Make sure the walls are high enough to keep the puppies in and prevent drafts. There should be a door or lowered area that is at a height where the mother dog can step over it. You should make sure the whelping box has rails along the sides to protect the puppies. You can also build a whelping box. Make sure it still has all the features of one you would buy.
You can use half of a crate without the top or a box with a small door area cut into it low enough for the mother to step over. Make sure the edges are high enough so the puppies cannot get out, but low enough that the mother can step out of the box easily.
The room should be away from the normal foot traffic of your family or roommates. The area for the den should be in a place where other pets cannot get to it.
Try a covering heating pad. Just make sure that it is not set at too high of a temperature. There have been cases where the puppies have cooked or gotten burned on a heating pad. Place the heating pad under the box, under the bedding material so the dogs won’t be lying directly on them. The heating pad shouldn’t cover the entire bottom of the box so the dogs can move away from the source of heat. [5] X Research source You may want to use a heating lamp. If you are doing this, place it far enough above the box that the mother cannot hit her head. Six feet above the box is generally good. Position it over one corner so the mother or puppies can move away if they get too hot.
Place clean newspaper in the box if you are using that. Lay down blankets that have been washed.
Security bars help prevent puppies who get in the corner or pushed outside of the litter group from getting crushed or suffocated on accident.
The blanket makes the dog feel less exposed and more protected from everything that is outside.
These materials can easily be changed daily, so you can keep the den clean. They also will absorb any fluids.
If you are using pillows, make sure they are washable. If not, you will need to toss them out and replace them when they get dirty. Keeping pillows, blankets, and quilts clean is essential to keep the litter healthy.
