# This Ex-Pen good?



## TamaraCamera (Dec 27, 2015)

I have narrowed my ex-pen choices down to the following:

Iris 8-panel (36 inch)





OR

Iris 4 panel plus 2 extra panels (24 inch)





I would prefer the shorter one, but am worried our Hav will be able to climb or jump out of it fairly quickly.

Any feedback, experiences, or thoughts on the two? Buying in preparation for our pup next month.

Thanks!


----------



## Eveningpiper (Sep 23, 2015)

I was tempted by that white one too but I chose a more heavy duty pen because I was worried the pup might be able to slide it around or tip it over. I am very pleased with how sturdy this one turned out to be. We have the 24" and the 36" and I prefer the shorter one to lift our pup in and out instead of using the gate. So far she doesn't seem inclined to jump out but when I put our Cairn Terrier in the 24" pen he jumped right out.

PawHut 8 Panel Pet Playpen Heavy-Duty Iron Indoor/Outdoor, 40-inch, Black: Amazon.ca: Pet Supplies


----------



## Molly120213 (Jan 22, 2014)

My expen was 26 in. high. I was able to climb over it if I needed to. Molly never tried to jump over it, but she is on the smaller side. The only complaint I have heard about the Iris pens is that some dogs figure out how to climb up the horizontal slats so they can get out of it.


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

TamaraCamera said:


> I have narrowed my ex-pen choices down to the following:
> 
> Iris 8-panel (36 inch)
> Amazon.com : IRIS Indoor/Outdoor Plastic Pet Pen with 8 Panels : Pet Playpens : Pet Supplies
> ...


Very few Havanese puppies can jump over a 24" pen, and those that climb, can climb a 36" pen as easily as a 24" pen, and are more likely to hurt themselves when they fall off the far side. If you find you have a climber, you have to get creative. Fortunately, while there ARE climbers,they are relatively rare.

I don't care for the Iris pen because a HUMAN can't step through the gate... Which means that you have to step over it or dismantle it to clean inside the pen. I prefer pens with a gate that is open on the top.

As far as the extra panels are concerned, IMO, you can never have too many ex-pens/panels. We have used them to block book cases (when a certain boy puppy decided that chewing the bindings of books was great fun!) block doorways temporarily and create a "second gate" inside our back yard fence to prevent escapes for parties. We use three of them end-to-end to create a "yard" for our RV when we're camping, and have even used them to keep (a certain boy) from eating the blueberries off the bushes without permission.  Besides the one that Pixel still uses in the house, I think we have 4 of the Midwest wire pens. They are cheap, do the job, and I'm really glad we have them all!


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Eveningpiper said:


> I was tempted by that white one too but I chose a more heavy duty pen because I was worried the pup might be able to slide it around or tip it over. I am very pleased with how sturdy this one turned out to be. We have the 24" and the 36" and I prefer the shorter one to lift our pup in and out instead of using the gate. So far she doesn't seem inclined to jump out but when I put our Cairn Terrier in the 24" pen he jumped right out.
> 
> PawHut 8 Panel Pet Playpen Heavy-Duty Iron Indoor/Outdoor, 40-inch, Black: Amazon.ca: Pet Supplies


We have this one for Pixel too. I was a little surprised that the panels are longer than the panels on the Midwest pen that we set up in the same location for Kodi when he was a puppy. The problem was that the 2 panel x 2 panel configuration was too big to fit where we wanted it. So I had to set it upas a 1 panel 2 panel, which makes it a little smaller than the Midwest 2x2. So keep the size of the panels in mind when ordering this pen.

The pen is very solid and well-made, but the pins that hold the panels together are long, intended to be pushed into the ground outdoors. We were intending to use it indoors on hardwood floors (recently refinished). We had a piece of vinyl flooring to put under it, but I didn't want to take a chance of it shifting off the vinyl and damaging the floors. So I had to have my son shorten all the rods so they wouldn't hit the floor, then sand them down so there were no sharp edges.

The other problem we had more recently (wouldn't be a problem with a young puppy, but Pixel is on the small side, so for many puppies this would be a danger well before they were past ex-pen stage) is that one day, when she was excited to see me when we got home,she jumped up and down and got her wrist caught in the gap between the sections. (because the tubing curves down) she wasn't hurt, but she got really scared by it, and it's a little scary thinking what could have happened if we weren't right there to get her out of her predicament. We've solved that problem by putting a piece of wooden dowel across those two gaps (it's only the side ones that are open enough to catch a paw, the corners are closed more because of the angle) and taping it in place with black electricians tape, just so it looks neat. Now there's no way for a paw to slide down in that gap.

So, while I DO like this pen a lot, there are some things to be kept in mind with it. It is certainly more sturdy than the Midwest pens, but that makes it a lot heavier and less portable too.

Here's a photo of Pixel's pen set up. You can see the gaps between the side panels. I don't think she could get a foot caught on the gate, because the gate fits much tighter than the space where the pins go in between panels. You can also see that even with two panels missing, this is a pretty big pen!


----------



## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

We have two adjustable Richell ex-pens which are great. I would post a picture, but having computer issues.


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Heather Glen said:


> We have two adjustable Richell ex-pens which are great. I would post a picture, but having computer issues.


I LOVE the Richell pens! I just couldn't justify the expense.


----------



## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Our downstairs is pretty much open so I had to have something that I could leave in front of the fireplace for a two years. :biggrin1:


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Heather Glen said:


> Our downstairs is pretty much open so I had to have something that I could leave in front of the fireplace for a two years. :biggrin1:


Our ex-pen was up for two years for Kodi, and I'm sure it will be this time too. But I STILL couldn't justify the price. (and, funnily enough, ours is in front of the fire place too!  )


----------



## mollys dad (Apr 21, 2015)

I would not recommend a plastic pen. Pups love to chew and you can't watch them 24/7. I bought a wire pen with 8 24X 24 panels , which could be arranged in any configuration. ( you can buy almost any height that you want). My dog couldn't jump out of it till she was beyond the pen stage


----------



## Ivy'sMommy (Aug 23, 2015)

*Heather Glen*, I had not seen these until you posted about them, but I found them on Amazon, and wow, I am *loving* these! I am thinking I may use this for downstairs, and a Midwest adjustable crate for my bedroom, but I'd like to know, did you choose to use this _instead_ of using a crate, or did you place a crate inside of the ex-pen? Also, did you decide to go with the small, or the medium? I read in one of the reviews that the available mesh training tray will only fit into the medium as they demonstrated on the video.


----------



## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Ivy'sMommy said:


> *Heather Glen*, I had not seen these until you posted about them, but I found them on Amazon, and wow, I am *loving* these! I am thinking I may use this for downstairs, and a Midwest adjustable crate for my bedroom, but I'd like to know, did you choose to use this _instead_ of using a crate, or did you place a crate inside of the ex-pen? Also, did you decide to go with the small, or the medium? I read in one of the reviews that the available mesh training tray will only fit into the medium as they demonstrated on the video.


Sorry it has taken so long to respond. Having password problems. Almost gave up! Anyways...I have two of the large ex-pens. When we got Truffles the breeder said she should have her own space. I did not use a mesh training tray. I placed their bed in the ex-pen with the wee wee pads on the tray. We took them outside every two hours. Scout was potty trained quickly. We weren't as on top of things with Truffles and it took forever, but she finally got it.  I just like removing the pads as soon as they were wet. I did have a crate, but never used it. I know it would have been a good thing to do, but I just couldn't close the the door on them.


----------



## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Here is the ex-pen.


----------



## Eveningpiper (Sep 23, 2015)

It is such a beautiful pen.


----------



## Ivy'sMommy (Aug 23, 2015)

Heather Glen said:


> Sorry it has taken so long to respond. Having password problems. Almost gave up! Anyways...I have two of the large ex-pens. When we got Truffles the breeder said she should have her own space. I did not use a mesh training tray. I placed their bed in the ex-pen with the wee wee pads on the tray. We took them outside every two hours. Scout was potty trained quickly. We weren't as on top of things with Truffles and it took forever, but she finally got it.  I just like removing the pads as soon as they were wet. I did have a crate, but never used it. I know it would have been a good thing to do, but I just couldn't close the the door on them.


Lol, thanks Heather! :biggrin1:

So, during their training when you were actually home during the day, did you just leave the door to the ex-pen open to allow them their personal space, and then take them out every 2 hours? If so, did you only use the wee wee pads for nighttime, and for those times when you weren't home? Also, do you place a food/water tray in the ex-pen with them during the night/when you leave the house?

I apologize for all of the questions, but I am still trying to wrap my head around this whole thing.  I have read a lot of conflicting information about housetraining, and I know that for the most part, it probably all boils down to what works best for each individual family.


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Ivy'sMommy said:


> Lol, thanks Heather! :biggrin1:
> 
> So, during their training when you were actually home during the day, did you just leave the door to the ex-pen open to allow them their personal space, and then take them out every 2 hours? If so, did you only use the wee wee pads for nighttime, and for those times when you weren't home? Also, do you place a food/water tray in the ex-pen with them during the night/when you leave the house?
> 
> I apologize for all of the questions, but I am still trying to wrap my head around this whole thing.  I have read a lot of conflicting information about housetraining, and I know that for the most part, it probably all boils down to what works best for each individual family.


It's very dangerous (to your potty training) to give a puppy lots of freedom while you are still having to take them out on a schedule. What happens when the urge hits in between the two hour marks? An accident... and you can't blame the puppy. You need to keep them in a space that is small enough that you are CERTAIN that they will be successful, until you are SURE they understand where to go.


----------



## Ivy'sMommy (Aug 23, 2015)

krandall said:


> It's very dangerous (to your potty training) to give a puppy lots of freedom while you are still having to take them out on a schedule. What happens when the urge hits in between the two hour marks? An accident... and you can't blame the puppy. You need to keep them in a space that is small enough that you are CERTAIN that they will be successful, until you are SURE they understand where to go.


So, would you recommend placing a small crate inside of this ex-pen *I was considering either the 24" or the 30" adjustable MidWest Lifestages crate*, or do you think that I could simply adjust this ex-pen down to its smallest size until such time that I am satisfied that she understands where to go? I am concerned that the smallest size adjustment may not be small enough for training purposes. This is the info on the medium-sized Richell as per Amazon.com:

_
"Crate expands from 35.4" to 60.6" wide (adjustable to 11 different widths)"_


----------



## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

There are others here that can give you much better advice on potty training because we just kind of did are own thing.  This is what we did. I covered the tray with wee wee pads at all times. The bed was at one end with a water bowl. I work at night so when I came home we would go to the back yard and play for a while. Scout then went into the ex-pen with the door closed. I did get up every two hours and take him to the backyard for several months! :yawn: When I got up he was out of the pen. I would leave the door open and rarely did he use the wee wee pad because he went outside every two hours. He always loved to go into the pen when the door was open to sleep. When my husband came home in the evening Scout stayed out of the pen because he didn't think he should be in it.  He took him out to the yard every two hours also. Scout was a fast learner and was trained quickly. He would and still whimpers to go out. Whenever I left the house Scout went into the pen. I wasn't as disciplined with Truffles. I just couldn't wake up again every two hours. She was so small and trained her to go on pads. Wherever I put the pad she would go. I still put her in the pen when she was unsupervised and she was not happy. When she got excited she would have accidents and Stanley Steamer was frequent visitor to our house.  It was probably one year until she was reliable. That was our fault. I had to keep both pens up because Truffles was not happy if she was the only one in the pen. Thankfully the pens have been retired to the upstairs bedroom now.  I thought that phase would ever end. :help: My husband just said I should mention our first Havanese Sparky had a hand in training Scout! :biggrin1:


----------



## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

We invested in a Pupperton pen because we knew it would be Shama's weekday apartment as long as we have her. She currently has a training tray in one end. We don't know if that will stay or not. A dog walker comes to take her outside and play with her at noon each day. Even though she's a whopping six pounds now, she still likes to stand in her little alley between the crate and the outside of the ex-pen. The best thing about this pen is how easy it is to dismantle and set up again. It can travel with us to our relatives' houses, and Shama is always home sweet home.


----------



## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

That is a gorgeous ex-pen!


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Ivy'sMommy said:


> So, would you recommend placing a small crate inside of this ex-pen *I was considering either the 24" or the 30" adjustable MidWest Lifestages crate*, or do you think that I could simply adjust this ex-pen down to its smallest size until such time that I am satisfied that she understands where to go? I am concerned that the smallest size adjustment may not be small enough for training purposes. This is the info on the medium-sized Richell as per Amazon.com:
> 
> _
> "Crate expands from 35.4" to 60.6" wide (adjustable to 11 different widths)"_


It depends a LOT on how well the breeder did on her potty training before you got her. Both of mine were completely reliable in a full-sized e-pen, with their litter box in one corner. My older one had a small crate in his that he used for sleeping during the day, the younger one seems to prefer a really puffy donut style bed to snuggle down in.

Puppy experiences vary from that to the person who recently posted about their 12 week old rescue puppy who is peeing and pooping in a crate... most likely because the pup was kept in very dirty conditions before they got him. If a puppy won't keep their crate clean (assuming the get out on a regular basis, and barring the occasional night time "oops" in the first week or two) you've got a long road ahead of you.

In between you have puppies who will keep their crate clean, but do not understand any sort of potty system. (your breeder should have told you what she is using) With puppies like this, USUALLY, it's best to fold down the ex-pen to the smallest possible size, put a bed or small crate in one side, and a litter box, potty tray or pee pads (the worst choice because puppies are likely to chew them up and drag them around) in the other side. Only when the puppy is doing great using the potty consistently in this small area, do you increase the size of the area. Any time they start having mistakes, close it down to the smaller size again.

One other thing you have to keep in mind with a small crate inside a pen is that MANY puppies quickly learn to use the top of the crate as a stairway to escape! You can prevent this by putting the ex-pen in a corner, and putting the crate in the corner where there is just solid wall behind it.


----------

