Whelping box--spot heating or temperature control - Page 2

I would have to say as a precaution, don't worry though i only have it on for a week or so,depending on the time of year. I think it is up to the individual, don't you Two moons? You don't provide heating for your new borns, a lot of us do, personal choice. liz

I guess I'm just different.

I never interfere with birth's unless there is a problem that demand's attention.    My sheep give birth on snow altho they are a wild breed.   My dog's have alway's been good mothers and have alway's taken excellent care of pup's.  Other animal's mainly live stock have alway's been left to nature giving birth in the field. 

I just fed my bitch and had a look at the pup's, EYE'S ARE OPEN !!!  and they are warm and snuggly inside the dog house.

Your right it's a personal choice, I leave much to nature I guess, more so than some.

I tend to think that the size of the whelping box , the outside temp, and whether it is covered, have a lot to do with whether the bitch, even a good dedicated one, can keep the pups warm unaided.

 I will avoid overheating, just some limited aid.

Thanks to all.

all our dogs have pups inside ,warm weather or cold.my sister uses a heating pad when it's cold.i just make sure the blankets are always dry and clean.if i need to warm up pups for some reason or other ,i fill flattened out soda bottles  with  warm water and wrap in blanket and snuggle the pups up.our mothers are super good so we don't worry that much. it gets way to cold in the north to not take some precautions.

I  have  hot lamps built into the tops of my whelping boxes as You can lose a pup from staying cold upon birth if mom is busy with others..I dont leave my pups anyway, born in nursery with music, heat or a/c. But a cold pup doesnt eat fast or even respond..Temperature in the 50's , 40's and 30's cannot be good for newborns as mom is very busy having a litter.

The first three days are crucial. Provide a heat source so pups dont struggle or get set back in their first introduction to   our world.

Many pups born in the wild die, and part of litters never make it. If you dont care if half or one or two die from too cold, your choice. Maybe they will and maybe your lucky. Dogs are strong willed but If I'm responsible for a healthy pup, I control how , where and when and why., life happens,  as a breeder to sell you a healthy well bred pup.

Yr

i don't like any to die .

I use a lectro kennel dog house heater.  It is a hard "heating pad" type of thing that you can put a fleece cover on.  It is water proof and the cord is protected and you can buy a thermostat to give you better temperature control.  Here is a link to one:www.futurepets.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES.exe  I have found the pups really like these and will go on them when they need heat and lay anear them when they don't.  I put two thermostats in the whelping box to make sure it's not too hot or cold.

If you want to use a heat lamp and you are worried about it producing too much light, get a ceramic heat bulb. They produce only heat, no light. They are used to keep reptiles and birds warm at night when darkness is needed. The ceramic bulb, like glass bulbs, can get too hot to touch so if you use one the lamp must be secure so the pups and the dam cannot touch it.

don't you worry the mother will fluff it up and cut the wires? i would be afraid of electrocution.i would have to get an electric blanket to sleep with them to be sure.

I set the room temp at around 70 degrees, then just put down a heating pad under the blanket/towel in one corner. If Mom decides to leave the box for any reason, the puppies naturally crawl over the to the heating pad if they need warmth.

If the pup are laying all on top of each other in a heap, they are too cold. If they are all spread out all over the place..it is too warm.

When they are about 3 weeks old, I am not as comcerned about air temperature..to a point...but still make sure they have  a warm place to go if they feel chilled....such as a heating pad inside a crate, or under a blanket. Those snuggle disk work well after 3 weeks if you are concerned about them finding the cord.

I only use heat lamps as a last resort, as they make my electricity bill sky rocket.  If I need to use an area without  a reliable thermostat for room temperature, like in the basement, then indeed those heat lamps do a better job than a heating pad at providing warmth.