[JasperNY]

Hi all, we're now 6 weeks away from receiving our puppy and we're trying to get our apartment in order. We were planning on putting an x-pen (most likely the wire type) in our living room and had a couple questions.

First, we have hardwood floor so a) is it worth putting something down like a tarp or cloth to protect the floor from spills/messes/scratching and b) has anyone found a way to secure the pen (either to the floor or to a wall) so that it doesn't get dragged throughout the room?

Next, how large does the pen need to be? Most of the wire types have 8 24" panels. Is this enough space?

Thanks in advance for your suggestions. This forum has lots of great tips that have helped my wife and I get up to speed!

 

[Finn's Fan]

Just my opinion, but I've never seen the need for an indoor x-pen. If you're planning on crate training, you would put the puppy in the crate when you can't watch him/her and when you leave the apartment. If the pup's out socializing with you, it's never too early to start training the house rules, which of course means you have your eyes on the puppy. If you don't want to be that vigilant, get a long line and tether the puppy to your waist so you can grab them when they're going to get into something they shouldn't. As I said, that's just my two cents, but I'm big on training from the moment a puppy comes home.

 

[janine]

I wouldn't put a tarp down...puppy might shred and eat the pieces. When Chester was a puppy I couldn't even put a blanket in his crate for fear he might shred it. Good luck.

 

[BeauShel]

If you have a crate it should just be fine. Having wood floors I would worry the xpen would damage the floors.

 

[Nicole74]

I bought an extra large wire kennel/crate at Fleet Farm for an awesome price. It has a plastic bottom that slides out for easy cleaning. I would imagine your puppy will out grow an indoor pen very quickly. Good luck and I can't wait to see pics of your new pup!

 

[MelandEl]

we couldn't live w/o our x-pen...sophie puts up the biggest fuss w/ her crate, so we got an x-pen for the living room and she loves it...we have the 8 paneled one (enough room i'd say) and we put the crate in there too so she can go in and out but as soon as you close the door she freaks out, even if she's sleeping...anyway...for us, the x-pen was a good "compromise" so that we know she's safe when we can't watch her but she's not freaking out...we ended up buying a smaller one for the bedroom at night and she is as happy as a clam and sleeps through the night (the first few night we dragged the pen back and forth but our walls were getting so scuffed, we just got the second one)...we have wood floors too and so far it hasn't damaged the floors, but we got a plastic one. we didnt do a tarp b/c she'd shred it. she is just starting to be able to move it when she jumps against it, but that took about a month...we haven't found a way to secure it in one spot...i know it's only a matter of time before she can really start moving it around, but, we're hoping that once she's allowed outside this week, we'll be able to exercise her more and tire her out more. (our vet was very strict about not taking her out b/c of where we live, very populated)...in the meantime, she's learning to love her crate and i think we'll be ok maybe i'm just a major softie, but i couldn't do the crate exclusively with her, i had to do it more gradually for all our sanity...we take her out when we can and she's still learning the house rules and is learning commands, so i'm not too worried about that. congrats and good luck!!!!

 

[JasperNY]

Thanks for the advice. Just to be clear, we're planning on crate training. The xpen is so the dog has some room (although, not that much) to move around while we're out during the day...instead of being confined to the crate. While we're having someone come play with the pup while we're at work, there will still be 2-3hr periods where he will be alone. Thought this arrangement would be more comfortable for the pup, but would welcome your thoughts!