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The doghouse

Advice re puppy playpens gratefully received!

19 replies

doublemocha · 08/10/2012 12:29

Hi, I would be grateful for some advice or recommendations if possible.

We are picking up our Hungarian Vizsla puppy in early November, he will be 8 weeks so I am busy purchasing (probably) many needless items, in addition to a few useful ones!

Our friends have donated a crate that their Springer no longer needs. I have negotiated with work remote access to my system so I can wfh for the main (I will need to pop into the office to drop off/pick up files etc) I only work about 10-12 hours per week but I am aware that I WILL need to concentrate for those hours. Evenings are busy here so in reality, my work won't get done if I leave it until then.

I had thought, in addition to the crate, to purchase a puppy playpen to go in the kitchen, with the crate in it. We have a large kitchen so have the space. I would put puppy pads in and toys and give lots of attention and exercise before I used the playpen. I can split my work down and do it at any point so it will be for short periods, puppy comes first for the initial months.

Do you think this is 1. a reasonable idea and 2. do you have any suggestion re appropriate playpens? I would rather not spend over say £100 for something that we will not used forever.

Thank you!

ps - please say if you think this a needless/stupid idea!

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tabulahrasa · 08/10/2012 12:41

Tbh, if you plan the work for when you know the puppy has been sufficiently fed and played with, I'd just stick something he can lie on near you in the kitchen have a couple of things to chew handy and it'll more than likely play for a bit, get bored and sleep anyway...mine does when I go and do things on the computer for a couple of hours.

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Aquelven · 08/10/2012 13:18

I have this one, bit more than £100 but worth it as it's really, really strong & you can add to it if you need bigger, which I've done.
They do a lighter one, cheaper, but more suitable for little pups.
Even when I'm not using it as a playpen & have dismantled it, I often use one of the panels as a puppy gate if I want to keep them out of somewhere.

www.croftonline.co.uk/products.asp?partno=FREEDOM

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sununu · 08/10/2012 13:37

we used our old Babydan playpen, which is about £50 or £60, but we have it opened out so it divides the kitchen in half, with a useful gate in the middle. but I work from home too and our pup slept the whole morning under my desk from the early days - bliss! she is still sleepy in the mornings, it's the evening that is another story..

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Cuebill · 08/10/2012 14:45

I wouldn't but it is your decision.

Definitely do not use puppy pads that will just make toilet training so hard.


You may have to get used to doing your work in chunks of time but small puppies sleep loads.

So take pup out for game, wee break etc and then pop into crate to sleep. You can then work. Immediately puppy wakes up back outside for a wee and short play and again back for a nap.

The crate should be an area to chill out in and the playpan will make it harder for the dog to learn to chill in the crate.

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doublemocha · 08/10/2012 14:48

Thanks for your replies.

That's the problem I suppose, I don't want to buy something that will end up not being used if he curls up near me and sleeps! Over £100 is fine, the money itself isn't the issue, more the actual usage!

Sununu - do you use the pen a lot? I had looked at Croftonline but hadn't seen that package, thanks. Do you put a crate in too?

Would a pen be useful for when you peg out the washing, do stuff upstairs etc? Gwen Bailey seems keen on them!!

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doublemocha · 08/10/2012 14:50

Thanks Cuebill, we cross posted. It's more food for thought indeed.

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charlearose · 09/10/2012 14:17

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sununu · 09/10/2012 15:08

hi double mocha - I would say our playpen was a lifesaver, but as I mentioned we didn't use it as a little enclosure but as a kind of giant gate dividing our basement kitchen/playroom in half. could pop her on the other side of the fence when the kids had small toys all over the floor, or while we ate. we also have her crate that side. it is still up and she is seven months old - she has more of the run of the house now she is house trained but she is still a chewer and that is a safe place to leave her if we go out for a few hours, with some kongs and toys scattered and food and water available.

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doublemocha · 10/10/2012 15:21

I just wanted to thank you all for your advice, and kind offer Charlearose!

Still haven't fully decided what to do, I am leaning towards getting him into some form of 'routine' or a least accepting some downtime each day, sticking with just a crate and splitting the work into smaller stages, but you have all given me food for thought.

Probably being naive, in the way that you are before you have kids!

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Donner · 10/10/2012 20:38

We got one of these from ebay for 30 quid
www.croftonline.co.uk/main.asp?category=Showman+puppy+pens
4 panels, with one corner with hooks that opens. We put her crate in it and she still had space for bowls and toys and a space for stretching her legs.
Like this set up (p11)
www.dogstardaily.com/files/downloads/BEFORE_You_Get_Your_Puppy.pdf
She's 9 months now and still in it when we're out and overnight. I don't trust her not to chew stuff. She doesn't have a crate in it now, just a bed and she's very happy in her wee area away from the mental children.

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aliamay · 24/03/2018 12:22

Anybody here who provide me little info about where to buy best playpen for my 6 months old puppy. bit.ly/2pyvqBm I live in Auckland i saw a store buy need some suggestion?
Thankyou...!

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Bubble2bubble · 24/03/2018 14:03

I have this one - it's really sturdy and easy to put together. Great for containing a puppy when you have visitors/ are cooking/ pup is having a mad bitey frenzy etc

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Cath2907 · 27/03/2018 15:05

I work from home so the puppy very quickly got used to his active times being in the morning before work, lunchtime and then afternoon and evening when I finish work. I do need to let him out in the garden often (it was about every half hour at 8 weeks of age and now at 15 weeks of age it is every 2 - 3hrs) but he sleeps a minimum of 10:00 - 12:00 and 13:00 - 16:00 every day. If he doesn't want to sleep he rumbles around my office with some toys or a chew or something he can steal (the sole of my husbands shoe or one of my daughters soft toys). He has a bed under my desk and now knows that after breakfast, family fun, a walk and a run round the garden for a pee/poop he is expected to go into his bed and snooze. I did have to ignore him a lot at my desk for a few weeks for him to get the message but he got there! We never had a playpen and I am sure he'd have pestered to get out.

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Cath2907 · 27/03/2018 15:10

To add Puppy has a mat in the kitchen where he sits when I cook. Sometimes I have to kick a ball up and down the kitchen to keep him out of trouble. I generally drop the odd treat on the mat for him (raw veg scraps or what not) as I go. I didn't tell him to sit on the mat - it was the back doormat, he went and got it one day and brought it in and put it where he wants to sit. If I put it back he just goes and gets it again :)

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treasureboxnz · 21/05/2018 21:58

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Opentooffers · 21/05/2018 23:40

I got a very sturdy Ellie Bo pen for about £ 40-50 off EBAY., can get extra panels for it and is tall enough to stop my very bouncy boy jumping it - a consideration for when they grow.

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rocky09 · 07/05/2019 21:07

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merryMuppet · 08/05/2019 22:09

No advice on the playpen as I don’t use one but do work from home for a few hours a week with a puppy. I found after the first few weeks I’d got into a routine of going for a walk at 7.30am to 8am and he’d usually play for a bit more and then he’d sleep for an hour or so so on the day I wanted to work, I got a tasty new pizzle stick and when we got back from our walk, i put him in his crate with the chew and then I worked in the kitchen by his crate and he chewed and then fell asleep and so that was 2 hours of work done. When he woke up I took him out in the garden and then spent a few hours with him until he was ready to nap again when I got another hour or so of work done.

Agree on not using puppy pads. I just watched my pup like a hawk constantly for the first couple of weeks which is exhausting but he did pick up quickly that outside was the place for all toilet activities. I’ve had him just over a month and have found he’s pretty reliable now at asking to go out. I had maybe 6 or 7 accidents including ones where he started to go and I quickly scooped him up and placed him outside instead and most of those were in the first week.

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MissShapesMissStakes · 08/05/2019 22:32

I found a puppy pen a game changer. Just for safety while I went for a shower/ put the kids to bed. Otherwise he would chew or try to eat all he could, and I didn’t have to completely puppy proof the room for the sake of ten minutes upstairs.

I also find it useful when we have my kids friends over and they get a little too hands on with the dog. Or he’s a bit over excited and jumpy. Just buys him some calming down time.

I got the pen from a local Facebook selling site. It’s a great one and quite tall. I can alter the size by how many panels it has in it. I just asked if anyone had one they no longer used. Had quite a few offers. It’s worth asking on such a site.

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