hi, was just wondering where peoples bitches have actually had there pups.My bitch is on day 53 so not long to go know. This is my first experience with breeding , Anyway the problem is she just dont like her whelping box , I have put her in  there a few times but she straight back out and lays either beside the sofa or under the table to be honest anywhere except her whelping box !!
i have an old duvet that she will quite willinly lay on. would this be ok or not ?
Rachael XX

Whelping is quite a messy experience, so I would think a duvet wouldn't be advisable during whelping.  Just leave the whelping box where it is for now, my girls would never get in theirs until the week before they were due, I never tried to force them in, they just in on their own accord when ready.

Just keep an eye on her, make sure she doesn't find an unsuitable place to have her pups where it will be difficult for you to assist if need be,

Good luck!

Thanks sharon. But what if she doesnt have them in there ??

I sat with my girl in the whelping box from 6PM through to 8AM the following morning for my last litter, when I decided I desperately needed a quick cuppa and a comfy seat for 5 mins ........ yes, she followed me, jumped on sofa, squelch .......... immediate puppy!  :rolleyes: :D

After that, they came out so fast, it was a matter of lots and LOTS of towels and newspaper on living room floor, then got her into the whelping box where she settled happily with her pups.  We have all these grand plans for them, but sometimes they have other ideas.

Marina

Loved your description - definately a case of Murphy's Law. I remember some one telling me that a watched bitch never whelps! I too have a bitch, first due date is tomorrow, and she is refusing to have anything to do with her whelping box. She has apparently read the book and decided to have none of any of it. No nesting behaviour, no significant increase or decrease of appetite, her usual minimal eating habits. I'm wondering where she is planning on having the pups or if she is even aware there will be little ones shortly. Pups are there (9 + according to the scan) and can be felt moving around.

Waiting patiently

Countrycousin

I have a Snowsilk whelping box, complete with lid!  I start 7 days before the due date, feeding the bitch in the box.  I then put her in there to sleep at night.  As it's in my bedroom, they think it's a treat to sleep in the same room as me and I've have never had one refuse in over 20 years.  During the daytime, they are living with the rest of us.  By the time they whelp, they know that the whelping box is a safe place to be and it's always their choice to be there.

I had a bitch who would not go in her whelping box before she actually whelped (even when I put her favourite quilt in there).  When I took her usual bed away, she simply got on the sofa or laid on a rug.  So I waited until she had the first puppy (in her usual bed) and as soon as it was born and OK, I picked it up and put it in the whelping box.  She of course followed it in, and then produced the rest of the litter in there without any problem.  She did the same thing with her 2nd litter as well.

So don't worry.  As long as you are there when the first puppy is born and can put it in the whelping box, she will follow it.

Thank you for that pjw. Makes me feel alot better . I have been told that she has one in there pos 2 .cheers for everyone advise.Rachael

Sachiko claimed the summerhouse last year,just built,so I guess she was christening it,it was very hard to keep it cool though,so we have converted our outhouse for this year.It's all lovely and snug with a fan on hand just in case it does get warm!!!sandra.

In our litter the bitch decided she loved the idea of her whelping box as it was upstairs away from the other dog and everyone else!!!!  a couple of weeks I think it was before whelping she started nesting in it etc but had her first pup just outside the box...I think she wanted to keep her new bed clean!!!! :D

At the end of the day, they will have them where they want to have them.  All you can do, as others have said, is to make the whelping box you have feel safe and secure for her.  I agree that feeding her there for a while beforehand can get her used to it.

As for whelping being a messy business, I agree with that but was given some puppy pads.  I guess they came from a Pets at Home type shop and were about 20" square with an absorbent front and waterproof back - the type you can put down to absorb puddles (and the sort you put under babies to change nappies).  They were brilliant as when she had her first on the sofa I just shoved one underneath her and was able to absorb all the mess with it as well as wrap newly born pup in it to dry before he got cold.

Good luck.

My girls know where the whelping box is, but have never chosen to get into it until whelping is imminent.

One of mine had the first pup of her first litter on my face. :) I'd moved into the whelping room with her days in advance but she refused to get into the box and lay beside me on my mattress instead. There was no sign of a first stage. She just got up, stretched, turned round, squatted slightly ... and a bitch pup landed on my nose! Once that pup was in the whelping box she joined it and produced 12 more there in short order.

She was the same with her second and last litter but I was prepared that time and got my nose out of the way in time, so she had the first pup on my duvet instead. Then the cheeky so and so lifted the pup, popped into the box with it and delivered the rest there.

I had the same problem. Wouldn't go into the whelping box unless I sat beside her and offered a bribe - and then she go out as soon as she'd eaten it!
I carefully watched her for two days prior to delivery as she was very anxious - no precise labour signs, but possibly first stage. Anyway, I want down to get a cuppa and on my return she was in the whelping box cleaning up a pup! She went on to have 11. Process was very messy, and I was very glad I had paper down and a goodly supply for replenishment after each pup.

Good luck with your litter.