i use an x-pen about four by six. it's at the foot of my bed. it may be larger. i don't know. then I use the plastic sweater tray at walmarts for the actual whelping box inside the pen. i ordered somee pish pads to put in my whelping box. i used newspapers the first time because I didn't know any better. talk about a big mess. so I was ready next time around. I also don't use towels or anything similar because the babies will scoot under and get smothered. babies stay in the whelping box until they start crawling over the sides. then I move it out and put a huge heavy throw rug in it's place. by that time, they are toddling all over the place but they curl up with mama and sleep on the rug. When they are about eight or nine weeks, I move them into the room with all my other dogs. they get pee pad trained and socialized that way. |