How long after giving birth should a mama dog stay in the whelping box?

Answer 1

The whelping area should ideally be large enough that the puppies and mother can move within freely, and it should have an opening short enough that she can jump in without worrying about jumping on a pup. She should be allowed access to the pups in the whelping box throughout the whole first 5 or 6 weeks, at which time it may be a good idea to move the pups and mother to a larger area. The pups will begin to move around and "crawl" around 3 weeks of age. After this they can be taken out to exercise, and play, and generally get the feel of different types of surfaces, such as grass, hard floors, etc. She should want to stay with them for about the first 24 hours after birth constantly, barely even leaving to potty. After that, she should be in and out of the box 4 to 6 times a day. If she shows no interest in remaining with her pups, especially during the critical first 3 weeks when the pups are solely on a diet of milk, then actions should be taken to make her stay in there, or either the owner should take over the feeding of the pups. At three weeks they can begin to have soft solids, so it won't be as big of an issue if the mother doesn't want to stay with them. It is still important for the puppies to have all access to their mother for the first 8 weeks of their lives.