hi everyone im new on here. I have a bitch who we hope is in whelp (if she is she will be four weeks). This will be both of our first litters! and i am very excited. But one thing that i am unsure on is whelping box. I have some super thick cardboard that i was going to put up with some sort of broom handles as the rails but i also have a HUGE crate that is about three times the size of my bitch when she is laid down in it. Would this be suitable? obviously i would put the rails around the sides. Has anybody got any experience whelping in crates? obviously the door would be open all the time.
Thanks in advance

Whelping in a crate is not good, no matter how big the crate it's hard to get in to help if needed during the whelping, let your girl whelp in her box, once all done move her and babes to the warm dry suitably padded out cage where she can settle with her new family, congrats on having (hopefully) your first litter :-)

we used a company called Linkabord who i think specialise in raised flower beds but also recommend their product for whelping beds would you believe!  we found it to be excellent as its PVC....we had white........and is so easy to keep clean and hygienic.  we bought the one with a slightly raised floor and i sat in it while our bitch whelped....which seemed to calm her tremendously and also meant she wasnt running around the room tearing at papers etc.  our girl is a medium size breed but the beds come in various sizes.  she had 6 gorgeous pups and self-whelped them all in 4 hours (first litter).  i was able to clear up after each pup was born with the minimum of effort.
they all spent their time in this bed until they left for their new owners........last one went at 12 weeks old.  we were able to block the open end with a board but while they were going through the paper training stage we simply attached a puppy crate to that end and they soon learned to go into that to toilet.
hope you find this info. useful.  i found out about this company via CD so am very grateful.

Hi, i have my first and only litter! I used a disposable whelping box from ebay. it has pig rails around the edge and is sturdy with high enough sides to keep the draft off the pups and make mum feel safe. She whelped in a plastic dog bed and the pups were put straight onto the heat mat in the whelp box as was she when she was done. She is more than happy.

Dont make the box too big though. The only time mine cry is when they get lost in the whelp box and it is only the length of mum squared!

Good luck and congratulations.......whatever you are expecting, it won't be like that!!!! Trust me x

I used the CAB box made of a non chew and washable material. You can check out their website, they are not cheap but then what price can you put on the welfare of your dogs and their puppies.