I never thought I would need a dog playpen until I bought one a few months ago, and now it’s one of my favorite dog gears. After a few months of usage, in my opinion, every dog owner should use a dog playpen. Here’s why.
A playpen provides an open, expendable space for your puppy or dog to play around and have fun while still being safe. Safe here means safe for both of you and your dog as you don’t want them to destroy your home or hurt themselves while you’re gone.
The Benefits of Dog Playpen
1. Provides Much-Needed Safety and Peace of Mind
By nature, dogs are curious creatures. And since you can’t watch your dog 24/7, out of curiosity, they can accidentally chew on electronic cords or something else that could seriously hurt them.
A playpen can keep that kind of accident from happening. So, whenever you’re busy or need to leave the house, just leave your dog in their playpen and have a piece of mind.
2. Plenty of Space to Romp Around
Unlike crate, where it may make your dog feels a little bit too confined, a playpen provides plenty of space for your dog to romp around all day and accommodate all of their belongings as well.
Inside, you can put in your dog’s favorite toys, food and water bowls, and bed, so they will never be bored.
3. Keep Your Dog from Getting Lonely
A playpen allows your dog to see everything that’s happening around them. You can set up the playpen somewhere close to you while you’re doing some work or house chores, and they can still see you, which makes them not feel alone.
4. Portable and Easy to Storage
Most dog playpens can be folded up for easy transport and storage.
5. An Alternative to Crates
A dog playpen can be a great alternative for dogs who don’t like a crate.
6. Easy to Set Up Outdoors
Not only is a dog playpen useful to keep your house in one piece, but it is also helpful to keep your garden intact too. You can bring your dog into the yard and let them enjoy the open air and jump around while keeping your dog from digging holes in the flower bed by setting up a dog playpen in the yard.
Dog Playpen and Crate
Although your dog may love their playpen more than their crate, it’s not the right place to train them. If you’re house training or crate training your dog, you should use a dog crate instead of the playpen.
Instinctually, dogs do not want to do their business in the same area where they eat and sleep. And therefore, because the crate is a lot smaller than playpen, they are more careful not to soil in it.
Another drawback is that if you have a large dog, they might be able to jump out of their playpen anytime.
Also read: 11 Fascinating Facts You Should Know about Dog Crates
Different Types of Dog Playpens
Based on their placement, there are two types of dog playpens: indoor and outdoor.
Indoor dog playpens usually are made of plastic or soft-sided materials such as canvas fabric. They are easy to fold, transport, and store.
Outdoor dog playpens have a similar function with a dog run, albeit smaller. They are made of stronger materials like wire or strong plastic. And some come with a cover to prevent your dog from climbing out.
Many of both indoor and outdoor dog playpens come with an option to connect multiple playpens to create a larger play space for your dog.
When Should You Use an Indoor Dog Playpen?
An indoor dog playpen is a great solution if you don’t want your dog to follow you around everywhere while you’re working around the house. It can also be used if you need to separate your dog from guests, children, or other dogs.
Tips for Using an Indoor Dog Playpen
Some of you might find that your puppy or dog likes to romp a lot and causes the playpen to move around. To keep your dog playpen from moving, you can try to use heavy objects and place them around the exterior perimeter of the playpen.
Another common “playpen” problem that dog owners often face is pee accidents. Most playpens do not have the floor, so when any pee accidents happen, they will easily seep into your carpet. To deal with this problem, you can try to place some sort of absorbent material such as a paper towel or dog pee pads inside the playpen.
See My Review Here: Best Dog Pee Pads
When Should You Use an Outdoor Dog Playpen?
An outdoor dog playpen is a great option if you want to let your dog enjoy some fresh air without worrying about your dog trashing your yard.
Tips for Using an Outdoor Dog Playpen
Most outdoor dog playpens usually do not have bottoms. This means if your dog is an active type, they can move or slide the pen and may get out of it. The workaround is to fasten the playpen to the ground using secure fastenings.
Another thing to remember is never left the playpen in direct sunlight to avoid the risk of overheating. Choose a shaded area to place your dog playpen and provide plenty of freshwaters.
Using a Playpen and Crate
Now, some of you might still be wondering whether you should use a dog playpen or crate. Well, my answer is to use both. Use a playpen for your dog to exercise and move around, and at night, they can go into their crate to sleep.
