Dog play pen pros and cons
When you get a puppy or an older dog who doesn’t yet fully understand house rules, a dog play pen can be a life saver. And yet, sometimes it’s difficult to decide whether a dog play pen is the right solution for us. This blog was designed to help you make informed decision about it.
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Keeps your dog safe Puppies and some adult dogs are experts at getting underfoot while you’re cooking dinner, running through the front door in a heartbeat and chewing power line cords. Dog play pen is a perfect way to keep them close to where the action is, yet out of harm’s way. Your puppy learns what to chew Puppies will try to chew anything, especially if it smells like you. You can put away your shoes and clothes diligently, but what about sofa? If you set up a playpen and give him some toys and edible chewies, he will soon learn that those are ‘his’ things and with time will be able to separate his things from yours. He cannot learn bad habits while you’re not watching He cannot climb on easily accessible furniture (if you don’t want him there) or chew on delicious wooden chairs, which means it will be easier to teach him that he’s not supposed to do those things. Easy to set up and move to another location Lighter versions of exercise pens are easy to fold and set up in another location. You can even take them outside and give yourself and the puppy some stress-free time in the sun. |
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Dog play pens are not meant for exercise Even though they’re also called exercise pens, they are too small to be used for that purpose. They will provide your dog a safe place to romp and play, but you will still need to take them for a walk to tire them and build muscle so they stay healthy. Housetraining might go better with a crate If your dog isn’t house trained yet the training might be easier if the pup was kept in a properly sized (not too big) crate. You might want to check out post named Should I get a puppy playpen or a crate? Usually doesn’t have a floor This doesn’t really matter for house trained dogs, but if your dog isn’t house trained, you will need to purchase suitable flooring for dog play pen. Can be climbed Some dogs are climbers, or learn to climb if you take them out of the dog pen through the top a few times (oh, look, a big hole!). If your dog is a serious climber you need to either buy a dog play pen that can’t be climbed or get one with a top cover. |
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Give yourself a gift of stress-free time and check out North States 3 in 1 Metal Superyard. Here’s why I like it:
- Very sturdy and looks nicer than most dog play pens
- Cannot be climbed because it doesn’t have horizontal bars
- It has rubber feet so it won’t scratch hardwood floor
- Can be used as a playpen or as a really long gate (mounted to a wall) – up to 144"
- If you want a bigger enclosure, simply add extension or even another Metal Superyard – it all fits together!
