Early preparations make for a less stressful experience.

After giving Tate O'Reilly a very gentle trim of her gorgeous coat, I began to prepare her whelping area which is under my desk in the office.  It is a perfect spot because it is dark, warm, protected and where I spend a lot of my time.

The entrance to the office is 'double doored'.  Along with the normal door is a half door which is solid and doesn't allow my house dogs to view what is going on during the whelping phase. This keeps the girl that is whelping and nursing a new litter calm and feeling protected.

The Perla Bed has high sides and is very sturdy for the mom and her pups.  Soon, I will add a bumper bar or pig rail (as it is commonly called) which provides a soft barrier where pups can go under to prevent squishing when moms lie down.

I think Tate approves!