How to Make a Whelping Box for Beagles

A whelping box is an area designed to give your female beagle a place to safely deliver her litter and keep them safely contained. A good whelping box will allow your beagle to easily enter and exit the box while keeping the pups contained inside. It should be large enough to accommodate her lying down comfortably to keep her from accidentally stepping or lying on a pup and encourage her to spend more time caring for her pups.

Things You'll Need

  • Two 4 x 8-foot sheets of plywood
  • 1-inch wood screws
  • Drill
  • Circular saw
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Instructions

    • 1

      Cut your plywood. Ideally, you should have your plywood cut into pre-determined sizes at the local home improvement outlet from which you purchased the lumber. However, if you did not, it will make the assembly much easier if you have the plywood and other lumber cut into the appropriate lengths before you begin assembly. Transfer the dimensions of the box to your wood and cut with a circular saw. You will need four 2- to 4-foot sections of plywood. The eventual front section will need a notch cut out of it that will allow the female dog to enter and exit the box.

    • 2

      Stand two sections of 24" x 48" pieces of plywood on opposite sides of each other. These will be the sides of the box.

    • 3

      Add a 1" x 2" wood strip to the inside of the 24" edge with wood screws.

    • 4

      Attach the third section of 24" x 48" plywood to the sides with wood screws, creating a three-sided box: the two sides and the back.

    • 5

      Attach the notched piece of plywood to the three-sided structure in the same fashion as the back. When you are attaching the wooden pieces, screw from the outside in but be careful to ensure that none of the sharp tips protrude from the wood as this can injure either the female or her pups.

    • 6

      Attach the box to the floor. Place the four-sided box on the floor with the top down, and place the final panel of plywood on top. Screw the panel securely in place with wood screws, once again ensuring that no screw heads protrude into the inside of he box.

    • 7

      Construct the puppy rail. This is a safety feature for your whelping box that will help protect the puppies from being crushed by the mother. Attach 4" x 1" x 48" boards both the front and rear walls of the structure approximately 6" from the floor surface.

    • 8

      Finish the floor. This can be accomplished with any waterproofing covering such as contact paper or non toxic paint. This will allow you to keep the box more sanitary for the female and the pups.