I have a bitch that's 8wks pregnant. The whelping box is up and ready and has been for weeks...she wont entertain it at any price!!! I have tried laying in it and calling her in, putting food in..nothing. With her only being a week away, Im not getting worried but a bit concerned, the box is in a very quiet corner of the living room. I dont really have anywhere else to put it where I can keep a close eye on her. She spends a lot of time behind the sofa on the wooden floor! Any advice would be great.

hi

my girl had her pups 5 weeks ago this was her first litter she wouldnt go near her box until she was in labour. i woundnt worry to much im sure she will go in it when shes ready :)

You need to block off any OTHER small space she can get into, like behind the sofa, or she may chose that above the box when the time comes.  When there is no other choice, the bitch does tend to go in the box when she needs to as they will want the privacy etc, but it does work better if there is no choice.

I am in a similar position with puppies due on Saturday and a bitch not interested in her box.  Going on past experiences do not be overly concerned because if she will not entertain the box as soon as the first puppy arrives put it in the box and the bitch will, as sure as eggs are eggs will follow

When my bitch had her first litter she wouldnt go near the whelping box at all. We tried everything but to no avail. Then she went into labour, had her first pup just outside the box then we coaxed her in and she was fine.
With her second litter, again wouldnt go near it then one Sunday morning walked straight in and started whelping!

Dont worry she will either with your help or on her own. Good luck x

Many Thanks for all replies. This is her first litter and mine, so I guess she just confused!!! She's due in 9 days time...wish us luck:)

Very quick update....the little tinker has gone in box and gone to sleep!!!!

LOL:) my girls pups are now 4weeks old and mum didnt go in it till she started in whelp ....Good luck :) x

We put our box up 10 days before she was due and she walked in once and back out again and never looked at it again. The morning she woke me up frantically pacing round, the first thing she did when i got to the bottom of the stairs was look at me and get straight in her whelping box. They seem to know what its for and when they should go in there so i wouldn't worry too much. I'm sure she will be more interested once the pups are on their way.

mel.

as others have said most dont go in box until labour, infact mine didnt go in until she started to push out first pup and i dragged her in. the rest followed ok. she may go in to rip up paper occasionaly and then jump out, have you lots of paper in there?

Mine didn't go into her box until labour had started, then she loved it :)

Don't worry, this happened to me, the first puppy was born on the cream leather reclining chair! then I moved her in to her welphing box with puppy she was fine. They don't really know what the welphing box is for, if it is there first litter.

Denese

I have rarely found a bitch go into the whelping box until labour is well underway.  As long as they have been acquainted with it's whereabouts and existence I find that getting them into it as birth is imminent is all that is needed.

Have you put it in a sheltered spot and made it den-like?