How to Build a Plywood Whelping Box

You can easily make a great whelping box for any dog with just plywood boards, screws and braces. Your dog and her puppies will be much safer than in just a cardboard box or on the floor, and you will find cleanup very easy with a well-made whelping box. Use coated melamine boards instead of plain plywood and you will have a ready-made, easy-to-clean, water-resistant surface.

Things You'll Need

  • 4 boards, 12 inches by 4 feet
  • Sand paper, coarse and fine
  • Wood screws
  • Corner braces
  • Plywood, melamine or fiberglass sheet, 4 feet by 4 feet, optional
  • Nontoxic wood glue, optional
  • Melamine trim, optional
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Instructions

    • 1

      Buy your materials and have the store cut the boards for you. Assemble your whelping box well ahead of the expected birth of the pups, so the mother dog will have time to adjust to the box and feel secure in using it for her puppies.

    • 2

      Sand the plywood using a rough grade of sandpaper and then go over it again with a finer grit, to ensure a smooth, safe surface for the puppies and mother. If you use the melamine board you will not have to sand it at all, but glue the edging strips into place for a finished look.

    • 3

      Place the ends of two boards together perpendicular to each other and resting on their edges. Repeat this until you have placed the boards into a 4-foot square, with the sides 12 inches high.

    • 4

      Attach a brace to hold each corner together with wood screws. Reinforce with non-toxic wood glue to make the joint stronger. If desired, you can use hinges instead of braces to make a fold-up whelping box for storage.

    • 5

      Place the square box on top of the plywood sheet if you want a bottom floor for the whelping box. Secure the plywood bottom to the frame with glue and screws. There should be no cracks or sharp edges that the puppies can be caught on.