Expanding space

The whelping box I had made was rather slipshod construction at best, cobbled together with the least number of screws necessary, because I knew it would be coming down soon and it only had to keep in newborn puppies. One place where the boards came together wasn't secured at all because it was beyond the area that the puppies were using. Today, however, three of them made their way through the gap in the boards so it was time for some quick remodeling. I put the fence back up to form one end of the puppy zone and used the other boards to form the long side. Allison still has space away from the pups so she can have some peace and quiet, but the puppy zone is now about three times the size of the whelping box alone.

It's still shoddy construction and it may not be pretty, but it's secure enough until the pups are big enough to climb over the wall. Even then they will still be inside, but at that point Allison will probably move to the house and the pups can have the entire shed to themselves. 

They are becoming more adventurous so they are enjoying the expanded space and immediately started exploring some of the things I put in with them - toys, a cardboard box, a stepstool, and that small ironing board. From here on out I'll be challenged to find new ways to challenge them. We are entering the fun stage of having puppies.

The three merles: Amelia, Eleanor, and Ruth (L to R)

The sleeping zone is still in the far corner and the pee pads are right next to it for now.

The pup with her legs in the air gets several style points for that maneuver.

The box was an immediate point of interest.

And here's a short video so you can see the level of excitement at feeding time.