

Jane

There should be a "pig rail" on all four sides. Otherwise it looks great!!!

Next time you have a baby, Joel may decide to save on the medical bills and just throw you in there. It looks so comfortable he may not be able to pass up the opportunity.

I have never seen one before, mind you, but it is just so lovely. I love the bully puppy sleeping on the moon. You are so talented.

I think the lucky person should say who they are.

wish I had that when my first Lhasa had her two litters.

You are so darn talented. I love the box and will definately get one some day when Dolly becomes a mommy. I love the colors and artwork.

nm