First litter

I have pups scheduled to drop at the end of the month and needed some advice on the best brood box option. I was thinking of making an enclosed brood box with insulation to keep outside my house on the yard like this How to Build a Doghouse - YouTube or using a large enclosed kennel and bring her in the house. I have been told to use a plastic pool or open brood box for indoor whelping but the bitch having the pups has never been a house dog and I don't want her shitting and pissing on the floor since when I am away from home at work. The outdoor brood box facilitates her relieving herself but obviously it will be colder in that environment and I'm concerned about the pups and keeping them warm. Your thoughts?

Thanks

 

...dont breed in the winter...

 

Because mine are at such high elevation I built A metal insulated bow on the house with A heat lamp, for when it gets real cold! Put A good heavy screen over it so the gyp cant get to it. try and keep it around 50-60 should do.

 

trotline do you have a picture of your setup?

 

For indoor whelping I use a giant sky/vari kennel with metal curtain poles fitted around the base, around 2-3" from sides and floor.

 

If its too cold,,, it will be very hard on both the dam and her pups and will take something really warm and managable to have any success...
I would keep them in a sufficient crate,,, the first cople weeks they are small,,, quite and the dam eats thier feces,,, but as they get bigger its alot of work and will quickly outgrow the crate with thier dam...
Hopefully your bitch holds it while your at work and you dont come home to piss and shit covered pups daily,,, some times that cant help it for a multitude of reasons to eating the afterbirth,,, the pups feces and overeating and drinking...
As the pups get older than a two three weeks,,, seperate the dam during the day and her in and outto another crate to feed them,,, if its too cold out it can bother thier milk and breast not to mention thier fat index will be very low and staying warm will be harder and the stress will most likly trigger any dormit worms...

Depending on the weather,,,I would go through the hassle of keeping them inside for as long as possible...

There are a handful of techniques keeping a doghouse heated,,, a heat lamp being the easiest and cheepest,,, but once agian depending on the waether you might need a handful of them,,, if you do chose a heat lamp make sure to get a outdoor weather proof bulb that wont explode from condisation...
Good luck and be ready for putting in some shitty work...

 

Great advice if you can't bring the mother inside.

 

This is very fuming SAD................

 

I typically don't do winter litters for this reason. Where are you located because that will play a major part in it.

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This is just fucking SAD.

 

Exactly so many things can go wrong, breed at the end of winter so they come in the spring. Especially if you get below freezing and stay there!!! You could leave home and weather conditions could hold you up, if outside A power failure there is just so much that could go wrong!!! I lived on the edge of Yellowstone no way I would breed close to winter just not worth it!! My set up is simple just A sheetmetal box on top of the house and covered with insulation! They are not young pups in sub freezing weather! Think about it first!!!

 

I completely understand that this is not the optimal time, but it might be my last chance to get pups off her. Since I acquired her as an older brood bitch I've had to sit in her while I endured a parvo outbreak and other issues that prevented me from breeding her last Year. Temps are currently in the mid 50s with lows in the 40s so could be better but could be worse.

 

So it gets no lower than the 40's that's not that bad, all of A sudden pictures of Yellowstone flashed in my head! LOL So I guess if you think it is go'n to get below freezing bring them in at night. Just insulate, try and keep it out of the wind no lower than 40's should be OK!

 

Not bad at all,,, trotlines advice is sound....
If you use a heat lamp,,, use a outdoor flood bulb,,, a gfci protected outlet or gfci 3way spliter can be used out of a regular outlet,,, and be very sareful the coard is protected where the dogs dont chew or damage it and get shocked... good luck as Im not too far north and its been cold here...

 

Well I'll tell you what I did. I got a 12x12 tarp and put down on the floor. Put up a 10x10 chain link kennel and set it on the tarp. Put the kiddie pool inside, whatever bedding you use and that way clean up is easier. Now I had a 16x12 bedroom available so I could pull it off but you could do the same with a smaller kennel

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That's the best!!! If the breeding is that important take every precaution! Good Luck

 

They'll be fine outside a heat lamp or two should keep them all plenty warm enough. hinge the top of the box to get at the pups easily. I've had a bitch birth pups in a simple one room house in February no problem. I recommend the two room designs or at least a long house with the lamps at one end so the dogs can move away from them if too hot.

 

Off subject but how are they bred if you don't mind sharing

 

Damn people now days have become very soft, dont breed when its winter because its too cold or dont breed in summer because its too hot, you can only breed dogs when the weather is just right LMAO. You see its not predicated on the weather but on how well the OWNER can care for them pups.

Also the opening of that dog house in the vid is too big. Second make sure the heat lamps are secured.

 

I always liked the winter for whelping pups here in south Texas.I had four x eight pens, three feet off the ground. A three x four enclosed box four pups with a access back door and the rest of the pen enabled the mother to get away from the pups and relieve herself. No fleas, mosquitoes, ants or other nuisance to worry with. If I were up north, I'm sure I'd have a different plan.