Crate and/or play pen and where to put them!

[Candlestickchic]

I am going round in circles, any advice from wise puppy people on this board?
Getting a puppy in a few weeks and trying to figure out what to get and where to put it. I have a typical Victorian semi, so kitchen at back down a corridor. I’m thinking best place for crate is in kitchen, so we’re as near the back door as possible for toileting.
However, most of our hanging out time would be spent in the double reception room at the front. There is plenty of room for a playpen in there and I’m thinking it could be a good option for when I need to pop to the loo or put some washing away upstairs and can’t watch him for a few minutes.
Or would that be confusing? Would I just use the crate in the kitchen? Playpens seem pretty pricy and I can’t see any second hand at the moment.
But would pup find it harder to settle for a nap in the crate in the kitchen knowing it’s people are all together in the living room watching TV?
Any thoughts? Thanks in advance!

Watching more than advising as I'm just about to get my first 'inside' puppy!

I've bought a pet pen and put it in the lounge, mainly because that's where we spend the most time and there's room for a crate/pen. However, I bought a roll of vet bed and have put some in the crate, and will also put a mat in the kitchen and in my office, in the hope that pupster will learn to associate the bed with settling so there'll be designated areas for her to be nearby but not in the way in both those places.

We have a crate in the kitchen and a playpen in the lounge. Our puppy sleeps in both of these during the day and evening. I still find the playpen really useful (our pup is 5 months now) but I only have a small breed so I only had to spend about £25 to get a pen that would contain him.

At night he sleeps upstairs next to in our bed

We’ve had our puppy all of 2 days so I’m not an expert but he has a crate in the kitchen and a bed in the living room. Yesterday he hated the crate, today he loves it and has been going in of his own accord for naps. He’s also settled nicely on his bed this morning and this evening when we’ve all been in the living room (been in the garden for a lot of the day). The 2 things that have helped him to love his crate are that I put in the fleecy pj top that I wore last night and I played him sleep music on Spotify 😂 that sent him right off. Right now I can see him on camera and he’s already settled for bed. I’ll get him up for a wee at 1am and up for the morning at 6am. When he’s on his bed in the living room, he likes one of us to sit with him but ignoring him til he’s settled and he likes to have Mr Snake to chew on (from Pets at Home), otherwise he chews his bed.

I put the playpen in the room I'm in most. The idea of the playpen is that the puppy can potter there self-contained and unable to cause havoc, and they're most likely to do taht happily if you're in sight. Mine is 2m x 2m and stands on a roll of lino (homebase, comes in precut rolls) and has a water bowl and two or three different toys. If I need to get something done I pop the puppy in there with something yummy to chew, so she's safe and self-entertaining whilst I work/cook dinner/whatever. I also put her in there if she needs a nap, as it's a quiet place for her to calm down in.

I put the crate in the playpen. That way, the puppy naturally beds down in the open crate when they're tired, and becomes used to sleeping in it, which crate trains them with minimum effort from you.

I don't know if that helps or not?

I'm watching this too. Getting a puppy in a few months and no idea about where best to put a crate. Thinking or rearranging our sitting room so it can go behind the sofa but that involves moving the TV (including wall mount)

Thanks all. Yes useful to hear all views. There would actually be space in the living area to have a crate within a pen (and it would be a nicer room for me to sleep in during the first few days!).

It is much further to the back door though - I’m having visions of a trail of wee down the hallway as we hotfoot it to the garden! How essential do you think it is to be in close proximity to the garden? I guess if I’m taking him out proactively it might not be an issue (naive?).

Also, when he’s older and not crated, the kitchen would be better for him to stay in when I pop out. So should I start as I mean to go on...

Watching too.

For the early days, I'm wondering about putting the crate inside the playpen sometimes. In my head, it's so that at some points, when for example I have to take a work call, or am wandering about with piles of laundry, she can have a little bit more freedom without me watching her every moment of the day (I have visions of carrying laundry and falling over her/standing on her/her pulling the iron off the ironing board!). I'd like to think she can play, then go and lie down in the crate when she wants to.

No idea if this is the done thing, and happy to hear other suggestions!!!

@Motorina

I put the playpen in the room I'm in most. The idea of the playpen is that the puppy can potter there self-contained and unable to cause havoc, and they're most likely to do taht happily if you're in sight. Mine is 2m x 2m and stands on a roll of lino (homebase, comes in precut rolls) and has a water bowl and two or three different toys. If I need to get something done I pop the puppy in there with something yummy to chew, so she's safe and self-entertaining whilst I work/cook dinner/whatever. I also put her in there if she needs a nap, as it's a quiet place for her to calm down in.

I put the crate in the playpen. That way, the puppy naturally beds down in the open crate when they're tired, and becomes used to sleeping in it, which crate trains them with minimum effort from you.

I don't know if that helps or not?

Oh wonderful @Motorina I've just seen this after I posted - thank you! You've articulated what I was hoping to do/say but couldn't quite get out!

@puginamug

I'm watching this too. Getting a puppy in a few months and no idea about where best to put a crate. Thinking or rearranging our sitting room so it can go behind the sofa but that involves moving the TV (including wall mount)

I’d put it where he can see the TV. Ours actually asks for it to be put on when he wants to go to sleep 😂.