How to Set Up a Puppy Pen: A Complete Beginner’s Guide
Oh, the joy of bringing a new puppy home! Welcoming a new addition to your home makes life worth living, but it would be a lie to say it doesn’t come with responsibilities and sometimes challenges. One of the many ways in which you can ease the puppy’s transition to living in your home is by getting him a puppy pen. This will keep them safe, it will help them during potty training, and it will give them a specific place for playtime. If this is your first time raising a dog, or if you never used a dog crate before, it is normal that you can feel a little bit overwhelmed. There are a lot of things to take into account when bringing in a new puppy. This article is here to help with that and get you all set and ready to welcome home a new puppy.
What Is a Puppy Pen We’ll start with the basics. A puppy pen is a confined space specially designed to keep your puppy safe and entertained. It provides them with enough room to play around while keeping them safe from pointy furniture or from random objects falling over them.
Some people compare them with nurseries, because they serve the same purpose, just for puppies. They come in different sizes and can be made of steel, textile material, plastic or even wood, but the most popular option is the steel one. Also, it is important to know that, despite its name, a puppy pen can also be used for adult dogs and, if you have multiple dogs, you can even join them together to create a larger enclosure for them.
What Makes a Dog Crate Useful? Many people find a dog crate especially useful, but for those who have never used one, the benefits of having one might not be that obvious at first sight: • • • •
They keep your puppy safe during those moments you can’t be watching over them The fact that ir keep them in a confined space helps them with potty training It protects your furniture and cables from their curious mouths, but it also protects them from eating random things around the house which are definitely not safe for ingestion It can help reduce anxiety, especially in small dogs, who might find it difficult to adjust to a new space
Where to Install a Puppy Pen? Many people consider that since the main purpose of a puppy pen is to create a designated place for the dog, they can be placed anywhere, but there are specific things you should look for, and avoid when deciding on the place. • • • •
Make sure the place is easily accessible. This will make it easier for you to keep an eye on your puppy The place should be naturally lit and well-ventilated. Watch out for noisy places, but don’t go for something sound-proofed, that might increase your puppy’s levels of anxiety. The area should be away from traffic areas, but make sure you don’t isolate your doggy from the rest of your family or the people around your house.
How to Set up a Dog Crate •
Step 1: Assemble the Pen
Unpack the contents of the package and thoroughly and carefully read all the instructions. Unfold and connect the panels according to the instructions and make sure you’re not skipping any steps, that is more common than one might believe. You also want to make sure that all corners are secure, dogs like to chew at that age and bigger dogs might try to jump out. Depending on the model, you might also need to anchor it, but should that be the case, you’ll find instructions on how to do that in the manual. •
Step 2: Create a Defined Zone
Yes, the crate is a defined zone by itself, but hierarchy helps keep things clean and organized. Make sure you divide the dog crate in such a way that it can host a sleeping area, a potty area, a playing area and an eating area if you decide to have an all-inclusive dog crate. Some people use them for safety only, some others use them for pot training, and some other people use them for all of the aforementioned purposes, it all depends on your preferences and on the size of the puppy pen.
•
Step 3: Make It Homey
One thing you can do to make the place more welcoming is adding a blanket of yours, or a toy that smells like you, something to offer your dog the impression you’re around, even when you’re not. This is a great and easy way to calm your dog’s anxiety levels. That’s it! That’s what you should expect from the process of setting up a dog crane. Of course, you can go above and beyond and accessorise it even more, add more toys even a dog feeder but you should do that without over-crowding the space. You don’t want your puppy to feel overwhelmed by the amount of things in their space.
Tips on How to Introduce Your Dog to the New Space You can't just put your dog down into the crate and just walk off. You need to adjust the puppy to the new place, and that can be challenging sometimes. Here’s a routine you can try to speed up the process and get the puppy used to the pen more easily: • • •
Let your puppy roam around the crate while you watch. Don’t leave your puppy on your own while they’re still exploring the place If they’re too afraid to go in, toss in their favourite toy and a few treats to encourage them to enter If closing the door scares them, keep it open at first and then keep it closed for 2 to 3 minutes at a time. Increase the intervals later on if needed.
