# Exercise pens....



## Joelly (May 8, 2012)

You can use something like this under the play pen to protect your floor from accidents when the puppy miss the wee wee pad:
Amazon.com: MiracleCorp Bulldog Pet Rubber Mat, 48-Inch by 72-Inch by 0.2362-Inch, Black: Pet Supplies

The review is not that good in that mat but I hope you get the idea. I believe HomeDepot will have a better version of mats.

Don't worry about wrong signal. I often use the crate for time outs and they have no problems sleeping in it at all. There is no learning without fun treats and time outs.


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## dfwcarguy (May 12, 2013)

Ended up having to put it up in the backyard so he could not get into anything he should not. He has gone out many times since we got him last Friday but now he thinks he should try to eat mulch. So the pen will help keep him out of that until he gets past that (hopefully he will).....lol


Never seen a dog that wants to chew mulch, rocks, concrete, the bricks on the doorstep, grass, the metal bars on the pen.....but never had a dog young enough that they were teething either.


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## ItzaClip (Dec 1, 2010)

Very healthy for dogs to learn they will survive not Velcro to your leg. If dog needs time out you simply neutrally place in crate area. Never say big sloppy goodbyes and ecstatic hellos to dog in crate/expen, you will create stress over being separated from you. Wait few moments and neutrally let out. Save your praise for behavior you want to reinforce such as offered sits for door opening, paws on floor, etc. Coincide time alone with chewy, meal, play toy so that its not big deal. You sound like a great owner.


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## dfwcarguy (May 12, 2013)

Hopefully he has a better day today. I am making sure he gets more sleep today. I think I am over stressing on everything. I need to remember he is very very young and treat and schedule him as such. I think I may be trying to make him a year old puppy the first week. I probably need to step back and let him go through all the mistakes, teething (I hope) temper swings and cuddle him when I can. Instead of trying to make him a lap dog companion the first week. 

Potty training is going great...almost too easy. I just hope switching to an e-pen outside does not change his progress. But I felt I had to because he was trying to eat/chew rocks, mulch and anything else he could find. I would rather protect him from that and work on potty training when I don't have to worry about him harming himself.


I still have no idea what a normal schedule would be for a pup this young? How should a day in the life of a 8-9 week old toy poodle be? 

He wakes at 5:30-6:30am goes out side pees-poops
Comes in for a little food and small drink (not enough water IMO)
Plays for about 1-2 hours starts nice then gets more rowdy 
About 8-8:30am he curls up (floor) and sleeps until 10am (wakes on his own) and we go outside.
Food and water are left out in the kitchen to free feed and he makes trips over when he wants. 
Then the rest of the day he will fight to stay awake. He gets more and more rowdy as the day goes on. By 7:30 he is almost mean but will not curl up.
Put him in his kennel about 9:30pm and never hear anything from him until he wants to go outside again around 1:30 or so.

So I am wondering if this would better for him....
Wake at 5:30-6am and go outside
Let him eat (his normal routine)
Play with him until ~8:30am (normal routine)
Put him in an e-pen with a couple of toys (food and water also) and let him be his own decision maker on what to do play/sleep whatever. 
Then handle him a few times during the day to keep the bond up.


Any thoughts? Suggestions?


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