I’ve had a few emails asking what I mean about the bottom of my whelping box not being attached. Most whelping boxes are built with the sides bolted / screwed / nailed to the bottom.  It forms a container.  Most people using a whelping box like this.  I just don’t like it.  When the moms are about to whelp they dig and dig and dig, making a total mess out of anything you place in the box.  After the babies are born, there is a risk mom can dig and cover up the pups with anything left in the box.  I had a breeder long ago show me how they set up their box and I have used this same design concept.  Below is a video so you can see how it works.

The sides are heavy enough that they do not move when mom rest against them.  It has worked for me for all these years.

If you have extra funds and want a traditional whelping box, I hear great things about the “DuraWhelp” box.  It is plastic, but the bottom attaches to the sides and it is not cheap.  If I had more than a litter or two a year, I might consider investing in something lighter and more long term.  However, my box cost me all of 10 dollars by using scrap wood I had around the house.  I think I can make a few of those over the years for the cost of one DuraWhelp.

~Becky