The Internet offers an infinite variety of whelping box designs for dogs, some with hidden drawbacks and many with expensive add-ons. And while many offer free delivery, few offer free delivery on returns, making a wrong purchase an expensive mistake. Most of these whelping boxes are large and bulky, hard to repackage and expensive to ship. To help you navigate the endless loop of offerings, we have reviewed the best whelping boxes for dogs with an eye towards safety, value and sanitation.
We polled breeders across the Internet to find out which boxes they approve of and what they found were the pros and cons of each. Here are their honest reviews. Also, having whelped a number of litters in a variety of whelping boxes, we will walk you through the pros and cons of the practical concerns, especially those once the puppies begin outgrowing the whelping box.
Main Considerations When Choosing a Whelping Box
- Puppy Safety – Puppy rails or pig rails?
- Sanitation during whelping and post whelping – How hard are these to keep clean and does it have a floor.
- Mother’s comfort getting in and out – Does it have an easy to remove and install gate for the mom to comfortably exit and enter?
- Potty training beginnings for puppies – Does it have an extension for puppies to play in one side and potty on another as they grow?
- Setup – Can it be put together by one person or does the whelping box require a village to construct it?
- Whelping box weight and storage – How hard is it to carry out and hose it out, does it breakdown easily and store neatly?
- Durability – How many breedings do you anticipate in the future? Will it last through one litter?
What Are Puppy Rails
Puppy rails or pig rails are designed to keep the mother from sitting on the puppy and suffocating it between her side and the side of the box. Not all whelping box solutions offer these rail kits.
I have found that the rails made of round PVC pipe were counter productive, in that puppies climbed on them to sleep, risking chill in winter months, while other got their heads stuck between the wall and the rail, preventing them from getting to mom when they needed to at night (I had to twist and turn the pups to extricate them). Newborn up to 3 week old puppies are not the best problem solvers, so we have to anticipate these issues and avoid them where possible.
Flat rails that look like a small shelf around the whelping box are my preference.
Whelping Box Sanitation
Most whelping boxes on the market today have foregone a floor in its construction. No floor makes the actual whelping very messy. Once puppies are peeing and pooping on their own, a new mess is happening hourly. Hook and loop adhesive strips are often provided to hold whelping pads to the floor of your home. But these quickly wear out with frequent washings, and the whelping pads become difficult to keep in place.
Patterns, creases and indentations on the sides or floor of the whelping box frustrate washing it down. While they may add to the strength of the sides, they make cleaning a awful daily chore.
How Whelping Boxes Can Aid in Potty Training
Once the puppies are three to four weeks old, they begin to want to potty in one area, and sleep and play in another. Having an extension to add on the the whelping box allows pups to separate these activities, also aiding in potty training.
If you add a litter box, with pelletized pine shavings in the extension, they will begin to use the litter box or somewhere close by. All breeders I know that use the litter box by 4 weeks swear by it, so try it! You won’t be sorry. This will make your work load much lighter, and it starts puppies thinking about going to the right place to potty, as they continue to mature.
Whelping Box Size and Storage
Wooden whelping boxes average around 35-40 pounds, are bulky and hard to move or store. The 4’x4′ hard PVC “plank” boxes are easy enough to put together, but once together, they too are heavy at 40 pounds, bulky and hard to store. Even broken down they take up a large part of a closet or corner of the garage.
The corrugated plastic designs are lightweight. Some are easy to break down like the Dura-Whelp, while others, with numerous plastic screws, are hopeless to disassemble much less reassemble.
Durability of the Whelping Box
Whelping box solutions built to last are expensive. Depending on the size you need, they range from $150.00 to $400.00 then add another $185 to $225 for the extension. At $400.00+ you would hope for it to last at least until the first litter of puppies have out grown it. Sadly, that is not always the case.
Best Whelping Box for Dogs at Any Cost: EZ Whelp EZ Classic
The EZ Whelp EZ Classic is built to last and has only one serious flaw. This model is a significantly improved design over their first product offering (which I bought and is now in a landfill). It has flat puppy rails, is made of hard but light PVC walls, has tool free setup, and while there is no floor, it does come with a fitted canvas liner and whelping pad to absorb messes. They listened to their breeder’s reviews.
Pros
- Tool free setup and breakdown.
- Lightweight and easy to move.
- Breaks down into small pieces for easy storage.
- Built to last, this whelping box can be handed down to future generations of breeders.
- It comes with a “fitted” canvas liner and whelping pad.
- Additional accessories available: heating lamp and rod that integrate with the whelping box.
- Puppy weaning box extensions are available as an add on.
Cons
- No floor built into the box, but it includes a liner that comes up, over the outer bottom edges of the box, like a fitted sheet, which is helpful.
- The curved pattern on the walls, which adds to the wall strength and light weight, also makes it time consuming to clean (my serious fault).
- This is one of the most expensive solutions on the market, but if its safety features save one puppy per litter it is well worth the price!
Breeder’s Favorite Whelping Box for Dogs: Dura-Whelp
The Dura-Whelp whelping box is a breeder favorite. It is made from corrugated plastic. It has a built-in floor, shelf-like puppy rails and folds flat after use to a 4″ depth.
Pros
- Easy to construct, most people can have it together and ready to use in 30 minutes.
- Only 4 screws are needed to construct it.
- Easy to clean. The corrugated plastic is smooth and it has a built in floor to collect any messy fluids.
- The puppy rails are flat and puppies cannot get stuck behind them.
- There is a “weaning pen” to expand the box which is an add on.
- They sell replacement pieces for the door and its frame, which is usually the first part to be destroyed.
- It is the easiest to move, disassembly and store.
- Sold separately are a heating lamp and rod that integrate with the whelping box.
Cons
- Expensive – This is one of the more expensive options at $325 for the large box and $189 for the weaning pen add on. However it is less expensive when sold directly on their website.
- Durability – When they initially marketed the Dura-Whelp, they said it would last for as many as 3 whelpings. I know breeders who have used it for 7+ litters and are still in love with it. I had another brand made of the same corrugated plastic, and indeed, it only lasted for three litters. Durability will depend on the size of your breed, the lighter the dogs, the longer it will last.
Least Expensive Whelping Box Solutions for Dogs
The raised garden box is available online or in home improvement stores. Many producers market their product as both separately online. They run around $80-$100. They will not include a pig rail, but if you are handy, you can make one of your own. These boxes also have no floor or half door to let mothers in and out easily. However you can purchase two and create an extension by only adding one panel in between the boxes.
Homemade Whelping Box for Dogs Ideas
If money is a concern, the least expensive solutions are the plastic kids swimming pools, usually only available in the spring and summer months from Walmart or Lowes. You can make your own pig rail with foam swimming pool noodles. Punch holes in the sides of the swimming pool at 4″ above the bottom. Use tie wraps to wrap the noodle to the interior of the pool, attaching the noodle every 8-12 “.
Pros
- The swimming pool is inexpensive at $5-10. Buy two and keep them nested together for added strength. Punching the holes in the interior pool will weaken it without the support of the external second pool.
- It has a bottom, usually embossed with little fish or waves to add traction for puppies to get their legs under them.
- Easy to setup.
- Easy to carry in and out of the house to hose it out.
Cons
- The sides are lower on the pools than the whelping boxes, typically 12″ tall. Puppies can climb up on their mothers side and escape deliberately or accidentally.
- The little eyes of the fish on the bottom fill with filth, and only hosing it off will truly clean out the bottom.
- Bulky to store, but you may be able to afford to throw them away after use, and just keep the pool noodles for the next whelping box.
Dog Whelping Box Solutions That Do Not Work
Don’t be fooled by imitations or fake dog whelping box reviews. All those images of dogs photoshopped into blow-up swimming pools or vinyl kids pools on rails are rubbish. I foolishly tried the vinyl pool with rails, and the mother promptly cut the bottom out of it with her nails, making it worthless. Obviously a blowup pool only needs one nail puncture to deflate it.
How to Setup A Whelping Box for Dogs
Laying the Foundation for the Whelping Area
Place a heavy duty tarp underneath the whelping area. This will allow for bleaching of the base without damaging your floors. Also, loose whelping pads won’t allow eliminations on your floor.
I also like to add 3’x5′ rubber based garage matts on top of the tarps. They provide stability for the pen and whelping pads. These garage matts with polyester nap are inexpensive, easy to bleach and can be found at Home Depot for around $20.00. I use two in a whelping pen, slightly overlapped, as a base for the full whelping box and weaning box area.
Create a Fence Around the Whelping Box Bigger than the Whelping Box
Place an X-Pen or two around the box to keep puppies in and give mom a space of her own. With small litters, moms may be content to stay with their puppies 24×7. But with five or more pups, she will need some time alone to recharge her milk, without someone constantly draining her.
This extra space is also good for smaller puppies who keep getting muscled off of teats by ever increasingly larger sibling puppies. While she is taking a break, the two or three smallest puppies can be put in her lounge area to get a meal, without the big ones pushing them off. Mom’s don’t seem to mind the wee ones in their lounge area, as they are typically not as aggressive of feeders as their larger siblings.
If you purchase a whelping box extension, this can be her lounge area until to pups get big enough to move between the boxes.
Equip the Whelping Area with a Giant Water Bucket
Nursing mothers need water, water, water! If you won’t be around the house all day to refill her water bucket, invest in a large, half gallon water bucket for small breeds and a one gallon bucket for medium to large breeds. You will want a snap to attach it to the surrounding pen, to keep it well out of puppy reach. A water bucket placed so low that pups can accidentally fall into it is your worst nightmare. Place the bucket well above the puppies’ reach.
Essential Supplies for Whelping Litters of Puppies
Heating Lamps
Puppies need a heat lamp, especially in winter months, in drafty homes. Pups will move in and out from under a heat lamp to regulate their temperatures. If you are using a whelping box with a plastic floor, take care that the heat lamp is not turning the whelping box in to a wok or frying pan. Double check the temperature of the base of the box to be sure it is tolerable.
Heating Pads
Heating pads should not be placed in the whelping box. They pose a risk of folding over on a puppy and over heating it. An overheated puppy trapped in a heating pad will dehydrate and pass away quickly. You can place a heating pad under the whelping box floor or its whelping pads, allowing the pups to find cooler spaces to move on or off of it when necessary.
Final Thoughts on Dog Whelping Boxes
If money and space are no objects, the EZ Whelp is a clear winner. For those with a first breeding, who may or may not breed again, the home made raised garden may work well, with a few homemade modifications.
Feel free to ask us about new brands that you come across online in the comments below. Brands tend to come and go, perhaps to escape their mediocre reviews on Internet websites. We will be happy to check out the new contenders for you!
