The box is 3' x 4' in size. The front is hinged and folds down to allow momdog to get in and out. There is an adhesive aquarium thermometer afixed to the side so I can check that it is warm enough. There is also a hook on the inside for a water bucket to be clipped so it doesn't spill. The box has NO FLOOR. It is set on a tarp to protect my floor and a blanket can be set underneath, extending outside the walls of the box so it doesn't get bunched up and puppies don't get tangled in it. Newspaper will be used later, but at first, a blanket is the best as it gives the pups some traction moving around the box until they are well and truly up on their feet and walking.
Once the puppies arrive, there is a PVC rail that fits down inside the box to keep mom from crushing her pups against the side if they crawl behind her. This only needs to be there for a few weeks until the pups are large enough that it's not a risk. The box can also be expanded later to make more room as the pups grow. Once they are 3 or 4 weeks old, they will need more room so they can have room to sleep and potty separately. Additionally, they will require enough room to play and roughhouse as they grow. They will be spending some time outdoors by that time, but they will still need space to spread out as they get larger. This particular box expands to twice it's size, and can be expanded further if necessary by also using an expen (a folding portable wire fence).
It's important that the box be easy to clean. It will become very soiled from puppies trampling thru their food and their waste. Mine is painted with a high gloss white so it can be easily wiped down. Most of the time, those nice new Chlorox wipes work great.
The box should be large enough that momdog can easily lie down on her side and have room to stretch out. It should not be much more than 2X the size of her lying flat on her side, or pups can wander away from the group and become lost. Nothing upsets momdog more than being busy nursing and hearing a baby complaining that he's lost WAY across the box where she cannot reach him to lead him back to her.
Another benefit of not having a floor in my box is that beneath the blanket, which will be well pinned down by the box itself, I can install a heating pad. The pups will be unable to reach the cord because of the blanket pinned tight by the sides of the box, and there will be a nice warm spot for them to pile up even if mom is not in the box. Puppies cannot maintain their own body heat for the first few weeks, so it's important that they be kept nice and warm. Normally I will also install a heat lamp overhead to keep them warm, but I might not need it this time as the pups are being whelped in summer. The thermometor on the side will help me to know if the box is warm enough.
For now, the box is set up in my kitchen and Rowan will be fed in it. Later she will be made to sleep in it by gating her in the kitchen with the box being the only comfortable place to lie down. Hopefully by the time the pups arrive, she will be accustomed to the box and think of it as her own. She was born in this box, so she is already somewhat familiar with it!
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