Whelping Box

THE EXPANSION PEN TO THE BOX WHELPING BOX!
Note: The Box is sold separately and is NOT included with this expansion pen.

Our whelping box extension, The Pen Extension pen, is the perfect addition to the Box Next Generation Professional Whelping Box. The whelping box extension pen easily attaches to the front of the whelping box and uses the same hook and slot joints as the whelping box. The MagnaPen incorporates the same 1/3 and 2/3 height doors for easy access and control. It is simple to clean and to keep clean.

The Pen is available in either solid sides (like the Box) for controlling drafts and easy cleanability or slatted sides to allow for airflow and visual interaction.

Quality solid materials along with unique hook and slot connectors and a lightly textured surface make cleanup a breeze. Easily wipes clean with a rag and sanitizing solution and when disassembled can be quickly cleaned and sanitized with a cloth. There are no plastic welds, caulk joints, hidden slots, fasteners, or corrugations that capture and retain contamination.

Assembly requires no tools and no fasteners. No small parts to insert while aligning bulky components. No velcro to wear out or replace.

Simply align, insert, and slide into position the unique hook and slot joints in the corners. Remove the puppy rails from the Box and then attach the Pen to the existing slots on the front of the Box.

Available in the following five standard sizes to match the MagnaBox sizes with choice of either solid or slatted sides.

XX-Small – 600 x 600 x 300 tall

X-Small – 760 x 760 x 380 tall

Small – 900x 900x 400 tall

Medium – 1000x x1000 x 450 tall

Large – 1200 x 1200 x 500 tall

X-Large – 1200 x x1200 x 600 tall

What is a Whelping Box?
A whelping box is an enclosed area designed for the privacy and comfort of your bitch and her puppies. It can be introduced while your dog is pregnant as a safe place for privacy and “nesting“. She can and most likely will give birth in the whelping box as she will feel safe to do so there. Hence why it is so important to give and encourage her into the whelping box during pregnancy. The birth will most likely strengthen the female’s perception that this is a secure area for her to keep her pups. Furthermore, the puppies can be kept hereafter birth, are enclosed, safe and warm

Whelping boxes are somewhat confused with dog beds. They are enclosed spaces, usually with rails or walls to prevent the puppies from wandering off and to make the female feel secured. This area should be specifically hers and no other dogs should be allowed into the area. The main benefit of a whelping box is the comfort that is given to your female, the puppies and that the litter is physically enclosed from harm. If young puppies were to wander, they could easily become lost, get trapped somewhere or even meet other dogs in your home which could be very risky.

Benefits of Whelping Boxes
There are so many benefits to a whelping box, here are just a few summarised.

Safety
New-born do not move a lot and have not yet opened their eyes. But very soon they will be starting to move around and can cause trouble. A whelping box will allow them to move in the area of the box, the sides are too tall for them to climb and this prevents them from escaping and causing mischief.

Dog’s Personal Space
With increased hormones and emotional responses, pregnant dogs can feel more aggression and anxiety. Giving them a secured and railed off area that is their own will bring them comfort and relax them. Making things safer for them and for you as they will feel safe and calm in the box and not feel to act defensive towards you due to them having space.

Manageable
Having your dog and her puppies in one area allows you to easily monitor their behaviors and health. You will be able to see if your mother dog is displaying any concerning health signs such as excess bleeding or behavioral symptoms of postpartum depression. Furthermore, you can easily adjust the heating and clean any messes from the puppies because it is all contained in one area.

Regulates Temperature
If the puppies are roaming around a large area along with the mother, maintaining healthy temperatures may be difficult, especially as puppies cannot regulate their temperatures initially. In the whelping box, you can initially add more blankets, have them close to a window or heater/heat lamp and monitor the bitch’s behavior to know when to adjust.

Early Puppy Training
Once your puppies begin to move, you should want to begin training them. Having them in large areas to do this can be rather chaotic! Having them all in one area means you can begin to teach stay and sit to a collective group or, if they are of age, easily remove one puppy to train.

How to Choose the Right Whelping Box for Dogs
There is not a “perfect whelping box”, therefore, you have to find the box most suited to your dog and for you.

Size
You should consider the size of your dog and their breed’s average litter size before choosing the size of your whelping box. You want to make sure your dog can comfortably stretch and still have a lot of room for their puppies to move in.

A rough estimate is four of your dog’s breed should be able to lie down in the box snuggly. Their average breed size should also be considered as the more puppies produced, the more room you will need for the whelping box. Breeds such as the Labrador Retriever and Dalmatian are known to have large litter sizes, so you can prepare for this with a large dog whelping box.

Durability
Dog whelping boxes can go through quite a lot in their lives! From puppies urinating, defecating and chewing them, they need to quite hardy. Furthermore, the bigger and more boisterous your puppies get, the more they will be running and falling into the sides of the whelping box.

Materials
Different breeders may prefer different materials for whelping boxes as they all come with pros and cons. Plastic is very easy to clean as you can wipe the surfaces in a matter of moments, although it is not the strongest and can be broken from a lot of pressure.

Furthermore, this material can be quite sharp if it is broken so be aware if your pet is heavy or clumsy. Wood is also a common whelping box material. It can be a very strong depending on the wood type but can splinter if cheaper woods are used. Again, if the quality of the wood is cheap, it can be more difficult to clean but polished or higher qualities woods are easy to wipe down.

Cooling & Heating Features
Some boxes can come with added features such as cooling fans or heat mats to make sure your bitch and puppies are feeling happy and healthy. These features may be more expensive as they are luxury, but can be beneficial, especially if you live in extreme temperature areas such as Alaska or Florida.

You’ll want to check that the wiring can be easily tucked away and that the heat mat is not going to be a fire hazard. Thermostats with metal probes can control the temperature of heat mats and are sometimes provided.

Portability
Is the box easy to move? A simple question but one that is quite important if you live in a small house or may have a sudden need to move the box’s location.

For example, if your heating or air conditioning randomly breaks, would you have to move the box to a room that’s more insulated or is colder? Furthermore, when the puppies are old enough to leave, will you be able to easily remove the box. If you have a disability or are older in age, portability is a big concern.

Structure
Are there certain elements of the dog whelping box’s structure that you require or will not compromise on? Rounded corners, higher walls, and rails are all different elements that some breeders may want. Some whelping boxes have multiple sections so the mother can briefly sit away from the puppies if she needs to or so they can have room to explore when they are older. You have to decide what overall structure you want and what features would benefit your dog the most.