How to introduce a puppy to a playpen
Learning how to introduce a puppy to a playpen properly can make puppy training and raising much easier. A playpen provides your puppy with a safe space to rest, play and settle while you are too busy to supervise, preventing unwanted habits from developing. When introduced positively and gradually, a puppy playpen can help with house training, reducing anxiety and teaching your puppy to relax independently. The information in this guide is taken from the book ‘The Perfect Puppy’ 3rd edition by Gwen Bailey.
Why a puppy playpen is important
This is an essential piece of equipment for raising a well-behaved puppy. Not only does confining your puppy in a playpen when you are busy and cannot supervise prevent bad habits forming, it allows you to relax mentally and forget about your puppy for short periods - essential if you are not to get overtired and irritable - but it also teaches him that he cannot follow you everywhere. Dogs in a human household have to learn to lie down and relax when no one wants to play or give them attention. In the playpen there are limited options for activity and they quickly learn to settle down.
Equally important is a playpen’s role in preventing puppies from getting into trouble while their owners are busy. Puppies can learn many bad habits if they roam the house without supervision - such as chewing electricity cables or shoes, and toileting in out-of-the-way places - especially if they are left at large when there is no one at home. Without you there to prevent it and encourage the course of action you would prefer instead, unwanted behaviour can quickly become a bad habit. A simple way to prevent this is to construct a puppy playpen.
How to set up a puppy playpen
This can be as large as you like, but should be at least large enough to have a sleeping area with a bed, toys and chews and another part, covered with newspaper, where your puppy can get out of bed to play, move around and go to the toilet if necessary.
This can be achieved by barricading off a corner of the room in some way. Make sure the partitions are secure and cannot fall on your puppy or trap him if he tries to escape.
Alternatively, you can buy specially made puppy pens, often comprising mesh panels that are linked together. Buy a substantial one that is strong enough not to give way if your puppy were to jump up against the sides. If the time your puppy spends in the pen is limited and he learns, when young, that he cannot get out, the pen will be a useful tool for confinement until you have taught him how to behave well when he has free rein in the house.
Where to put a puppy playpen
The best place for the playpen in most households is the kitchen. This is usually the place where people congregate and pass through, and where there is usually something happening. Your puppy can then get used to many different sights, sounds and smells from the safety of his playpen. In addition, kitchens generally have a washable floor, which is useful for housetraining accidents. If you have a small kitchen, it is better to give the puppy a smaller pen than to put him in a larger one in a room where few people go.
How long should a puppy stay in a playpen?
Until your puppy has learned to cope with isolation, do not leave the room where the playpen is situated, unless your puppy is asleep and you have opened the door so he can come and find you. Otherwise, you will create distress and your puppy will learn to be anxious and to cry or bark when he is in the pen, which is opposite of what you want him to learn. As soon as you let your puppy out of the pen, it is good practice to always take him straight to the area where you want him to toilet.
How to best use a puppy playpen
Put your puppy’s bed in the playpen with one or two chews and toys. He can then be safely left in there whenever you go out or cannot give him your full attention. Take your puppy out whenever you can and during those times try to be fully present with him so you can concentrate on teaching him how to behave appropriately. This system of training is much quicker than giving your puppy the run of the house because he is never rewarded for unacceptable behaviour and will rapidly learn to show only the behaviour you reward. This is kinder to the puppy and easier for you. Once your puppy has learned to behave well in the house (even when left alone), you can dispense with the pen.
Not a punishment
Do not use the pen as a prison when your puppy has done something wrong. If he does something you do not like, simply distract him, show him what you want him to do instead and praise him for being good. The pen should not be associated with punishment. Talk frequently to your puppy when he is in the pen and, if it is big enough, play with him in it, so that he enjoys being there.
Do not keep him in the pen for long periods. It is meant only as a safe place to keep your puppy while you are engaged elsewhere. He should be given as much time and attention outside the pen as you can manage, and he should not be left there for more than two hours.
What to do if your puppy barks in the playpen
If your puppy barks when he is in the pen, consider whether or not he is getting sufficient time outside of the pen and whether all his needs have been met before he is encouraged to go in. Making sure he is contented and sleepy before he goes in, and letting him out long before he gets bored and lonely, will help to prevent any frustrated barking. If he barks in the pen, try not to pay any attention to him until he is quiet. If necessary, distract him by throwing something across the floor outside the pen, and throw a few smelly treats into the pen when his attention is diverted. Wait for him to start searching out the treats and, while he is quiet, let him out. This will prevent him from learning that he can earn his freedom by barking, but try to leave him in the pen for a shorter period next time, and make sure that he spends more time outside of it than inside.
If your puppy barks in the pen when you leave the room, consider whether you are at a stage in your isolation training that allows him to accept this, and adjust your behaviour accordingly. It could be that you need to wait until your puppy is asleep before you leave the room, or that you only leave for a few seconds at this stage. Later, once he is tolerating isolation better and has learned to be alone, you should be able to leave the room without any problem, but it is best not to push this too soon.
Using a playpen around children
If you have young children, your puppy can easily become over-excited and play sessions can get out of hand. Using a playpen means that when the puppy is allowed out, you are there to supervise, teach ‘good’ games and prevent play-biting. A playpen also ensures that the children do not tease the puppy or teach him bad habits, and it can also be a useful means of teaching him not to chase running children.
Puppies need quite a lot of sleep, especially when young, and an over-stimulated, over-excited and overtired puppy is very likely to become irritable and snappy. Careful use of the pen can prevent this. Your puppy can be put there to rest periodically and, once he has learned that he cannot get out to play, will quickly settle down and sleep. It is also helpful for your puppy to learn that he cannot join in all of the children’s games and that, sometimes, he has to sit quietly while they play. The playpen is an ideal way of achieving this. Some puppies will want to go into the pen to rest when they are tired and the children become too much. Leave the pen open and help the children to learn that it is a no-go area for them.
Common puppy playpen mistakes to avoid
Expecting your puppy to accept the playpen immediatelySome puppies need time to feel comfortable in a playpen. Introducing it too quickly or expecting your puppy to stay calm for long periods straight away can create stress and resistance. Gradual introductions with treats, toys, and short sessions help build positive associations.- Using the playpen as punishmentA puppy playpen should always feel like a safe and positive space. If your puppy is regularly placed in the pen after unwanted behaviour, he may begin to associate it with punishment, which can lead to anxiety, barking, or reluctance to enter the pen voluntarily.
- Leaving your puppy in the pen for too longPlaypens are useful management tools, but puppies still need regular exercise, interaction, toilet breaks, and mental stimulation. Keeping a puppy confined for extended periods can lead to boredom, frustration, and excess barking.
- Letting your puppy out when he barksIf your puppy learns that barking or crying immediately results in being released from the playpen, the behaviour can quickly become a habit. Whenever possible, wait for a brief moment of calm before opening the pen door so your puppy learns that quiet behaviour is rewarded.
- Placing the playpen in an isolated areaPuppies usually settle more easily when they can see and hear normal household activity. Placing the playpen in a social area of the home, such as the kitchen or living room, can help your puppy feel calmer and more secure.
- Forcing your puppy into the playpenRepeatedly pushing or carrying your puppy into the pen against his wishes can create negative associations. Encouraging your puppy to enter voluntarily with treats, praise, toys, or meals is a much more effective way to build confidence.
- Making the playpen boring or uncomfortableAn empty playpen can quickly become frustrating for a puppy. Providing comfortable bedding, safe chew toys, enrichment activities, and opportunities to rest can help your puppy feel relaxed and content while inside.
- Introducing isolation too quicklyLeaving the room too soon or for too long before your puppy is comfortable alone can increase anxiety and distress barking. Isolation training should be introduced gradually so your puppy learns to feel safe and secure even when you briefly step away.
FAQs
Use treats, toys and calm praise to create positive associations. Allow your puppy to explore the pen voluntarily before closing the door for short periods.
Brief whining can be normal, but prolonged distress should not be ignored. Gradual training and ensuring your puppy’s needs are met will help prevent anxiety.
Young puppies should not remain in a playpen for more than two hours without a break, exercise or interaction.
The big disadvantage to a crate is that there is nowhere for your puppy to go to the toilet and he cannot exercise or explore in it, so its use is limited. A playpen gives puppies more room to move, play and toilet, making it useful for daytime management alongside crate training.
Helping your puppy feel safe and relaxed in a playpen
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