# Is it time to expand the ex-pen (6 month old pup) and how with an Open Floor plan?



## souffle (Sep 9, 2012)

Our Havanese female will soon be 6 months. She is using the Ugodog very good in the exercise pen. We let her out of course to play frequently. I think we are ready to give her some more room but wondering what advice is out there for homes with quite open floor plans. 

It would take about 20 feet of gating to block off the carpeted living room and have her off the kitchen dining area and kitchen only, which is hardwood. Not sure what is out there to block off that much area. Maybe that would be too much... dining area and kitchen. 

Or should I go out and buy 1 or 2 more Midwest exercise pen and put them together for this extra room? That would pretty much fill the dining area only without the kitchen.

Just curious how others graduated to "more space" for their older pup.

Thanks!!


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## Tom King (Aug 2, 2006)

Try opening the expen and sit on the floor out away from the open side 5 or 6 feet to play with her, and see if she goes back to the box. Once she's good with that expand the area gradually. Our house is pretty open too. We use several litter boxes. Our litter boxes are 12 to 15 feet apart.


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## puppy-love (Nov 9, 2012)

I struggled with containing Julie in an open plan house. I bought 16 panels of the Iris expen and 2 baby gates. The panels go across big open areas and the gates are in the doorways. She can be in either the kitchen only, in the family room only (each about equal size) or, both rooms with supervision. She has a pee pad spot in each room. I scatter fed her in the family room before allowing her ready access. That seems to have had the intended effect- never an accident on that carpet. I can do the reverse and use the panels to confine her to the livingroom/dining room and foyer -fencing off the kitchen and family room. .I figure I'll re-use all the panels for an outside play area when she no longer uses them in the house, so it wasn't a waste.

Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## souffle (Sep 9, 2012)

Wow that is such a great idea it looks with the Iris expen...saw that on Amazon. What kind of baby gates did you get? Just curious what brand . I like the method you used to contain her and then putting a pee pad in each area.

What did you mean though by "I scatter fed her in the family room before allowing her ready access. That seems to have had the intended effect- never an accident on that carpet."... I wasn't sure what scatter fed meant so please let me know. Glad to hear you never have had an accident on the carpet too!

Thank you for your help!



puppy-love said:


> I struggled with containing Julie in an open plan house. I bought 16 panels of the Iris expen and 2 baby gates. The panels go across big open areas and the gates are in the doorways. She can be in either the kitchen only, in the family room only (each about equal size) or, both rooms with supervision. She has a pee pad spot in each room. I scatter fed her in the family room before allowing her ready access. That seems to have had the intended effect- never an accident on that carpet. I can do the reverse and use the panels to confine her to the livingroom/dining room and foyer -fencing off the kitchen and family room. .I figure I'll re-use all the panels for an outside play area when she no longer uses them in the house, so it wasn't a waste.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## souffle (Sep 9, 2012)

Also just wanted to double check that it was THIS Iris Pen you were talking about????:






Thanks!



puppy-love said:


> I struggled with containing Julie in an open plan house. I bought 16 panels of the Iris expen and 2 baby gates. The panels go across big open areas and the gates are in the doorways. She can be in either the kitchen only, in the family room only (each about equal size) or, both rooms with supervision. She has a pee pad spot in each room. I scatter fed her in the family room before allowing her ready access. That seems to have had the intended effect- never an accident on that carpet. I can do the reverse and use the panels to confine her to the livingroom/dining room and foyer -fencing off the kitchen and family room. .I figure I'll re-use all the panels for an outside play area when she no longer uses them in the house, so it wasn't a waste.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## puppy-love (Nov 9, 2012)

Hi Angie,
Yes, that's the IRIS pen we're using. The doorway dog gates are nothing special. Just what was in stock at petsmart and fit our doorways Here's the scoop on "scatter feeding:" Since dogs won't soil places where they eat, take advantage of that natural instinct and provide food in the places you don't want soiled. I scattered kibble on the family room carpet at least once a day, every day for a week so the carpet became a place that produced/served food. (Remember to subtract the amount you scatter from the overall volume the puppy gets daily so you aren't overfeeding.) If there was an accident, I cleaned it up and then scattered some kibble in that location to reinforce that it was not a place for pee & poop.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

puppy-love said:


> Hi Angie,
> Yes, that's the IRIS pen we're using. The doorway dog gates are nothing special. Just what was in stock at petsmart and fit our doorways Here's the scoop on "scatter feeding:" Since dogs won't soil places where they eat, take advantage of that natural instinct and provide food in the places you don't want soiled. I scattered kibble on the family room carpet at least once a day, every day for a week so the carpet became a place that produced/served food. (Remember to subtract the amount you scatter from the overall volume the puppy gets daily so you aren't overfeeding.) If there was an accident, I cleaned it up and then scattered some kibble in that location to reinforce that it was not a place for pee & poop.


I did this with Kodi, too, when he was a puppy. It did seem to help, particularly in parts of the house that aren't frequently used. (like the bedroom of my son who was away at college)


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

I personally found that at 6 months that my pups could have full access to my house - while we were home. When we were out - we use a crate (until I could totally trust them, (usually 1 1/2 years) ) when we were out. Why not let the pup have full access with the smaller xen door open, when you are home, and then just put the pup in the xpen when you are not there??


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## souffle (Sep 9, 2012)

Oh I so wish we could let her have full access... like today she ran out of the kitchen/living room area...around the corner and down a hallway and started to squat and then peed. I was able to correct her with just a firm NO...and then put her back in the ex-pen. So I feel like I should limit her to just the two rooms for now... until she is reliably going back to the Ugodog. What I am thinking is restrict her access and get a 2nd Ugodog for the living room and see what happens.

I think I am going about this right? Will look at the Iris pen again too.

Thanks!!!



Laurief said:


> I personally found that at 6 months that my pups could have full access to my house - while we were home. When we were out - we use a crate (until I could totally trust them, (usually 1 1/2 years) ) when we were out. Why not let the pup have full access with the smaller xen door open, when you are home, and then just put the pup in the xpen when you are not there??


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

When potty training I used the "Potty Park" and I had two of them. Once for upstairs in the bedroom, and another for downstairs. ARe you training for outside potty at all?? 
I use bells, which my guys use regularly, and I would put the potty park near the door, because I knew they might not make it till I took them outside. It worked wonders! 

Good luck!!


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## m0rg4n (Feb 8, 2013)

puppy-love said:


> Hi Angie,
> Yes, that's the IRIS pen we're using. The doorway dog gates are nothing special. Just what was in stock at petsmart and fit our doorways Here's the scoop on "scatter feeding:" Since dogs won't soil places where they eat, take advantage of that natural instinct and provide food in the places you don't want soiled. I scattered kibble on the family room carpet at least once a day, every day for a week so the carpet became a place that produced/served food. (Remember to subtract the amount you scatter from the overall volume the puppy gets daily so you aren't overfeeding.) If there was an accident, I cleaned it up and then scattered some kibble in that location to reinforce that it was not a place for pee & poop.


I never thought to do this and am loving this idea!


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

puppy-love said:


> Hi Angie,
> Yes, that's the IRIS pen we're using. The doorway dog gates are nothing special. Just what was in stock at petsmart and fit our doorways Here's the scoop on "scatter feeding:" Since dogs won't soil places where they eat, take advantage of that natural instinct and provide food in the places you don't want soiled. I scattered kibble on the family room carpet at least once a day, every day for a week so the carpet became a place that produced/served food. (Remember to subtract the amount you scatter from the overall volume the puppy gets daily so you aren't overfeeding.) If there was an accident, I cleaned it up and then scattered some kibble in that location to reinforce that it was not a place for pee & poop.


 I have never hear of that ! mine only have accidents on my bedroom carpet. I'm going to start feeding them in their to see if that works.


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

What an interesting concept = I had never heard of that - although it would most likely only work on a one dog family. My older ones would eat the food so fast that a puppy would not even see it!!!
:frusty:


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