Our Large Birthing Box

A contented mum

What Whelping Box for which breed?

This is very much down to the personal preferences of the breeders concerned although I believe that some breeders have their boxes much bigger than is really necessary. Too much space can lead to whelps crawling away and not being able to get back to their dam, which can lead to serious problems. I also believe that if there is too much space the bitch can get a little careless as to where she puts her feet.

There has been a story recently that a GSD whelped ten pups in a rabbit hole! I had one bitch, albeit a small terrier, who crawled into a shallow hole no bigger than about 9x9x6" underneath a shed. If she had been allowed to, she would have been quite happy to stay there for the duration. Suffice to say, however, that some Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breeders, for instance, bought medium boxes, used them and then come back for the small ones. Rough Collies have been happily accommodated in the medium box when their expected litters have been small, and Shar Pei are really at home in medium ones. A lot also depends on the size of the bitch concerned. It is worth remembering too, that bitches usually only lie down to suckle whilst their whelps are very young, bitches with large litters for their size usually start to sit up to feed their growing pups which also tends to obviate the need for masses of room.

The following are guide lines and we have also listed the dogs in alphabetical order along with the box that we recommend. Just click on the letters below

A - B,   C - F,    G - J,    K - O,    P - S,    T - Y

SMALL boxes have been used by;
Norfolk and Norwich Terriers, Italian Greyhounds, Miniature Dachshunds, Miniature Schnauzers, Lakeland Terriers, small Westies, small Cairns, Yorkshire Terriers, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Miniature Poodles, Chihuahas, Pomeranians, etc., etc., ......and cats as well of course.

MEDIUM boxes have been used by;
Smooth and Wire Fox Terriers, Border, Welsh, West Highland White, Scottish, and Cairn Terriers, Miniature Schnauzers, Dachshunds, Shah Pei, Lhasa Apsos, Shih Tzus, Cavalier King Charles, Cocker Spaniels, American Cocker Spaniels, (and other spaniel breeds) Miniature Poodles, Shibu Inu, Bull Terriers, Whippets, Pekingese, Pugs, (apparently these like plenty of room),...etc. etc.

LARGE and LARGE have been developed for;
Golden Retrievers, Labradors, Skye Terriers, Kerry Blues, Doberman Pinschers, Irish, English Setters, Pointers, Collies, Greyhounds, Poodles, Chows, English and Welsh Springer Spaniels, Border Collies, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, Belgian Shepherds, Staffordshire Bull Terriers (better off in a large box), etc., etc.

All boxes come with a 16 page booklet on whelping and kittening.