Hi all
Thankyou all for your advice on my previous posts, My Springer is now feeding quite well, not brilliant but at least she is eating!!! I have since made her a whelping box where her bed usaually is but a bit of advise on how to get her to use it would be helpful. As i have said before she generally slepps on my bed, but if told she will go to "her bed" but i dont want to force her into it . Will she go there automatically in her own time?? I keep placing treats in the box when she is not around to encourage her but she just gets treat and gets straight back out! Any Ideas??

Any ideas would help????

Tricky one, Brinny. I always had mine sleeping in their whelping box as soon as possible - certainly by 2 weeks before 'due date'. Otherwise you run a risk that she'll choose her own 'suitable place', which will probably be the most inconvenient, inaccessible and unsafe place you could possibly imagine! :rolleyes: So if it were me I would do all I can to get her to sleep in the whelping box now so that she gets used to it. Where is it sited?

(Trying to post this but being parkinsed.)

Parkinsed????? Hi jeangenie, i have spoken to you before on my previous post, and your advise has proved very useful. I have put the box in our outhouse where her quilt normally is, but she never uses her quilt anyway as she always sleeps with me, Although if you tell her to get in her bed she does know that that is "her bed".But she always looks so sad if i insist that she sleeps there and i feel guilty as she probably wonders what she has done wrong to be made to sleep alone so i dont want to force the issue!!! I know i am probably to soft!!!!!!

Hiya! I have a horrid feeling that you may have to start sleeping in the outhouse with her. :( If she's used to sleeping with you she's not going to understand why she can't all of a sudden. When the pups are born and she's confident with them she may be happy for you to go back to your room.....
Sorry! But they can be very determined.
:)

Thanks i suppose i will have to try that!!!. I have brought the Book of the BBitch and have found it really helpful, but i am still a little confused as to exactly what i should be putting in the box and when? At the moment i have put a blanket under some vet bed one end and some newspaper the other end . Is this correct? also i am a little worried thatt he box may not be big enough.

Until she actually starts 'nesting' her normal bedding is fine. Once she starts digging and scratching, then they find newspaper very satisfying (and it's cheap and safe!). But that isn't until labour has actually started, when I get the blankets out of the way until the birth is complete.
:)

Many Thanks for your helpx