# Play pen vs Crate



## Allison Arbogast Gleason (Feb 16, 2018)

We are new owners of a now 9 week old puppy. One week has been challenging as we have two cats as well. We have a nice sized puppy play pen in the middle of living room, kitchen area where always are and then the crate in our bedroom. We feed her in the play pen, puppy time outs and nap times, however, after a week, she still continues to cry and howl...we leave her there until she eventually falls asleep. This can last about 2-10 minutes. My question is, is this the appropriate thing to do? She does not volunteer to go in, unless to eat/drink, and then cries, even though we are sitting right there. I just do not want to create anxiety. Same with the crate, at night up stairs, she only is in here at night. Cries just a few minutes before falling asleep. Thank you for any insight you might have. My biggest fear is creating unneeded anxiety.


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## cosmoKenney (Dec 8, 2017)

I know a LOT of people couldn't have dogs without a crate, since they work away from home. But I personally don't like them. I have one for my 9 week old pup which I use only as a safe place where he can run and chill if things around the house get too overwhelming. But the door never gets closed.

I also have an older shorthair and she can be a bit intense for the pup when playing, but she respect his safe house.

I am fortunate to be able to work from home. But I also have a fenced yard and a dog door which helps when I'm not there and have to leave them.


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## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

Play pen for play, crate for naps/sleep. 

They are den animals, they experience the confinement..if it's done properly..quite differently than we do. Left alone in the larger, open play pen might be very stressful for her.


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## tknafox2 (Apr 2, 2013)

I have raised two V pups my female in 2010, and the male in 2013... both times we used the puppy pen in the family room where we always were (just like you... But 
we kept the crate in the pen with food, and water, only took them out for potty breaks and playtime, usually they would go into the crate to nap. The female quit her crate very early and began to curl up outside of it, but she would shiver, so I ended up buying her a little bed and a baby blanket. She slept covered from the time she was tiny.

The Male quit the pen at about 5 months. He slept in his crate also I never had a door on the crate, it was always a voluntary place for them be. We had older dogs with each
pup, and the pups reached an age, and maturity, they wanted to have a pillow like the big dogs, and that is how it went. With the male, we bought him a cave bed, and he 
loved it. All of our dogs sleep in the bedroom where we sleep, they just want to be close, that included our Weimeraner, and our Bloodhound. 

I believe the pen to be a perfect way to contain a puppy... usually when they made noise ( whining or crying) we took them out of the pen and down to the back yard immediately. If they cried, they went. We usually played for a while, and then back to the pen. As they aged, we would open the pen door, and let them romp in the family room, but as soon as they started to get crazy ( wild, or zoomie) back they went ( that is a sure sign of fatigue). Once they were house trained, they got to spend more time out of the pen, until, they just didn't need to be penned up any more.


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## Twist and Scout (Mar 8, 2018)

Thank you so much for this reply, I appreciate it. We didn't want to fell like it was "punishment" to be in her pen, but necessary. Good idea of putting a crate inside the pen.


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