How was everybody’s week? I can’t wait to tell you guys all about the corgi races later this week, so stay tuned for that. But for now, it’s time for part 2 of the puppy pen post! So presumably you understand now why you need a puppy pen. If you don’t, then go read part one. So…what now? I’m going to tell you!
Just a heads up: I’m not at all sponsored by any of the products I link to in this post. I either chose them because they looked decent or because I personally used them and liked them, and I’ll make it clear which it was. In either case, I have linked these products entirely by choice. However, the Amazon links are affiliate links, which just means that I get a small percentage from Amazon if you do purchase one of the products from this post by clicking my link. So, if you’re going to buy something either way, then using my link is a nice way for you to support my blog—if you want. <3
The Pen Itself
If I’m honest, the best choice for this is technically not the one I chose. It did work for me, but Delia’s breeder clearly warned me it might be a bad idea, and I was just fortunate that Delia wasn’t much of a chewer or an escape artist.
The best choice for most puppy parents is going to be an actual exercise pen (or ex-pen, as they’re also called.) There are so many options, so you can definitely look around and find something that fits your needs, style, and the size of your pup. These are just a few examples.
This is the one Delia’s breeder recommends on her site. Definitely looks very nice and versatile!
I’m pretty sure this was the one I originally bought for Delia. The only reason I returned it was because I was given the gate for free.
This looks like a good option if you need something portable. Looks like it has good reviews and it comes in different sizes.
But shop around and find what works best for you. The key is going to be that it will be able to contain your puppy, so relatively difficult to escape.
What I ended up doing was using this wooden gate my grandmother wasn’t using anymore and kindly gave to me. (Thanks Gramzi!) I believe she found it at Tuesday Morning. I liked it because it looked nice, honestly, but also because I would be able to use it both as a puppy pen and later on as a gate once she was allowed access to a full room.
As Delia’s breeder very kindly pointed out, it did not protect my baseboards the way a proper ex-pen would. The other issue I foresaw was that she might chew on the gate itself. But I like to live dangerously I guess, so I decided to just see how it would go.
Fortunately, Tina didn’t actually sell me a puppy, she instead gave me some kind of amazing mythical creature that wasn’t interested in the usual wanton property damage that puppies engage in. So I got off easy on that one. The chances of it working out the same for you are not high, so unless you also like to live dangerously, maybe don’t risk it. Or do—I’m not going to tell you how to live your life. If you want to give it a go, you can always find these things at Homegoods or the like.
The issue I did have was that she could definitely push the thing open. It took her a while to discover this, and once she did, I just used heavy stuff on either end to keep it closed. I don’t have a picture but I had a gallon water jug (filled, obviously) on one end and an ottoman on the other.
As I mentioned in the previous post, you also have the option to gate off a small puppy-proofed room. Again though, this will be a better choice for puppies who are not as inclined to mischief. The other downside of this vs. a puppy pen is that a puppy pen can be placed in a high-traffic area where you can see what the puppy is up to. I had Delia’s pen set up next to my desk (I work from home) so that if she had decided to chew the baseboards or started to pee or anything like that, I would have been able to see it.
So yeah, you have options. Whatever floats your boat as far as the pen goes. Oh, and if you can’t find a puppy-specific pen you like, baby pens and gates work just as well, so that might be able to expand your search a bit.
The Crate
So…this is another situation where you may want to do as I say, not as I did. Even though “as I did” worked out for me, it might not work out for you.
Most people who are actually experts recommend that the crate is attached to the ex-pen. There are a lot of ways to do that. Or, if your pen is big enough, you can put the crate inside of it.
I did not do this because there was really no way to do it with my particular puppy pen set-up.
It’s also recommended that until the puppy is crate-trained, you make the crate the only comfy place to sleep. This way, the puppy will naturally be inclined to go in there for sleeping, and this will help him to associate the crate as a place to rest. And if the crate isn’t attached to the pen, you can accomplish this by taking the puppy from the pen and putting them into the crate any time they are sleepy.
This is a very good idea and it makes a lot of sense. Again though…I did not do this.
I didn’t do this because honestly? I hadn’t heard the advice on how to do it if the crate isn’t attached to the pen until long after Delia was in the puppy pen stage. So she did have a bed in her pen. But Delia, again, was not a super normal puppy, and she didn’t have a lot of issues at all with crate training. The first night she cried a little bit before falling asleep, but she didn’t really fuss at all after that. She did go through phases where she didn’t want to be left in the crate alone if she could hear us in the other room. But settling and resting in the crate was generally not at all a problem for her, so providing her a place to nap in the pen didn’t really affect her crate training. I would put her into her crate any time I was going to be leaving her alone for more than a couple of minutes. And I would put her in the crate if she was overstimulated and I knew she needed a nap even though she was fighting it. And of course she was crated at bedtime as well.
If you are having issues with crate training, I would definitely recommend following the naps-in-the-crate advice though, and if possible connecting the crate to the pen.
I’ll do a whole post on crates another time.
The Bed
So as we just discussed, you may choose not to include a bed at all. If you do include a bed, I would recommend starting with a very cheap one. Dog beds get pricey, and a lot of puppies like to shred their beds. If your puppy turns out to be one of them, you’re going to be really glad you went with something inexpensive. Some dogs will grow out of this eventually, and you may be able to shower them with cute beds later on. Other dogs never do. Side-eyeing Trigger.
The other thing that’s going to be crucial is that the bed is washable! Because you’re potty training, and accidents will happen. Your dog could also decide to cram her bed into her water dish, which is what baby Delia did one time.
What I ended up doing was just getting a pillow. Like a human twin/queen pillow. I got two different pillow cases from Walmart that were a little over a dollar each. That way I could swap out the pillow cases to clean them, and the pillow itself was washable if needed. Best of all, if she ripped it up, the pillow and the cases altogether added up to less than $10.
I added a blanket just to make it a little more cosy and to give her something to kind of nest in. Don’t limit yourself to dog blankets—baby blankets come in far better patterns and are better quality for comparable price in my experience. This is the one I got for Delia. It’s so incredibly soft I almost wanted to keep it for myself! She still has it to this day.
Not to keep bragging about it, haha, but Delia didn’t end up being much of a chewer. Don’t get me wrong, she is a fart-face in a lot of ways. Just not the usual puppy ways. I’d take some of the typical puppy shenanigans over her special brand of stinkerness. She’s my bestest girl, but she can be a turd sometimes. Anyway. Her Gramzi later gifted her this cosy bed which she still uses and loves. But that pillow worked super well and it’s my hot tip for you today. Especially if you don’t know whether your pup is a chewer.
If your pup does just want to rip stuff up, I recommend just forgoing the bed until they’re older. You might still be able to use a blanket or something, but if not, don’t worry about it. Even with a bed available, more often than not Delia would lay half on the bed, behind the bed, or just on the floor!
Fun Stuff!
To get the most benefit from your playpen, it should be a fun place that your puppy enjoys being in.
So first of all, you need toys. You can probably tell from my pictures that I went a little crazy with the toys. (She was also gifted some from family and friends, I didn’t buy all of those, okay?! Just most of them.) Don’t feel like you need to provide that many toys. What’s really important is that you provide a variety. Soft things, rubbery things, firm things, squishy things, things to be consumed and things to be snuggled with… You understand. Puppies are exploring everything with their mouth, so you want to provide a rich spectrum of textures and shapes etc. for them to experience.
The soft stuffies tend to be the most exciting for us humans, but as with the bed, I would refrain from getting too many of those until you find out whether your puppy has a penchant for ripping stuffed animals or not.
You can shop Chewy, Amazon, and the pet stores to find good deals on toys. They can be expensive full-price, so any savings you can find is great. One of my favourite places to find toys is Homegoods. They have very low prices on some very quality toys there. It’s also a dog-friendly store, so you can take your dog there for socialisation and find inexpensive toys and treats while you’re at it! It’s one of Delia’s favourite places to go.
You don’t have to limit yourself to toys that you purchase. With imagination and supervision for safety, lots of things can be great puppy toys. My friend has a lab/golden mix who goes crazy for a tennis ball in the bottom of an old sock. When I would get packages, I’d give Delia the packing paper. I watched to make sure she wasn’t eating it (or at least eating large amounts of it,) but she just loved to pounce on it or shake it to hear the crackling sounds. I really wish I had video or at least pictures, but I can’t find any. It was the cutest thing.
Empty plastic water bottles also make great toys, although you have to supervise carefully and take it away the minute it starts to get chewed up, so that your puppy won’t swallow bits of plastic. Old milk jugs, Amazon or Chewy boxes, junk mail, egg cartons, toilet paper rolls… Anything can be a toy! You can make these things extra exciting by using them to hide treats.
Which leads me to the next thing, and that’s puzzle toys! When Delia was a baby puppy, I had food available to her all the time per the advice of her breeder, but I hid it in puzzle toys which I left in her pen while I worked. If she got hungry, she could have a game and a snack. I never gave her food out of a bowl until she was around 6 months old or later.
Again, there are lots of options here. These are some of the ones that Delia has which we really liked at that age.
This one is really great for both wet and dry food. It’s easy to adjust the difficulty.
This one requires more room to roll around, so I would let her out of the pen to play with this. She LOVED it though. I took out the middle part at first to make it easy.
Extra great for teething since it has a nice texture and the puppy has to kind of chew to get the food out.
You might have to desensitize a more sensitive dog to this, but Delia really enjoyed it and it was nice how it more or less stayed put.
I liked how this one rolls, but not as wildly as the IQ ball. It’s also very easy to adjust the difficulty.
I’m glad I got those puzzles when Delia was a baby, because we got A LOT f use out of them. That said, we don’t really use them anymore. And you can definitely make your own puzzles out of boxes and tubes and whatever else you have lying around, as I mentioned.
One thing we do still use is a snuffle mat. You can buy or DIY these. Ours is the most extra thing ever, but the simple ones will do just fine. I like the snuffle mat because it’s a very calming activity, and it’s also a quiet activity. Most of Delia’s food puzzles involved a lot of running and barking, which is fine as the point was to release some of her excess energy. But the snuffle mat was a welcome change.
By the way, this snuffle mat was on sale when I bought it, so I only paid $20. So if you do want this super extravagant one, at least wait for a sale!
For things to chew on that are consumable, I really liked giving her lamb ears (and then before too long cow’s ears which she still gets), bully sticks, cow hooves, and cow tails. I also got her these things:
That pack of baby washcloths in the picture above? Those are great to soak in water and then freeze. They were a teething lifesaver.
Please supervise your dog with any toys, especially chews. You don’t want your pup to choke on something, or swallow it down only for it to cause an obstruction somewhere. Make sure they’re not breaking off large or sharp pieces.
And that’s all I have for you on puppy pens! If I left anything out or if you have any questions, you can either leave a comment or contact me. I hope you have fun setting up your puppy’s space and picking out all the cute puppy stuff. I remember it being a very exciting time.
Once again, I’ll be back later this week to tell you all about the corgi races. If you like my blog, that really means a lot to me! You may want to subscribe (bottom of the page) so that you never miss a post. Or if you prefer, we have a Facebook Page where we will be sharing all future posts, along with fun bonus content and who-knows-what. So go follow us on there!
I hope you have a lovely day.
