Comfortable & Appropriate Whelping Environment for a Great Dane Bitch
Comfortable & Appropriate Whelping Environment for a Great Dane Bitch
By Gale Renz
Over the sixteen years that we have been breeding Great Danes, we have tried many different scenarios and tested several diverse types of whelping boxes to find one that would be comfortable for a Great Dane bitch in whelp and that would accommodate her litter after whelping.
One major consideration is that Great Dane puppies are so very small in relation to their mommy that it is very easy for a bitch to lay on her puppies during and after whelping. This necessitates some sort of a barrier that will allow mommy to lie down and her puppies to avoid being squished against the side of the whelping box and suffocated. None of the whelping boxes that I was able to locate commercially were adequate in size to allow for a Great Dane bitch to whelp comfortably.
After much experimentation, we found that using a king sized water bed frame, with modifications, would help us to provide a safe, secure and comfortable nest to enable a Great Dane bitch to whelp and raise her puppies. We use 4’ X 6’ cattle mats on the floors of our kennel pens so that our Danes do not have pressure on their sensitive joints when they lay down. This also alleviates the tendency for Great Danes to develop calluses on their elbows as these mats (which are available at many farm supply stores) are designed to provide a comfortable surface for a large animal to lie on. These mats are easily disinfected and are relatively inexpensive to purchase (approximately $60 each). They are very durable and dry quickly, the only drawback, if it is one, is that they are very heavy. The benefit of that is that the weight discourages a Great Dane from dragging the mat around. [I don’t know about your Danes, but mine will drag around anything that is not nailed down and use it as a tug toy! ;-]
To provide a wonderful whelping environment for a Great Dane bitch, we use two of these 4’ X 6’ cattle mats as the base and set up the waterbed frame atop them. This type of box is also easy to break down for storage after whelping, which is a great advantage to their use. We position and nail a 1” X 12” board all the way around the top of the waterbed frame. This provides the barrier that helps prevent the bitch from lying on her puppies when they are tiny. The height at which you position this 1” X 12” is dependent on the relative size of your bitch. In my experience, about eight inches from the floor works best. The boards can be attached to the pieces of the waterbed frame with L shaped pieces of iron available at your local hardware store. The biggest challenge inherent in building this kind of a whelping box for your bitch is just finding the waterbed frame. They are many times available in thrift stores, at auction or in the classifieds for a nominal fee.
After you have a nice big box for your bitch to whelp in, it is just a matter of choosing an appropriate bedding material (we use bright, clean oat straw and 1’ pine shavings in combination) and changing it very frequently during and after whelping. If you want your Great Dane bitch to be truly comfortable with her litter, it is important to find a bedding that she enjoys and to keep the whelping box squeaky clean! If you have ever been a grandparent to a litter of Great Dane puppies, you will appreciate the amount of dedication and commitment keeping up with a bitch and her litter’s needs entails! Seeing a happy, relaxed mommy serenely nursing her puppies makes it all worthwhile!
Byline:
Article by Gale Renz.
Gale Renz is a great dane lover and professional qualified Great
Dane Breeder and owner / founder of dynamitedanes.com
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