# Our pup-to-be's "bedroom"



## My Black Shadow (Jan 1, 2017)

Well, I may have to wait two or three months for my puppy (sigh), I can at least share with you my puppy's "bedroom" (it used to be our dining room LOL). Sorry the resolution is a bit poor.


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## wolfstraum (May 2, 2003)

I think I would go to Lowes or Home depot and get something to cover that wood floor - a tarp and then a piece of linoleum for over it - or rubber matting - just until the pup is house broken



Lee


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## Deb (Nov 20, 2010)

Very nice. I would move the expen so it isn't against the walls or you could find holes from teeth and claws in it.


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## Jack's Dad (Jun 7, 2011)

Where is the TV?


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## My Black Shadow (Jan 1, 2017)

Jack's Dad said:


> Where is the TV?


The dog's own TV? Not until she's older. :grin2:


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## My Black Shadow (Jan 1, 2017)

wolfstraum said:


> I think I would go to Lowes or Home depot and get something to cover that wood floor - a tarp and then a piece of linoleum for over it - or rubber matting - just until the pup is house broken
> Lee


Ooh, I didn't think of that. Enzyme cleaner I have, but prevention is the best cure, right? Thanks.


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## My Black Shadow (Jan 1, 2017)

Deb said:


> Very nice. I would move the expen so it isn't against the walls or you could find holes from teeth and claws in it.


Good point. They're like little alligators LOL.


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## Springbrz (Aug 13, 2013)

Nice area you've got going there. Your future pup looks to be coming to a loving home  I'd ditch the flexi leash and get a good quality leather or web leash. Agree you might want to protect that nice wood floor, too.


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## sebrench (Dec 2, 2014)

Looks like you're all prepared. Lucky pup!


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## Thecowboysgirl (Nov 30, 2006)

Here was mine. I did put linoleum over my hardwood floor and the pup never had an accident in his pen, only when he was outside of it.

If I had it to do over I would have gone with 48" x pen from the get go. Or never leave the room when your pup is in there. Mine climbed out THEN I put him in the 48" one.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

When you can find a pen that has vertical bars, the climbers have a tougher time with them. 1/8th inch shower board is relatively cheap, comes in 4x8 sheets and can be placed between your x-pen and the wall and protect the walls and wood-work. The pup might try to chew on the shower board, but that won't hurt anything. 

I don't like tarps, pups will ingest them if they can get to them, I suppose the linoleum would prevent the pup getting to the tarp. Also, they might trap moisture under them. But you do want to protect the flooring. I wonder if you could use some clear plastic, plexiglass-type sheeting or that might be too expensive.


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## Deb (Nov 20, 2010)

Thecowboysgirl said:


> Here was mine. I did put linoleum over my hardwood floor and the pup never had an accident in his pen, only when he was outside of it.
> 
> If I had it to do over I would have gone with 48" x pen from the get go. Or never leave the room when your pup is in there. Mine climbed out THEN I put him in the 48" one.


I also used a 48" expen with cover. Keeps them from climbing out.


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## Timberdog (Dec 26, 2016)

Congrats on getting pup soon!

I built an ex-pen, I put a layer of moisture barrier (for laminated flooring) and then a layer of Oriented Strand Board, in case there is an accident in the ex-pen, or he gets bored and decides to damage the floor, I don't need to worry about it!


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## SuperG (May 11, 2013)

I think I may have lived in that ex-pen........


SuperG


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## My Black Shadow (Jan 1, 2017)

The flooring idea is great. I think I will do that. 

Do you really think 42" is too small? I already threw out the boxes, so I'm not sure I can return or exchange them. (It was an online order.)


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

With the right pup, 42 will be all you need. Do not encourage putting paws on the fencing. Some puppies/dogs accept fences/gates and never try to go over them, or a simple correction, Eh! will be enough to prevent them from climbing. Other pups... 

Well, maybe by that time he will be house trained, and you can leave him in a complete room with just a baby gate -- the extra-tall ones with vertical slats are fairly effective.


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## sebrench (Dec 2, 2014)

My Black Shadow said:


> Do you really think 42" is too small?


Yes, I agree that it depends on the dog. 42" is fine for one of my dogs. He could easily escape but is very dutiful and stays where I put him. I use this one folded up as a kind of baby gate to keep him in the walk-in closet in our bedroom at night. (When the dogs are loose at night it bothers my husband, wakes him up). This size of x-pen works perfectly fine for him.

The other dog, not so much. He was 12 weeks old when I brought him home, and he climbed/jumped over the top of the x-pen the very first day. I had to buy the largest size I could find. It was marketed for Great Pyrenees and mastiffs, I think. He has escaped even the big x-pen once or twice, so I put him in his crate if it's very important for him to remain contained. I only use the x-pen when I'm home.

I wouldn't necessarily run out and buy a new size, but I might keep the possibility in the back of my mind.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I was never able to use an expen with any of mine. They climbed, knocked it over, moved it and everything else. I hope to use it on my next pup in 10 yrs. Gates don't work for all of mine either. Apollo will knock it down, Brennan has knocked it down. Batman jumps right over(he can jump 6 ft easy) and Midnite opens all of them with his nose, even the ones that lock. If that fails he jumps over with ease. I know better for the next pup. 

Maybe get some plywood and put cheap linoleum on that until the pup is trained. That way you won't ruin the floor and you can toss the wood when pup is trained.


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## BigHemi45 (May 10, 2016)

And here my dog only has his kennel lol. I wish I had room for something like that, it looks awesome.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Never used an x pen for containing the dog; just crates. I use x-pens to block off areas as an indoor fence. Also I would add flooring that prevent sliding and possible injuries, like horse stall mats. X pens are not safe to leave the pup alone like LLombardo mentioned.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

llombardo said:


> I was never able to use an expen with any of mine. They climbed, knocked it over, moved it and everything else. I hope to use it on my next pup in 10 yrs. Gates don't work for all of mine either. Apollo will knock it down, Brennan has knocked it down. Batman jumps right over(he can jump 6 ft easy) and Midnite opens all of them with his nose, even the ones that lock. If that fails he jumps over with ease. I know better for the next pup.
> 
> Maybe get some plywood and put cheap linoleum on that until the pup is trained. That way you won't ruin the floor and you can toss the wood when pup is trained.


Since I own the home and have no spouse to object, I will put self tapping eyelets in the wall and clip the pen to the wall. 

I wouldn't get rid of the 42. But I might add an extra tall gate/pen with vertical rails to use in the front and use the 42 to protect the walls with the 1/8th inch shower board sheeting in between. If he moves the pen, anchor it in two places (four eyelets). You can easily fill these with plaster and paint over when you remove them.


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## mnm (Jan 9, 2006)

I put a heavy sheet of plastic down on the floor (taped down to not slide), then a bedspread over the top to absorb any moisture. It can easily be switched out and machine washed to clean. I have the whelping box against a wall, and the x-pen around the side, across the front and slipped back in along the end of a counter. With several extra bedspreads, it is easy to keep clean, plus they will go outside often, when big enough. Sometimes getting close to 8 weeks old, with smaller litters, I will start crate training them.


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## My Black Shadow (Jan 1, 2017)

She won't be left in there unsupervised. I work from home, so she won't be unsupervised a lot, but when she is, she will be in her crate. Not just because of housebreaking and teething issues, but for safety. I am a bit of a helicopter mom, and I worry about all the trouble a pup can get into. In the crate I know she's safe.

Thanks!


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## JessicaR (Oct 25, 2016)

Now I feel like I am slacking! LOL! Granted I still have around 4 months for my pup. I do have an area for the pup though, she has what I call a Harry Potter room, the closet under the stairs. It is big enough for a crate in the back and room outside of it for when she gets older and more trustworthy.


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## jeepactivities (Sep 17, 2016)

Against all the norm,my house was too small for a large kennel.At night for only 10 days, my bedroom had newspapers.My G.S pup has slept n the floor , never chewed anything.Has an orthopedic dog bed on the floor.I wanted him with me so as he grows older will alert me.I consider him a service dog.


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## My Black Shadow (Jan 1, 2017)

jeepactivities, nothing wrong with that! My last dog was half GSD and I raised her from 8 weeks. The only equipment I bought for her in the house was her crate and some toys. I was originally crate training her housebreaking, but after a night or two I just took her into my bed with me. Every time she needed to go, she would wake me up and I would carry her outside to do her business. She was housebroken very quickly.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

My last two puppies could lift and escape from under an xpen at young ages, so I opened it up and used it to fence off my work area each time. They were both chewers and I didn't want them near the computer wiring. I got half the room, they each got the other half. They are several years apart, so it wasn't like one was learning from the other. But I've also seen videos of dogs adapting nicely to an xpen. It just never worked for me.


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## My Black Shadow (Jan 1, 2017)

That's pretty funny - who was in the xpen, yo or them? LOL I hope the xpen will work out. The xpen will be a place for us to play with and train her indoors off leash until she is housebroken and no longer teething, but I would like to allow her to play in it when she is not in her crate or tethered to me. I will work on training her to stay away from the fence. I will be working with a trainer as well. Hopefully it will work. It also depends on the personality and drive of the dog.


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## Deb (Nov 20, 2010)

With your research, preparations and attitude I am sure you will be successful and have a great time with your puppy and dog as it grows up.


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