Setting up a dog playpen is not difficult. I’ll show you how, give you some pro tips, and answer your most frequently asked questions.
A dog playpen with a crate attached or placed inside the pen is an excellent environment to keep your new Yorkie puppy safe and happy when you are unable to actively supervise him. Some people refer to this as a long term confinement area, but its benefit is both for short and long term use.
But first off, why would you want to set up a playpen?
Is a playpen better than a crate?
A playpen set up is much better than a crate. While both keep your puppy safe in a defined area, the playpen setup allows him to move, play, and use the potty. A crate simply gives him enough room to sleep.
Reasons for using an indoor dog playpen:
- You’ve just brought a puppy home and you are acclimating him to the house, family, and other dogs.
- Your Yorkie puppy needs a safe place where he can sleep and play when you’re not able to actively watch him.
- Your Yorkie puppy needs a safe place where he can sleep and eliminate during the long nighttime hours.
- Your Yorkie puppy needs a safe place to stay when you are away from the house.
Precautions with using an exercise pen:
- The exercise pen is to be used when you are unable to actively watch your puppy. It is not designed for him to stay there all day long. Your dog needs social interaction as well.
- While the exercise pen is a tool to help with house training and keeping your dog from getting into things he shouldn’t, it will not train your dog. That is still something you must do.
What should be in a dog playpen?
- Boundary: Exercise pen
- Bedding area
- Litter area
- Entertainment area
- Feeding area
- Flooring (optional)
Boundary: Exercise pen / Playpen
An exercise pen is an important part of setting up a safe area for your Yorkie to sleep and play when you are unable to actively supervise him.
Wire Exercise Pens
Wire exercise pens are great because they allow the puppy visibility to everything that is going on in the room.
It also allows you the ability to watch what he is doing in the pen.
Wire pens come in a variety of heights. Because of the Yorkie’s small size, these heights are too high for him to jump out. I did however have one adventurous Yorkie pup who figured out how to climb the pen. We had to create baffles to prevent him from climbing out! This problem is unusual and most dogs won’t attempt this.
Wire pens are also very convenient because they are easy to attach to a wire crate. This allows the crate to be accessed from the pen area, but does not have to actually be contained within it.
When choosing a wire pen, be sure that the metal slats are not too far apart.
Bedding area
An important part of the exercise pen area is including a bedding area.
The sleeping area should be a clearly defined place that is soft and comfortable. The bedding material should be easy to wash.
Crate
The best option for the bedding area is a crate. Puppies love the den-like atmosphere of a crate. If you are using a wire crate, you can cover the wire crate with a blanket on three sides to create a den.
Using a crate in an exercise pen is a gentle way to teach your puppy to love his crate. By the time he is old enough to transition to a crate on its own, he’s already accepted it as his favorite place to sleep.
Dog bed
You can also create a sleeping area with a dog bed on its own. The dog bed is soft and comfortable, and can be lined with blankets.
The major drawback to the dog bed is that it does not provide a den-like atmosphere for your dog and doesn’t teach him to love his crate.
Litter area
One of the major benefits of using an exercise pen instead of a crate by itself is that you can provide a litter area. A litter area allows the puppy to relieve himself in the pen, but still keep his living areas clean. This sets him up for success in house training.
The litter area should be a clearly defined place. It should be put at the back of the pen so that when your puppy comes to greet people that approach the pen, he doesn’t jump in it.
Potty Grate
A potty grate is a litter pan with a grate on top. The pee falls through the small holes to the tray below. It helps keep your puppy clean and is easy to clean as well. You can line the bottom of the tray with a pee pad for even easier clean up.
Artificial Turf
Some litter pans are designed with artificial turf. It is designed to mimic grass. I love the concept of artificial turf; however, I have found it hard to wash. In addition, I have found puppies love to chew on it.
Pee Pads
Pee pads are disposable so they are easy to clean and then replace with new ones. The pad is also scented in such a way that the puppy knows that this is where he is supposed to eliminate. Pee pads used without a tray also become a puppy’s favorite chew toy and are light so the puppy can move it around.
Entertainment area
The entertainment area is another great part of the exercise pen set up. There is room for your puppy to play when you are unable to supervise him. This should be a free wide-open area.
You can place a couple toys in here, but do not litter the area with too many toys. It is better to have a couple toys that you switch out than a lot of toys all at once. By switching out the toys, the toys will always feel new and exciting when they get reintroduced to your dog.
Toys should be removed at nighttime so that the puppy knows that this is the time to sleep and not play.
Some toys can be tied to the side of a wire pen so that the puppy can play with them in a dangling fashion. ***However, beware that the way you hang the toys and the toys themselves are not ones that the puppy could entangle himself in.
Feeding area
If you are leaving your puppy in the pen for an extended period of time, make sure he has access to water and food.
The water and food should be placed in an area that they can’t be knocked over or easily stepped in.
Food and water also should not be in the litter area as a puppy won’t want to eat where he eliminates.
Flooring: What do you put at the bottom of a dog playpen?
While you can just use the existing flooring of your home, you can also lay down a small piece of linoleum flooring or use pond tarp for the bottom or your puppy playpen.
Maintaining the exercise pen
The exercise pen should be kept immaculately clean.
If the puppy eliminates in any area besides the litter area, it should be cleaned with an enzyme cleaner immediately so that the smell of the elimination doesn’t linger.
If the puppy eliminates in the litter area, it is a good idea to leave it there for a while so that that area smells like elimination. The smell will reinforce for your puppy that this is where you want him to eliminate.
If you are careful to keep the living areas of the pen, clean, while allowing the litter area to smell like elimination, the puppy should quickly understand the various zones of his pen, making your job of keeping it clean much easier.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Puppy Playpen:
When do I stop using a puppy playpen?
You can stop using a puppy playpen when the reason for your using the playpen have been accomplished. For instance:
- Your puppy has acclimated to the house, family, and other dogs.
- Your Yorkie puppy is doing well with house training.
- Your puppy can sleep through the night without having to eliminate.
- Your puppy is content to stay in his crate when you are away from the house.
Should you put pee pads in a playpen?
Yes, you can use pee pads in the puppy playpen. It is ideal to setup a litter area for your Yorkie. Refer back to the litter area section of this article for more tips.
Can I use a playpen for potty training?
Yes, you can use the playpen for potty training. It is a great space to put your dog when you are unable to actively supervise them. It keeps your Yorkie in a safe place and prevents him from getting in the habit of eliminating in the main areas of your house. Keep in mind the playpen will not train your dog. It just provides a place for you to put him when you can’t actively watch him.
Can I use the playpen while I am at work?
The exercise pen is a wonderful way to keep your puppy safe, healthy, and happy when you are away at work. With a proper setup, it provides a place for him to sleep, eat, eliminate, and play.
Providing a puppy playpen for your Yorkie is a wonderful tool in caring for your pet.
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