# My dog doesn't like her whelping box!!??



## Jenni2317 (Apr 8, 2012)

Hi everyone. Hope you and your pets are all well. I would like some advice. My girl is due in 6 days and she doesn't seem to like her whelping box. I will try to add a photo of it tonight. I got her a plastic bed and I've put a metal enclosure around it as my male always tries to get in there and dig up her blankets. I put cardboard on the bottom then newspaper and blankets on top I also put puppy pads in the enclosure outside her p
Bed to toilet on. Everytime I put her in the enclosure she will go in her bed but when I come back she is always on the enclosure floor outside her bed either lying on the pads or if she's soiled them she will lie to the side of them. This afternoon we had to take the ferret to the vet and when we got back she had peed in her whelping box. Last time she had a litter she was digging in her whelping box and didn't have a problem with it at all.
Also she seems to be digging in the harem under a low table agaist the wall but she can't have her pups there as we have foxes.
Does anyone have any advice on how we can entice her to like her box more or any other advice is very welcome.


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## Jenni2317 (Apr 8, 2012)

This is her whelping area I do need to do a few finishing touches tomarrow.


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## EllesBelles (May 14, 2010)

Was she happier without the fence? It looks very small, she might be feeling claustrophobic, or just not safe. Dogs can be fussy, especially when they are hormonal! 

Is there anything different between this time and the last time she used it?


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

What breed is she? That bed looks a bit small for a medium/large breed, might be ok for a smaller breed. I'd ditch the puppy pads, expensive and pups will pee/poop anyway for a few weeks from what I know. I wouldn't put cardboard at the bottom of her bed either, I wouldn't put anything in there that could absorb/hold fluids that might become infected. My whelping box is timber which needs painting/varnishing, and the only thing I'll be putting in there is vet bed for Tau and her pups.


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## shetlandlover (Dec 6, 2011)

Not sure if using a fence is normal in some breeds but just your bog standard whelping box like this;









Might be less intimidating, having a bitch who's got 5 day old pups myself I know my girl likes the option to leave the pups and come sit with us for a short time before going back to them. She may feel a bit trapped with the fence around her.


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## Jenni2317 (Apr 8, 2012)

Thanks for the advice I will take the fence down to see if that helps and I am getting vet bed tomarrow it was one of my things to do. Also she is a shih tzu so I'm sure it is plenty big enough for her.


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

Jenni2317 said:


> Thanks for the advice I will take the fence down to see if that helps and I am getting vet bed tomarrow it was one of my things to do. Also she is a shih tzu so I'm sure it is plenty big enough for her.


There are different backings to vet bed, I get the one with a fabric backing which seems to wash better generally.

Good to know she's a small breed, I couldn't imagine my Labrador managing in a small bed like that, she'd struggle to fit in with her tum at the moment!


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## EllesBelles (May 14, 2010)

Hopefully without the fence she will be a lot happier. Vetbed should make sure it's nice and soft, too.

All the best with the birth!


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## Jenni2317 (Apr 8, 2012)

Thanks everyone. Will post pics when the pups are born ( I'm like everyone else can't resist looking at puppy pics)


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## Mad4Muttz (Apr 11, 2012)

Jenni2317 said:


> Thanks for the advice I will take the fence down to see if that helps and I am getting vet bed tomarrow it was one of my things to do. Also she is a shih tzu so I'm sure it is plenty big enough for her.


I want to become a first time breeder in the future. is it expensive the breeding process? how did you choose in your stud dog as I am getting a shih tzu female puppy this year so when its old enough (about 2), I am planning on breeding.

thank you!

Hope everything goes smoothly for you good luckxx


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## Jenni2317 (Apr 8, 2012)

Make sure you get a good quality female preferably from a good breeder who knows shih tzu's as this will help with breeding and the breeder may be able to help you with a stud ( this is how I did it) get Health checks done. It is expensive as the bitch and the pups need ALOT of care. Also it's a good idea to have money saved up incase something goes wrong and you need an emergency vet. 

There is alot of good advice on this forum and other sites. 

Good luck with your puppy.


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## Sleeping_Lion (Mar 19, 2009)

Mad4Muttz said:


> I want to become a first time breeder in the future. is it expensive the breeding process? how did you choose in your stud dog as I am getting a shih tzu female puppy this year so when its old enough (about 2), I am planning on breeding.
> 
> thank you!
> 
> Hope everything goes smoothly for you good luckxx


TBH, I wouldn't plan on breeding at all, buy a bitch pup in, see how she gets on, see how she does with her health tests, but keep breeding to the back of your mind. Rhuna's ten months old, if she has good ability, if she has good health test results, I may breed from her, but if I can't, it's no loss.


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## Mad4Muttz (Apr 11, 2012)

thank you sleeping lion and jenni2317

i know that this is not something that should to be rushed into, as long as she stays healthy and and all health checks are done then i will think about it if not it may just be safer just to have her spayed, probably cost me less to spay than to breed from TBH. i just couldn't imagine putting all puppies lives at risk if i werent to find homes for them and later find out that the rescue centre will only keep them a few days then PTS,

maybe sleeping lion-the best advice would be to put breeding to the back of my mind for now and then only then that her health tests come back good then would if not probably be plan B- to spay

thank you!


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## swarthy (Apr 24, 2010)

To be frank - your girl will give birth where she decides to - not where you want her to.

Pay little attention to whether she likes the "whelping area" or not before the babies are born - they are not humans, and don't understand the concept of "this is where I should give birth.

Forcing them into an area they don't want to be, can actually make them hold onto their babies - my eldest girl gave birth to her first 6 pups in the crate of one of my other dogs - it was only the 8th pup she whelped in the whelping box - and that one was a surprise for everyone, a good while after she delivered the 7th.

Once she has the pups and you've managed to get her into the whelping area, then she will need some level of "privacy" and solace - which is where boundaries come in - I guess a pen like that could work for a small dog, but personally, I would have got a whelping box. 

I would also be inclined to cover the floor area fully - and don't necessarily expect your walls to stay the lovely pastel shades they are now.

If the area is going to stay there, remember to seal off the plug area - you will be surprised how canny babies can be.


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## SharonM (Mar 2, 2010)

I think that fence would put my girls off, they like to be able to move around when in labour, some of my girls won't go anywhere near the whelping box until labour starts, so I wouldn't worry too much, like yours my last litter, mum insisted on sleeping on the floor rather than get in the whelping box, but once labour started she was fine.


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