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X-Pen

nangel519

Well-known member
I just wanted to see what type everyone had? I want my puppy to not be stuck in her kennel during the day, so I thought an x-pen would work well. The metal and plastic ones make me nervous, I'm scared she is going to get something caught in the holes or climb out as she gets a little older. I like the soft-sided ones, but are they light? I don't want her sneaking out underneath.

Any advice on which I should choose or any personal experience you have on them would be great!
 
Here is a pic of the xpen my hubby built for Dudley and we used it again for Darby.

We placed a piece of lineleum on the carpet.

We placed their crate inside it worked well for me.
Also kept little hands away.

dudleyspen.jpg


dudleyspen2.jpg
 
Wow, your hubby went all out on your pen! Why do people here call them Xpens? What does the X mean? I am using a collapsable pen that I purchased at PetSmart for Dottie. It is in our kitchen, on the linoleum. So far she is doing well in it, but I figure in time she will be able to knock it down!
 
That's the problem with them. If i had more space i'd have asked my dad to do me something similar to the setup that both Linda and Cecily have, but I don't- so it was the collasiple wired ones. It's quite finicky making sure that all the unsteady bits are ramped up and I never leave Amber in it because she managed to get out of it before she was five months old!!! however, it has been invaluable the past week after her spay when she has been too sore to try and jump. It has meant I can contain her in the living room and move around into the kitchen etc without worrying about her trying for the stairs or jumping up on the sofa. But it was supported by an argos catalogue and a couple of DVD box sets..
 
We use the wire kind. They have 8: 24" wide panels and will make a 4' x 4' square or can be arrangeged as an octagon, etc., etc. We have both the 30" high and 36" high. We have had the 30" pens for years and only just recently bought 2 of the 36" high. The only thing I don't like about the 36" high is that it's a little too tall to just step over if you have to get into it in a hurry.

We have never had any of our crew jump out of the 30" high, but we did hear once of someone who did. For our 2 current litters, we put two xpens together to make a 4' x 8' enclosure. It sits on a piece of sheet vinyl we laid on the floor to protect the hardwood floors. To stabilize the top on the long dimension, I took a piece of PVC pipe and cut a slot lengthwise so it slides over the pen at the joints. They say a picture is worth a thousand words:

362036165_1a6472bf6b.jpg


BTW, xpen is short for exercise pen.
 
Exercise pen, DUH! :shock: Thanks for the info! That is the same kind we use ... makes the 4x4 square! Ours came with small black pieces that work the same as your PVC pipe. What a good idea! ;)

Kim
 
Soft Sided

Here is a link to the one I have:
http://www.petedge.com/jump.jsp?itemType=INDEX&itemID=1411
I love it. It is a little light, but Lily is not able to get under it. She has however, gotten over it a few times. I should have gotten the taller one, but I thought, no way she can get over. Either way, I do like it and so does Lily. :)

Okay, I keep trying to make the link work and I can't get it. Go to petedge.com and from there navigate on the left to Exercise Pens and then click soft sided. It is the only one there. :)
 
Re: Soft Sided

cavimom said:
Here is a link to the one I have:
http://www.petedge.com/jump.jsp?itemType=INDEX&itemID=1411
I love it. It is a little light, but Lily is not able to get under it. She has however, gotten over it a few times. I should have gotten the taller one, but I thought, no way she can get over. Either way, I do like it and so does Lily. :)

I really like that kind, i wish i'd known about those when i was using one when zack was younger. I had the metal kind that was collapsable and it was 30" tall, with the 24" panels (Precision). It worked great for a couple of months, until Zack suddenly was able to jump out. I wanted to get one of the tops that they sell but i couldn't find the tops for sale anywhere. i called the company but they didn't return my call when i left a message. So i gave up on the xpen and just left him in the kitchen with gates until i could trust him to just be free in the apartment.

I really like the top that goes on that soft sided one. How tall are the sides? i didn't see that info on the ad.

Bruce and Linda, what cute photos of the adorable ones! I never saw a baby picture of Dudley before, what a precious little guy. that little face peering through the fence is a great shot! Bruce, that puppy in the cardboard box is so funny! :lol:
 
Linda - that little face sticking out between the holes in the pen is too adorable!!

Bruce - the PVC piping is genius!

So I guess I need to worry more about the height then what type i'm going to get.

Thanks so much!
 
Re: Soft Sided

I had the metal kind that was collapsable and it was 30" tall, with the 24" panels (Precision). It worked great for a couple of months, until Zack suddenly was able to jump out.

What age was he able to jump out? I got the metal kind but I think its only 24" (I wanted the shorter so my university daughter could use it for her rabbit when I'm done). What age approx can I expect her to be able to climb/jump out - hopefully it will last till 4mths?
 
I also have the metal ones I have 4 of them to make a fence for our caravan getaway.

Mine are 30 or 36 inch, Debbie I don't think Kody will be able to jump out at 4 months just make sure you don't keep her crate accessable to the side or she will get up on it and jump over it.

So much for me spending all that loot on the pens for up north they sit in it and look at us sitting on the deck as if to say whay the hell are you doing why have you put us in prison. :yikes :yikes :yikes

I thought they would of enjoyed being able to play as our property is not fenced up north.
Maybe they will like it this summer. :xfngr:
 
Linda said:
just make sure you don't keep her crate accessable to the side or she will get up on it and jump over it.

Oh! I never thought of that - I need to go set it up with the crate to see if it works (I was really lucky it was onsale for $45 down from $99 a few days before christmas). Oh boy I hate looking at the expense for the things I know I am not going to use for more than 4-6mths. I did get the plastic carrier you showed me which should be ok for 8mths, but then I went and added to the expense yesterday for a nice shearing pad (my husband was "what happened to using towels since we are only using it for 6mths or so). Men dont they get "the barbie dress up syndrome" some of us girls have! Really we have been married 24 yrs you'd think he'd know that answer himself by now!

I can just see your boys with indignant looks on their face to being penned! But I'm sure between walks, pen and line tie ups they get lots of play time when your camping - they are just showing you attitude like all teenagers!
 
Debbie I bought my pens on ebay and the fellow had a storage unit on Kennedy Road and Progress.

They were only like $25.00 each.

I am bringing them home when I go up north so I can block the grass off when the ground thaws in the spring so they don't track all that mud into the house.
They can just do their business on the patio stones.

Yes their faces were absolutely pittiful, I told Frank I should go put my lounger in the pen with them.

But we are always having company when we are up north and I would look pretty stupid crawling out the gate since I can't lift my leg that high to climb over it at 36" ouch.

What we do for these fur babies. :shock: :shock:
 
Lily is just now 7 months and she learned to get over it at about 5 1/2 months. It is rare that she manages, and quite comical when it happens. Mine is only 24" high though. I should have gone for the 36". I am only 5'1" though and wanted to be able to easily reach over and climb over it. :)
 
cavimom said:
Lily is just now 7 months and she learned to get over it at about 5 1/2 months. It is rare that she manages, and quite comical when it happens. Mine is only 24" high though. I should have gone for the 36". I am only 5'1" though and wanted to be able to easily reach over and climb over it. :)

Thanks, that's what I wanted to hear and its good news for me! 4 mths is the maximum I need to use it with an open crate inside in the kitchen so she is near all of us for socialization period. Do you all find they are steady though - I keep shaking the sides and have doubts about jumping against it making the whole thing collape and hitting her on the head :yikes

For me, I've decided to start at 16 wks the "Housetrain Your Puppy in 7 Days" concept with crating routine (I am home all day). Once we get it down to a 80% range I can block off rugged areas and leave her worry free to travel from front door to long hallway through to kitchen and into laundry room. I have puppy proofed the laundry room to use as a den area with bed or crate starting about 5 or 6 mths when I am out or totally unable to supervise.
 
Linda said:
Debbie I bought my pens on ebay and the fellow had a storage unit on Kennedy Road and Progress.

They were only like $25.00 each.

OH how jealous I am! But I am not telling my daughter who lives at ebay and kept telling me to search stuff there first!

As for "what we do for these babies" well, you know our children led the way for the dogs by training us parents first!
 
One more wkd. :D :D :D :D :D

But I would never imagine that you are counting the days. :yikes :yikes :yikes
 
Linda said:
One more wkd. :D :D :D :D :D

But I would never imagine that you are counting the days. :yikes :yikes :yikes

Oh you know too well how excited I am! I seem to be able to only look up doggie infor on the internet or go stand in pet stores for hours this wk. Literally I cant seem to do anything else! Oh its going to be a very very long 7 days I think...
 
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