# What to use under ex pen?



## Happy2hav (May 7, 2012)

We have newer hardwood floors. Looking for low cost suggestions on what to put under the ex pen to protect the floor from any accidents? Will be using pee pads.


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## lise (Sep 1, 2006)

My breeder has a piece of vinyl flooring under her ex-pen


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

I got this plastic stuff at home depot. It has little nubs on the underside to help it grip. I believe it was in the flooring department and came on a roll.


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

You can also go to a fabric store and get plastic or whatever that fabric is called..vinyl.


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## mamacjt (Aug 23, 2011)

If the area is small enough, a plastic shower curtain works.


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## Becky Chittenden (Feb 4, 2009)

I'd suggest not vinyl, had a friend have her pups eat it


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## AckTivity (Mar 28, 2012)

I've been using an x-large wire kennel like this one...










I found it on kijji for only $40, so a huge savings over an x-pen. It has a side door which is the one we use. It fits her pee pad tray, her food dish, her water _and_ her crate. With room left over. It has a removable tray. And because it's totally enclosed the big dog can't hop in and steal her toys. ound:


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

That's a little small for an expen principle. That's basically a crate. You need something with a small crate and a larger exercise area so he can eliminate away from where he sleeps. http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/errorless-housetraining


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## AckTivity (Mar 28, 2012)

It's actually pretty far from the crate. You could fit two more crates in between the crate and the pee pad.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

It's still a lot smaller than an ex-pen. I agree with Dave... Consider providing her with a larger space.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

What is the size of the crate. Is that crate what you're calling an expen.?


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## Happy2hav (May 7, 2012)

No the crate would be in the ex pen.. The size might be 16 sq feet or so. I too was afraid they might eat the vinyl sheeting. Leaning towrd a small piece of linoleum flooring.


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## davetgabby (Dec 29, 2007)

Happy2hav said:


> No the crate would be in the ex pen.. The size might be 16 sq feet or so. I too was afraid they might eat the vinyl sheeting. Leaning towrd a small piece of linoleum flooring.


So you're putting that large crate inside an expen right. Then the crate is too large. A crate should be more enclosed and smaller, just enough room for the dog to turn around. Check out the picture in the article I linked to. Here's a video http://www.ehow.com/video_2349187_choosing-puppy-tips-housebreaking-puppies.html


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## Happy2hav (May 7, 2012)

Sorry, I was not clear. We have a small size crate. We are planning to put the small crate inside the exersise pen with access to a pee pad. We would use this when the pup needs a safe place to be and can not be directly supervised. The room where we plan to put the ex pen has newer hardwood floors so I was looking to protect them if possible.

Our pup just turned 8 weeks and the breeder is teaching him to go outside and he is doing well. I plan to continue this, watching his signals, and keeping him some what contained (not the run of the house). 

While I wait for him, I'm also trying to think of everything to keep my mind going. This forum is a lifesaver!


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## narci (Sep 6, 2011)

I kinda had a hard time finding anything at a resonable price.

What I ended up with was decking vinyl..something like this:

http://www.duradek.com/duradek.html?

You should be able to buy this stuff in any Home Depot.

They come in different colors and I found one that matched the color of my kitchen floor 

It has little bumps so Oreo wouldn't slide on it.

2 issues though: 1) It slides a bit but if you get a big enough sheet, should not have to worry. 2) it has little bumps on the top side so if yopu need to clean poop off it, get a trush brush and some Nature's Miracle to clean stuff off.

We don't use the ex-pen anymore but we still have the vinyl on the kitchen floor with out table on it since Oreo's Ugodog pee pad is still there.


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

I use a large door mat that I got at home depot . The back side is rubber and is mop-able. I like it because it is still soft and bouncy sort of like the surface of a gymnastic flooring.


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## Thumper (Feb 18, 2007)

Cheap fabric tablecloth, if you want something fancier or to match your decor, you can have one custom made on Etsy, flannel tops with vinyl bottoms, but you can also buy scrap pieces from the fabric store that are much better quality than tablecloths, they typically don't fray so are easy to cut to shape

Kara


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## Diann (Apr 25, 2011)

We got these plastic shower wall sheets from Home Depot for about 15-20 bucks. They were in the lumber area.


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## pjewel (Apr 11, 2007)

I bought a roll or linoleum at Home Depot for each dog. I think the cost was under $30 each time. Best money I ever spent. Saved me and them a lot of stress.


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## FancyNancy (Oct 7, 2009)

I used an expen in a circle formation and I hooked each end to a crate covered on 3 sides with a towel. He had access to the crate "cave" if he wanted, and the expen hooked onto it served as kind of a yard around it. I used a cheap piece of vinyl from Home Depot under the expen to protect my wood floors. I also put a soft snuggly dog bed in the expen, some toys, and a little blanket. It was so comfy I sometimes wamted to climb in myself and take a nap!!! Henry loved it.


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## FancyNancy (Oct 7, 2009)

oops - not vinyl. I used linoleum!


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## lise (Sep 1, 2006)

*Decor*



Thumper said:


> Cheap fabric tablecloth, if you want something fancier or to match your decor, you can have one custom made on Etsy, flannel tops with vinyl bottoms, but you can also buy scrap pieces from the fabric store that are much better quality than tablecloths, they typically don't fray so are easy to cut to shape
> 
> Kara


I'm so going to search out some of those tablecloths. My family is always teasing me about my need for things to match or be decorated!ound:


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## sashamom (Jan 12, 2009)

Happy2hav said:


> Sorry, I was not clear. We have a small size crate. We are planning to put the small crate inside the exersise pen with access to a pee pad. We would use this when the pup needs a safe place to be and can not be directly supervised. The room where we plan to put the ex pen has newer hardwood floors so I was looking to protect them if possible.
> 
> Our pup just turned 8 weeks and the breeder is teaching him to go outside and he is doing well. I plan to continue this, watching his signals, and keeping him some what contained (not the run of the house).
> 
> While I wait for him, I'm also trying to think of everything to keep my mind going. This forum is a lifesaver!


If you go to a place that sells flooring you should be able to get a remnant of linoleum flooring that has a soft backing on it. That is what I am using and it is great. LB


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## Carefulove (Mar 20, 2009)

Go to Home Depot and get a couple of feet of linoleum (sp?). Cut it just a bit bigger than the amount of Sq Ft that the Ex-Pen will cover, in case of a spill, it will still protect your wood floors. If it stains or the corners break, you can always replace it with a newer piece, is cheap enough.


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## Tigers Mommy (Nov 7, 2008)

I have a expandable exercise pen that we used for Beau. We ended up using a tarp to protect the floor. He shredded everything else we tried. We then purchased 2 large pieces of plexy glass to keep him from trying to tear up the tarp. He couldnt dig at it to ball it up. The other reason we used both is because he would some times get too close to the edge of the plexy and it would go onto the floor. So the tarp was thin enough that the pen walls would sit on it and the plexy glass fit inside the pen walls. The plexy was really easy to sanitize too.


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