hi there i have a bitch who has 2 wks to go until the birth of pups i tried to put my bitch in bedroom with me and in wich i have a whelping bed thing is she wont take to the bed ive even tried to lay down on a quilt beside her to see if she will stay there but i fell asleep and when i woke on a few occasions of doing this i found that my dog had jump onto my bed she is totally not happy being in the whelping bed.im getting a bit concerened now as i do worry alot that she wont go into her bed please anyadvice will help and greatly appreciated.also another question is my bitch seems to have a massive rib cage now is this because the puppies are inside the ribs.and is this normal for the ribs to fill right out or does it mean a big litter as with the breed dog i have she is quite small.tahnks donna

I did the same with one of mine, whelping area in my bedroom so it may quiet and private. She panted a little and stopped and my mentor came over for the imminent whelp. Nothing for a few hours and then he said bring her down into the lounge and she started labour. She had held off as wanted to have them in the lounge. I was caught out there as at every opportunity she wanted to be upstairs prior the pups.

Two years later, she had another litter and I had her in the lounge and all went to plan. She ways 6 days early again, scratched behind the sofa for bit and whelped in exactly the same spot!  This was a dog that I wrongly presumed would prefer peace and quiet, not the telly on and my two children sitting on the settee giving her a full audience!

Just my experience.

I have always used a whelping box with a top both to keep the bitch secure and to keep newborns warm.  I feed the bitch in there a week before she's due, when I start taking her temperature and will contain her usual familiar bed.  It's in the place that I want her to rear the litter - either in my bedroom or in another room with me sleeping alongside on a campbed.

None of my bitches have used the whelping box until they were actually in labour. Once they start they tend to go in there with just a little bit of encouragement.

The most important thing is a stress free bitch.  I allow mine to whelp where they want to.  It has been on the settee, and it's been under the radiator in the bay window.  It really doesn't matter as long as your bitch is comfortable.  I ensure that I have loads of bath towels ready to put down on the chosen spot.  Don't ever try to stress a bitch out by forcing her to whelp where you want.

Once I am satisfied that all pups are born and everything is as it should be, I put a towel in a huge bowl and carry pups to the whelping box.  I can guarantee that your bitch will follow you, and once you have put pups where you want them, she will want to be with them.

It works every time, and you have a contented bitch with no upsets.  I no longer ask a bitch to sleep in her whelping box prior to whelping, it isn't fair to force her into a situation that she isn't comfortable with.

The most important thing is a stress free bitch.  I allow mine to whelp where they want to.  It has been on the settee, and it's been under the radiator in the bay window.

I think the size makes a slight difference though Jean. Have a Malinois whelp ten puppies and you go through two large binliners full of newspapers totally soaked through during the whelping, the amount of fluid is unbelievable. That just couldn't be contained anywhere but in a whelping box.

thank you for your info i will let her be and let her choose where to whelp.ill take all your info on board and thanks very much.donna

hi again do you think my bitch will have a big litter as her rib cage has expanded loads almost 2 times the normal size

I actually whelp them outside the whelping box so that I can get completely around them them to help, on a waterproof groundsheet, with newspapers and vetbed on top.  By the time they are  moved into the whelping box with their pups, it's a familiar place for them and they settle immediately.
I've never had a bitch distressed at being in the whelping box for the week before - with her familiar bed, her dinner and me calm just outside, why should they be distressed?  Maybe mine are just well socialised and used to different circumstances, staying in different houses (I take my girls with me when I stay at friends) and so it's no big deal to sleep in a whelping box.

hi westcoast i take my dogs everywhere i go with me and when i sleep out too.she is very well socialsed and meet lots of new faces every day so thats not a problem my bitch is not destressed at all as i havednt made her go into her whelping box ive just tried to encourage her to have a look and maybe lay in it even for 5 mins ive never forced her never would i love my dogs and when shes jumped on my bed thats where i leave her hopefully i will just let nature take its course.manythanks donna.

> I think the size makes a slight difference though Jean. Have a Malinois whelp ten puppies and you go through two large binliners full of newspapers totally soaked through during the whelping, the amount of fluid is unbelievable. That just couldn't be contained anywhere but in a whelping box.

Whoops!!!!!  See what you mean.  I was thinking more Yorkshire Terrier/Chihuahua.  I do get your point, very much so, as the fluids from the toy breeds is miniscule by comparison!!  Two binliners full as opposed to a carrier bag.  Mmmmm! 

Two binliners full as opposed to a carrier bag.  Mmmmm!  

Sometimes even more - I've had bitches whelp very cleanly and others who are real bleeders!  I'm afraid much as I love 'em, my sofa isn't an option but as I've said, I've never had a bitch who wasn't relaxed and comfortable anywhere that I was on the floor with her.