# Advice on Playpen



## --Ash-- (Dec 14, 2013)

I just got my new puppy yesterday (yay!) and I'm trying to get her used to the playpen and would love some advice.

Should I keep it in a room where she can see us?

Her bed from the crate is in there - should I put the actual crate in the playpen with that door left open/playpen door closed? 

I've been ignoring all whimpering until she settles and then I reward her for being good after she's calmed down. How often should I be putting her in the playpen - per day - using this method?


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## kd1212 (Nov 5, 2013)

Hi Ash,

I have not been successful in potty training Trissie in the pen. My trainer said she's confused about having food and her bed and her wee wee pad in the pen, so now I'm starting over--with a crate. I know that the pen method has been successful for a lot of people and it's recommended, but I wanted to share my experience with you just in case you run into the same issues I'm having.

I spoke to a trainer a couple of weeks ago and she said to retrain and start all over again. I'm to try to gauge her pee pee routine and put her in the crate within 5-10 minutes after play, drinking and eating. Then, I'm to take her out and show her the pad and say go good potty. If she makes off the pad-hopefully I'll catch her in the act, I'm to show her in a deeper voice saying bad potty then move her to the pad and in a nicer voice say go good potty. If I take her out and within a few minutes she still hasn't gone, put her back in the crate--follow this process until she goes. It's a ton of work and frustrating. She's still not getting the connection with the pad. Definitely a work in progress--I hope you don't experience the same thing I am!

When I trained Tyler and my previous dog Trevor, I didn't use a pen or crate and they were trained in two weeks--I wish I had followed the same training mechanisms I did with them--oh well.

BTW, she's fine in the crate and does not pee in it, which is good--she does leak a little. She took to the crate without a problem and will go in there on her own too.

I think you're doing the right thing with the crying in the pen--I've been told by the trainer to ignore barking and crying (as painful as it is) and when she stops reward that behavior--not necessarily with a treat, but with a good girl a little pet, etc. Oh, before I got the crate (I ordered online and had to wait) I kept the pen with just the wee wee pad and some toys--she did not go on the pad the first couple of times, but did start going on it after that. I did use the method the trainer advised.

xo
Kim


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## --Ash-- (Dec 14, 2013)

Thank you! The breeder has her almost completely housebroken with the pads. It's my goal to eventually just have her in the crate exclusively and pottying outside, but it will be a slow process. We have three kids, so I talked at length with the breeder about that. My boys are older and very careful with her, making sure she's not underfoot when they walk through a room, etc. But my youngest is not quite 3. She's actually very careful and loving with her, but she is a toddler, so the playpen is necessary until she's a little older - gives the puppy a safe place to play. When they're both older and the puppy has the run of the house, for the most part, I'd like to be able to put the playpen away. Until the next one, that is. I'm thinking I'll need a boy in a few years ;-).


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## mdbflorida (Feb 28, 2013)

We used IRIS pen with the washable pee pads my breeder recommended. We got the extension so we increased the size once he got the hang of the pee pads.


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