Easy to Build Whelping Box for a Puppy Pen

A whelping box is a place where a dog can give birth and raise her puppies. The whelping box should be built before the puppies are born. A well-constructed whelping box later can become a puppy pen and will give your dogs a safe and healthy place to start their lives.

  1. Whelping Box

    • Create a whelping box by using a plastic dog kennel. Buy the biggest size possible, which is usually at least 1 foot wide and 3 feet long. Take the box apart as if you were going to store it. Set the wire cage door aside. You should have two plastic halves of a dog kennel. Each half should have three full sides and should be open on the fourth side, which is where the door would be. Take the top of the kennel and turn it so that the open end is facing right. Then take the bottom half of the kennel and turn it so that the open end is facing left. Set the bottom of the kennel inside the top part of the kennel and press down. It should create a plastic box that is enclosed on all four sides.

    Interior of the Box

    • Line the inside of the box with old towels. Blankets are too heavy and don't work well. Let your dog build a nest in the box.

      Place the box in a quiet corner in your home. Keep in mind that you will want your dog to be in this box often, so a room where you spend a lot of time, such as a bedroom or living room, is a good idea.

    Create a Puppy Pen

    • The box works for puppies that are not yet active. As puppies get older, you will need to turn the whelping box into a puppy pen. Take the whelping box apart and turn the sides so that both of the open ends are together. Put the bottom of the kennel back into the top. Now you have a three-sided box with one open end. Set the box back in the corner. Use a small pet cage, baby gates or fence parts to make a pen around the three-sided box. Once the puppies become mobile, they can be in the box to feed and sleep and in the pen to play.