> whelping box surfaces:  newspaper, blankets, wood shavings

JG, I had been told to be wary of using blankets because of the risk of a puppy getting smothered.  Is this not something you deal with or worry about?  Or do you have a way of securing the blankets down somehow??  I'd love to learn from what you do because I'm now nervous about having anything other than newspaper in the box and it just doesn't seem very comfortable for the munchkins!

> https://www.thewholedog.org/ruleof7.html   there are a number of articles discussing this idea

Thanks for the link furryfriends - also loved the article on Early Neurological Stimulation that’s linked at the beginning of the Rule of 7 article.  Fascinating stuff!!  Appreciate the sharing :)

> A closed mouth gathers no feet


Love this quote JG!!  So apt :)

> Every Puppy I have had was raised in my home. whelping box surfaces:  newspaper, blankets, wood shavings

Hello Hoggie (& the others of you who have mentioned wood shavings too), can I ask about this...  Do the pups not try and eat the wood shavings??  What sort of shavings do you use?  How do you make sure there aren't toxic chemicals on them??  Anything else I should think about here?? 
Thanks so much in advance :)

I'd not use wood shavings although I knew a fellow breeder who did.  We used newspapers, with vet bed up the sleeping end.  I was collecting newspapers for months before a litter was planned - and I made fairly sure where they came from even.   With wood shavings it's not that the puppies would eat it, but more the mess they make unless the whelping quarters/box, is contained.   And I don't know how it could be properly cleaned out, unless it was very shallow.   Once mine could be taken outside for periods during a warm day, that gave me a chance to get all the newspaper out, to the floor of the box, and replace.    I would just add some newspaper ink comes off - one litter we had I had to bath the puppies before they went to their new homes as their legs were grey - not white

Not a fan of newspapers myself although did use for first few litters.
After that I put newspapers under the vet bed only and use cuts of carpet for them when they are trying to get out of bed to avoid slipping and damage to developing hips & elbows.
All my guy's were praised for strong rears.
Yes it could be a bit smelly sometimes but easily changed but worth it to know their not doing damage to their joints.

>JG, I had been told to be wary of using blankets because of the risk of a puppy getting smothered.  Is this not something you deal with or worry about?

For the first two weeks I have them on vetbed with newspaper underneath, then the pen gets gradually enlarged with newspaper covering vinyl flooring at the extended part. Newspaper on its own is far too slippery and they can't develop their joints properly by being able to grip as they push and pull themselves along. They need something that they can get proper traction on. By the time they're up on their feet and moving around efficiently - starting to go outside at about 4 weeks - getting underneath blankets isn't an issue.

It's really important the pups have good grip so they can support their rear legs when trying to nurse. If they don't have good grip, their legs will constantly slip and they will be predisposed to hip dyplasia... Vet bed is usually fine to give grip...

> It's really important the pups have good grip so they can support their rear legs when trying to nurse. If they don't have good grip, their legs will constantly slip and they will be predisposed to hip dyplasia... Vet bed is usually fine to give grip..

I used newspaper for all my litters and never had a problem - bearing in mind this was Bassets.....       BUT they nursed when mum was lying on vet bed.

https://www.instituteofcaninebiology.org/blog/managing-the-risks-of-hip-dysplasia

schnauz_love:> Do the pups not try and eat the wood shavings??

No they don't try and eat them but I only use them when the puppies reach 2 weeks of age.  The shavings are 'dust extracted' and treated against bacterial spores. 'Champion' is the
brand I use which you can find in any Country type Stores who cater for horses.  20kg bale around £14.

Working backwards - I use shredded newspaper covered with blankets from birth until they are 2 weeks of age, (then go onto the wood shavings as above).

At week 4/5, I continue with the wood shavings & shredded newspaper for warmth & comfort - the bonus of the newspaper is that the ink combats fleas.
I should add that my boxes are contained (roughly 3" deep plastic window coving all round). 

Complete cleaning of the whelping box isn't required until the Puppies are around 4 weeks old and toileting harder stools as weaning begins.
If you have wood shavings at the toileting end and shredded newspaper at the sleeping end then they actually can desipher one from the other
you then need to clean 2/3 times per day.

Hope this helps X

>I used newspaper for all my litters and never had a problem - bearing in mind this was Bassets.....

Looking at the BVA site it seems that in the past 15 years only 5 bassets have been hip scored!

Jeangenie:> Looking at the [url=undefined]BVA site[/url] it seems that in the past 15 years only 5 bassets have been hip scored!

I'm not shocked by this at all.  Outwith the Breed Clubs/Show Ring Guidance, Hip/Elbow/DNA Testing is a 'NEW SCIENCE' and is why if you are not
involved in the afore mentioned, you learn as you go and the reason that when starting in the Breeding World you have to learn over time.

As a Basset lover I am sure this is the last thing you need to observe but something that is fact. 

The UK Kennel Club are still viewed as  the 'governing body of wisdom' who are the main advisory service for Breeders but fail miserably when they
categorise as 'mandatory or recommended'

I myself as a Breeder of many litters would not have been made aware of the responsibilities required re Hip/Elbow/DNA testing had I not joined
this Forum (although how the message is delived by Members leaves much to be desired)

Here's hoping the Bassett Breed Clubs start to promote these tests.

> <br />Here's hoping the Bassett Breed Clubs start to promote these tests.

Unlikely.    The Basset was a man-made breed and from personal experience, having seen x-rays on some of those we bred, their hips are unlikely to be like those of a Jackel.  They don't, however suffer, even if their hips are less than normal for other breeds.   Most of my home-breds lived into their teens without raging arthritis etc.   I'm not surprised that only 5 have been officially tested recently.   I'd suggest the procedure alone might cripple them.   We have/had more pressing problems to address than HD or ED.   It may well be however, that many Bassets have had their hips checked when under x-ray for another problem, but not under the KC/BVA Scheme as it's not something that's called for.

https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/search/breeds-a-to-z/breeds/hound/basset-hound/

Following on the comment about the BH Breed Club encouraging breeders to get them scored (HD) because this was bothering me, I went onto the KC Health pages and find that whilst there is a KC/BVA Scheme for ED, there isn't one for HD, at the moment, which probably explains why there are so few who have been put through official scoring for HD.   I used to take the KC Breed Record supplements which publishes the results of official screening (and mainly covers that for goniodisgenesis), and I never saw any published results for HD scoring.   It would seem ED has become more prevalent in the breed, than HD.

Yes, I've been doing the same.  Newspaper over the whole (contained) whelping box, vetbed in the centre where they nurse.

Thank you for your comprehensive response Hoggie and sorry it's taken me a while to get back to you.  I've heard so many different things from different people it's been challenging to work out what to do.  I guess everything has its pros and cons... 

Incidentally do you shred the newspaper yourself in a shredder or do you get it shredded somehow?  Just curious...

Anyway, we're learning more every day and the pups are flourishing - some might say looking more like baby wombats than puppies but hey, we adore them!!

> I went onto the KC Health pages and find that whilst there is a KC/BVA Scheme for ED, there isn't one for HD, at the moment,

Huh? The HD scheme has been running for a lot longer than the recent ED scoring scheme - since the 1980s if not before.

@ Jeangenie -  My comment applies to Bassets!

@ Mamabas: the scheme is available to all breeds, and crosses.

I think Mamabas means that it’s not on the KC list of recommended health tests for the breed which is maybe why it isn’t undertaken very often.

> I think Mamabas means that it’s not on the KC list of recommended health tests for the breed which is maybe why it isn’t undertaken very often.

   Correct.   I should make you my ghost writer!

To avoid any more confusion     The comment was made that not many BASSET owners seem to be doing HD scoring and, looking it up myself because I was interested,  that is because HD doesn't appear to be advised to be done under the KC/BVA Scheme, for Bassets.   Not to say that people with Bassets aren't having them scored, they are just scored privately, so those results are not published?   I hope this clarifies the situation.