You can ask at the lumber yard or home center where you bought the plywood if they can cut it for you.
Make the doorway a couple of inches taller for larger breeds.
Lay the contact paper on the plywood square and use your fingers to stick it to the wood. Remove any air bubbles in the contact paper by rubbing it with your palms.
Place staples between 2 different pieces of contact paper if you want extra security. Aim the staple gun so the staple pierces the edge of one piece and the edge of another, binding them.
When you’re finished, the 3 strips should form a “U” shape along the sides of the floor.
When you’re finished, each wall should have a hole at its left and right sides and another hole in the middle.
When all the screws are in place, pull and push on the walls with a medium amount of force. If they rattle or feel insecure, use the screwdriver to tighten the screws. You might need to drill extra holes between the middle screws and the outside screws in each wall if the walls aren’t secure enough. Use the screwdriver to place the screws in these holes.
If the walls needed extra holes and screws to be adequately secured, do the same with the doorway strip.
An easily accessible location in the house is the best place for the box. The basement, garage, attic, and laundry room are all suitable places for your whelping box.
On the other hand, small dogs will feel the cold more. Try and keep small dogs in warmer areas of the house. You can add a small heater to the whelping box that the dogs can use if they feel cold.
Use gloves when removing the old newspaper from the box.
Don’t lift your bitch as she will be fragile after giving birth.
After 3 to 4 weeks, the whelping box will also develop an odor. If you can’t move the puppies to a kennel or pen, let them roam around outside for a few hours each day. Keep an eye on them as they roam. It’s important that you play and interact with them at this stage. Socializing with people is vital for a dog’s development at a young age.
