Last week I made a list of "must haves" for the night you whelp pups.  It was intentionally a "bare bones" list of the minimum must haves.  You need some other items to keep your pups alive and well.  Here I'll list some of my favorite things.

Heat Pad.

This should have been on the other list.  You need this.  Your pups will be born without the ability to regulate their body temerature internally.  They try to keep their bodies over 100 (F).  Usually this means snuggling up to mom and jockying for position in the pile.  In nature, the weaker pups just don't make it.  In society, this is animal cruelty.

Some folks like a heat lamp, but I burned myself too many times on one working at Hardee's as a teen.  I like a product called the Lectro Kennel Pad.  You need the rheostat or it will be too hot.  It's designed for dogs and has a chew resistant cord and is made of ABS plastic or something like it which is easy to clean.  You want a pad that is large enough for all the pups, but small enough for them to get off of it when they are hot.

Puppy Scale.

This might be the best diagnostic tool for an inexperienced breeder to have because you need no medical training to use it.  Weigh your pups every day and record the weight.  Dot it about the same time every day.  You will notice some kind of wild things happen the first couple of days because a full belly versus and empty one can be a large percentage of the pup's weight.  Many pups are lighter on day 2 than when they are born, but after that you should see increases every day.  If you don't, you have a problem.

I use a digital postage scale and a large mixing bowl.  You do not need to spend hundreds of dollars on a baby scale.

Flying Saucer Bowls.

You won't need these until you start weaning, but they are awesome.  The design discurages pushy pups from standing in the food bowl and hogging it.  Buy the best ones you can as the super high grade stainless is easier to clean, which is really important with pups.

Cleaners, Disinfectants, etc.

This year we are going to go with a product marketed as being for kennel use.  Top Performance 256 supposedly kills every kind of germ that could harm your pets, and you get over 250 gallons of the stuff probably around $25 delivered.

Oxegen laundry boosters will disinfect your laundry.  They contain sodium percarbonate, which makes hydrogen peroxide when mixed with water.  Of course, there's bleach, but you can only use it on whites... and it stinks.

We use a mop and bucket to swipe out the whelping box, but then you have to get in there with a rag or sponge and get all the detailed areas clean.

Those dozens of small towls I mentioned in the earlier post?  They will save you hundreds of dollars over using paper towels.  They clean faster and easier, but you will be constantly washing anyway, so might as well use the towels.

And those moist-towel disinfecting things.  Yeah, get a bunch.  They are great for touching up the box right before your perspective buyers show up.

Newspaper Subscription.

You will need to start saving newspaper.  Newsprint and the inks used in newspapers are completely non-toxic, despite what you may have read elsewhere on the internet.  Really, I have had a tour of Jim Davis' sewage treatment plant.  I know he wouldn't allow Garfield to be printed with ink that would poison the kids who read his strip.

I have a preference for the Wall Street Journal in this regard as the paper quality is exceptionally high and the ink doesn't bleed much.

Rubber-backed Rugs.

These are the only things that I have found that are heavy and slip resistant enough to lay flat in the box.  I find them at TJ Maxx for about $15.  You will need two or three and they should be as long as your box is wide.  They will be worn out after one litter.

Room Thermometer.

This goes hand-in-hand with the heater.  You need to keep the room warm, day and night and you need to know what the temperature is.

Puppy Enclosure.

You need to have a safe spot to put the pups while you are cleaning their whelping box and so they can play.  Here we have a lot of room and some "helper" dogs who like to herd the puppies together.  I have seen folks use X-pens, or build simple temporary fences. 

I know I'm missing a handy item or two, but this should get you through most of what you need.  I guess the last thing you need is to develop a routine.  The pups will be with you 8-10 weeks, and they are cute at first, and a real pain in the butt starting way too early.