THE WHELPING BOX

"ALI" IS PROBABLY THE MOST SPOILED DOG HERE AT TORNADO KENNELS...SINCE SHE IS OUR HOUSE DOG, I INSISTED THAT MARK BUILD HER A WHELPING BOX FOR THE BASEMENT SO SHE WOULDN'T HAVE TO WHELP HER PUPPIES OUTSIDE IN THE NURSERY MARK WAS SHAKING HIS HEAD THE WHOLE TIME...BUT HE BUILT THE BOX THE WHELPING BOX HERE IT IS!!!  WE FINISHED PUTTING IT TOGETHER AT 11:00 LAST NIGHT...THIS IS JUST THE FIRST LAYER OF THE BOX YOU CAN SEE THE SIDE RAIL HERE...THIS IS TO PREVENT ALI FROM LAYING ON ANY OF THE PUPPIES... IF SHE LAYS ON/NEAR ONE, THE PUPPY WILL BE PUSHED UNDERNEATH THE SIDE RAIL TO SAFETY THIS IS THE AREA WHERE THE PUPPIES WILL BE MOST OFTEN...UNDER THE HEAT LAMP THE BOX IS 4 X 8 (PROBABLY TOO BIG BUT MARK SAYS THAT'S WHAT SIZE EVERYTHING COMES IN)...THE FLOOR UNDERNEATH THE PAPERS AND BLANKETS IS A SHEET OF BATHROOM TILE GLUED ONTO A PIECE OF 1/2 INCH THICK PARTICLE BOARD...THE BOX IS HELD ON THE PARTICLE BOARD/TILE WITH DOWELS SO THAT IT CAN BE EASILY DISMANTLED HERE'S ALI CHECKING OUT HER NEW HOME FOR THE NEXT FEW WEEKS...SHE LIKES IT SO MUCH SHE SLEPT ON THE CONCRETE FLOOR!  :)  AS YOU CAN SEE, SHE IS HUGE!!! WHEN THE PUPS ARE TWO WEEKS OLD, AN EXTRA BOARD WILL GO ON THE FRONT HERE TO KEEP THEM IN...WHEN THEY ARE 3 WEEKS OLD, AN ENTIRE LAYER 8 INCHES TALL WILL GO ON TOP ALL THE WAY AROUND TO KEEP THEM IN...WHEN THEY'RE 4-WEEKS-OLD AND WEENED, THE PUPS WILL GO OUT TO THE NURSERY I AM PASSIFYING MY PUPPY BUYERS (AND MYSELF!) WITH THESE PICTURES...WAITING...RATHER IMPATIENTLY...FOR THE ARRIVAL OF THESE PUPS!  ALI WILL HAVE HER X-RAY TODAY AT 4:30...AFTER THAT, WE WILL HAVE AN IDEA HOW MANY PUPS SHE'S GOT IN THERE...MY GUESS IS 12...WHO WANTS TO GUESS? WELL, THE VERY POOR X-RAY THAT WE TOOK TODAY INDICATED THAT THERE ARE 10 OR 11 PUPPIES!!!  PERSONALLY, I AM STILL SAYING 12, MAYBE 13!  THE TIME IS NEAR!  THE PUPS ARE HUGE ACCORDING TO THE X-RAY...PLEASE PRAY THAT ALI IS ABLE TO DELIVER THEM WITH NO PROBLEMS!  I'VE BEEN PRAYING LIKE A MANIAC MYSELF!