Whelping Preparation Checklist: Everything to Have Ready
Whelping preparation is a dated job, not a shopping trip: box by day 50–55, supplies by day 56, temperature routine running before the window opens at day 58. This checklist is the full version of the one in our whelping calculator — print it and tick things off.
The whelping box (ready by day 50–55)
Big enough for her to stretch out fully and nurse, with low sides she can step over and puppies cannot. Line it with washable blankets or towels you can change several times — whelping is messy. Put it in a quiet, warm, draft-free corner away from household traffic and other pets, and let her sleep in it for the last week or two so it is hers by the big day. A rail or ledge around the inside wall gives puppies a gap so they cannot be pinned against the side.
The supplies (gathered by day 56)
- Clean towels and blankets — several full changes
- Heating pad or heat lamp for the puppies (they cannot regulate their own temperature)
- Sterile gloves and sterilized scissors
- Dental floss or cord clamps, plus iodine for umbilical stumps
- Bulb syringe for clearing mouths and noses
- A small scale (gram-accurate for small breeds) and a notebook for birth weights
- Puppy milk replacer (formula) and a bottle, in case a puppy needs help or the litter is large
- Rectal thermometer and lubricant — for the day-56 routine below
- A clock or phone timer for gaps between puppies
- Your vet's number and the nearest emergency vet's number, written down — not just in your phone
The temperature routine (from day 56)
Twice a day, same times, written down. Her baseline will sit around 101–102.5 °F. When a reading drops below about 99 °F and stays there, labor usually follows within 12–24 hours — that is your cue to clear the calendar and stay close. The method in full: the temperature drop before whelping.
The day-58 state
By the time the window opens at day 58: box ready and familiar, supplies laid out, temperatures being logged, car fueled, a rota agreed so she is not alone for long stretches, and the call-the-vet triggers read once more while everyone is calm. Then you wait — most dogs pick the middle of the night, in the box, all by themselves.
Every date above comes off your mating date automatically in the dog whelping date calculator — box date, temperature start date and window, all on one screen.
Frequently asked questions
When should I set up the whelping box?
About 1–2 weeks before the due date — day 50–55 from the first mating. She needs time to sleep in it, dig in it and decide it smells like hers. A box introduced on the day itself is often rejected in favor of your bed or the laundry pile. With a toy or small breed, size the box to her and plan to weigh the puppies in grams — see our small dog pregnancy guide for what else changes.
What is the single most important supply?
Warmth for the puppies: a heating pad or heat lamp, set so puppies can crawl toward and away from the heat. Newborns cannot regulate their own temperature, and chilling is the quiet killer of the first week. Second most important: your vet's number, written down.
Do I really need to take her temperature twice a day?
From day 56, yes — it is the most reliable labor predictor you have. The drop below 99 °F typically precedes labor by 12–24 hours, and you can only spot a drop if you know her normal baseline from several days of readings.