The American Beagler Forum

What is the optimum temperature for the whelping box when the pups are 0 to 3 weeks? How cold does it have to be outside before the pups will suffer from it? I know you can put a light on them for heat, but what temperature outside tells you to turn it on? Debating on whether or not to have a female bred right now or not. Have a female that I have been wanting to have bred, but her heat cycle doesn't match with when I would like to deal with pups.

PBJ wrote:What is the optimum temperature for the whelping box when the pups are 0 to 3 weeks? How cold does it have to be outside before the pups will suffer from it? I know you can put a light on them for heat, but what temperature outside tells you to turn it on? Debating on whether or not to have a female bred right now or not. Have a female that I have been wanting to have bred, but her heat cycle doesn't match with when I would like to deal with pups.

Your litter would come in Oct., I had a litter of 8 in Oct. and they required nothing extra at that time, but some Oct's are colder than others and some bitches coddle pups better than others. I like a box temp where the pups stay huddled to the bitch and the bitch is not to warm or uncomfortable, at least 70deg should do it, a draft free box is most important, the bitch will supply needed heat where the wind doesn't blow and dampness doesn't chill.
If your bitch is in season now, she should cycle again about Feb. which would give you April pups, I don't see anything wrong with that unless she only cycles once in a year...dealing with winter pups is a far greater chore than would be come Spring it seems to me, if that is the hinge of breeding or not.

I feel the best way to save puppies in the cold months is to heat the floor of the whelping box. I try to keep the floor at 85 degrees for the first 4 days, because I think it takes 4 days before a pup can make its own heat. Then according to the outside temp. then I lower the heat lamp. Since I started this way of doing things I don't worry about the cold. I copied this idea from Branko.

We put a heating pad made for dogs in our boxes and love them. They stay around 85 degrees and if it gets really cold then I also have a light mounted in the whelping box. We also put a piece of carpet to act as a doggy door and keep the rain and snow out.

Thanks guys! I appreciate the info.

I keep my welpping box 90 degreese for the first 5 days. Pups do not generate any body temp for 3 or 4 days. My whelping box is well insulated and I have a light mounted inside the box. I have found that the light will cause the box to get too hot, so I use a ciramic heater with a termastate to keep the box at the desired temp. After day Five I cut the heat back to around 70 degreese.