# Crate or pen??



## Ellyisme (Jul 17, 2012)

I would recommend a crate, especially for the potty training aspect of it. A pen can be really hard to be consistent with potty training because they have enough area to go. The crate, if sized properly, will not allow them enough room to relieve themselves, thus teaching them to hold it. The general rule of thumb is that puppies can hold it an hour for each month old they are. My standard doesn't have much trouble at all holding it for 8 hours while I'm at work, but when I do get home, that's the first thing we do, and I usually rush him outside.


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## poodlefaerie (Aug 7, 2012)

I'll probably go with a crate. Which size should I choose for a male miniature poodle? a 61x46x48, a 76x48x53 or a 91x58x64 (all the sizes are in centimeters). Thank you


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

If you have to leave a pup that long, I would choose either a pen, or a crate that you can leave open in a puppy proofed kitchen or bathroom. Seven hours is too long to leave a young puppy without food or water, and certainly too long to expect one to go without peeing and pooing. If you are not around to take the puppy out frequently and regularly, I think you must accept that house training will be a long slow business, and not expect a pup to magically cope simply by being closely contained.


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## poodlefaerie (Aug 7, 2012)

It won't be alone at home, my mother will be with him all the these hours, but because of her work she won't be able to guard the puppy all the time. That's why I thought about crate. Stay about 3 hours there and then be free in a protected room. Also I'm getting the puppy on vacation time, so I'll try to housebreak and train my puppy. I'm too scared to leave it on a pen because of the possibility to climb it and starting wandering inside the house (and my house is full of wires). I prefer to get a large crate than a pen.


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## Locket (Jun 21, 2009)

The only problem with a large crate is that the puppy can use one side as a toilet, but still have enough clean space to sleep, making potty training hard. If you get a crate, aim for it to be just large enough for the pup to stand, lie down and turn around.


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

I like having both. A crate to sleep in and an exercise pen to put them in when you can't watch them. You do have to take them out every couple hours. An exercise pen with papers to potty on is good when they are small. They can have a water bowl and toys and a blanket in there, too. 

I don't like crating dogs when they are awake, especially when small. They should be playing with their toys and running around building their muscles. They can do that in an exercise pen when you can't watch them.


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## mom24doggies (Mar 28, 2011)

I'd go with a crate....my mpoo would figure out how to jump out of a pen very easily. He's strong and agile and can jump pretty high for a dog of his size. Plus there are all the other reasons everyone else mentioned, such as potty training difficulty. My dogs don't mind being crated they usually just sleep.


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## poodlefaerie (Aug 7, 2012)

I'll probably buy a big crate, but with a divider, so I'll be able to adjust it wherever I want to limit the puppy's space,in order to potty train him.


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## Marcoislandmom (Mar 15, 2012)

For my little girl, I had a playpen and a crate. The crate is one with a divider so that I could keep it the right size for training (enough to get in and turnaround, but small enough that she kept clean). Until a week or so ago, I also used a playpen (XL panels 30" high by 6 panels in a large rectangle) with pee pads at one end, her water and food in the middie, and her bed nearest the panel which we opened. She learned to go to pee pads to make and not make on her bedding. It held her until she was 5 months old and jumped out. For a mini, you could probably expect a playpen to hold much longer. My baby at 5 months is 23" at the shoulder. She stood on her rear legs, let her chest rest on the top of the pen panel, and dropped down outside the pen. I can't see a mini doing that very quickly.


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## sophiebonita (Jul 10, 2012)

I have a crate for sleeping most nights (yes sometimes i cheat and have her in bed) and when I'm not home, but I haven't left her >4 hrs yet. Then I totally puppy proofed the kitchen and got a baby/puppy gate for when I'm just not going to be able to keep a close eye for a little while but don't want to crate her. Which is very odd, she will not whine in her crate but the minute that kitchen gate goes up, in a big room w fresh water (& food if mealtime), she freaks!! Sophie is a 3-month old mpoo. 


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## dcyk (Nov 30, 2011)

I cordoned off a part of my living room for mack. Made sure there's nothing he can do to hurt himself. Pee pads, water, crate, bed all inside at different corners.

He will pee in the pee pad, but mostly i think he sleep. Because there's usually no fresh pee in the pad when i get back.


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