# How to use an x-pen



## makettle29 (Nov 12, 2005)

Hello,

I didn't use an x-pen with my own malts but my daughter's new pup is. For those of you who trained with one:

Do you let them play and pee in this same place?

Do you let them nap in there as well? 

How do you reduce the pee pad area or finally move it to a more discreet location over time? :smhelp: 



THANKS,

I'm clueless mary anna herk and theena


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## makettle29 (Nov 12, 2005)

I'm bumping this up because I didn't get any response :huh: 
:smhelp: 

mary anna herk and theena


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## Scoobydoo (May 26, 2005)

Hi, I used the ex pen for both my boys and am still keeping Koko's wizdog potty in his pen where he goes all the time. He also sleeps in there at night in his bed, his ex pen is long enough to hold both his bed and potty with room to move about and he has done fantastic with this arrangement. Our other boy Scooby flatly refused to use pee pads from the beginning so he is outside trained and very good.
Here are a couple of pics of Koko's ex pen set up, as you can see he is very happy to use it, he is now 18 months old.

Going in...
[attachment=31961:Koko__s_...t_Up_001.jpg]

and leaving after using his potty...
[attachment=31962:Koko__s_...t_Up_002.jpg]

I do hope this helps out


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## makettle29 (Nov 12, 2005)

> Hi, I used the ex pen for both my boys and am still keeping Koko's wizdog potty in his pen where he goes all the time. He also sleeps in there at night in his bed, his ex pen is long enough to hold both his bed and potty with room to move about and he has done fantastic with this arrangement. Our other boy Scooby flatly refused to use pee pads from the beginning so he is outside trained and very good.
> Here are a couple of pics of Koko's ex pen set up, as you can see he is very happy to use it, he is now 18 months old.
> 
> Going in...
> ...



thanks Janet, that's just what I wanted to know! mary anna :wub:


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## jmm (Nov 23, 2004)

The pen should be just big enough for pee pads on one end and bed on the other. I usually put my pen where the pads will end up (the kitchen for us). If you do move it, move it a small amount each week and be diligent in rewarding your pup for going on the pad. I would not move it until they are quie consistent. 

If I use a pen for confinement, then my pup does nap there because they are in the pen when I cannot watch them. I use a crate instead though...


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## Scoobydoo (May 26, 2005)

Your'e welcome Mary Anna, one thing we did do when Koko was still very young was to have a larger set up for him so he had room to play till he got the hang of the potty, which I must say he did really quickly, he was so easy to train that way. We bought 2 of these ex pens and joined them for extra play area at first, but as he was so reliable with his training we just left the gate open and he just went in when he needed to go potty  
We also take the ex pen and his wizdog and bed when travelling so he has somewhere to go if we stay in a motel/hotel and he knows to go in there and use the potty because the set up is always the same, no confusion that way for him, although we have a spare potty downstairs just on the floor and he also uses that too, such a good little boy :wub: 

Oh I just want to add that with that particular type of ex pen you can buy panels to make it larger without buying a complete pen, they are very reasonable at Farm & Fleet here, not sure if you have them where you are.


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## makettle29 (Nov 12, 2005)

> The pen should be just big enough for pee pads on one end and bed on the other. I usually put my pen where the pads will end up (the kitchen for us). If you do move it, move it a small amount each week and be diligent in rewarding your pup for going on the pad. I would not move it until they are quie consistent.
> 
> If I use a pen for confinement, then my pup does nap there because they are in the pen when I cannot watch them. I use a crate instead though...[/B]



THANKS, This really helps. I just spoke to my daughter and I think she'll leave the pen where it is and eventually make the pish pad smaller and only in one corner. In the meantime she'll start using it as a containment area when she's not home and not crating. 

mary anna herk and theena


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

We had the same set up as Janet (nice set-up, Janet  ) One thing we did that was beneficial--we bolted the x-pen to the 2 sides of the wall. That way, when weren't home, if Ollie jumped against the walls of the pen (it was too tall for him to jump over) it was secured so that the pen wouldn't "scoot" across the floor and would keep it's square shape (does that make sense?). I was afraid that when we were out he'd gradually push the pen around and maybe get himself stuck in a corner or end up shifting around his food/water/pad and make a nasty mess that he'd have no choice but to sit in until we got home. Anyway, just something to consider


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## Scoobydoo (May 26, 2005)

> We had the same set up as Janet (nice set-up, Janet  ) One thing we did that was beneficial--we bolted the x-pen to the 2 sides of the wall. That way, when weren't home, if Ollie jumped against the walls of the pen (it was too tall for him to jump over) it was secured so that the pen wouldn't "scoot" across the floor and would keep it's square shape (does that make sense?). I was afraid that when we were out he'd gradually push the pen around and maybe get himself stuck in a corner or end up shifting around his food/water/pad and make a nasty mess that he'd have no choice but to sit in until we got home. Anyway, just something to consider [/B]


Thanks Pam, we haven't found it necessary to actually bolt Koko's pen, he never really attempts to get out, once in there at night he just gets in his bed and off to sleep he goes, he is so accustomed to his routine. One night I thought I would try and see if he wanted to sleep with us on the bed, I left his door open and gave him the choice and it threw him into total confusion, he didn't know what to do so we just put him to bed the normal way, closed his pen and he was happy and went off to sleep, he is a stickler to routine and hates change.
We don't close him in if we are out, both boys are loose in the house and so far so good, they have never got into anything, I think they just find a spot and sleep till we return. I guess we are very lucky that way


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## camfan (Oct 30, 2006)

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You do have very well behaved boys Janet!

Yeah, our x-pen is long gone. Honestly, Ollie always hated it. He hated any confinement at all. The crate was even worse for him but I needed to keep him somewhere when we went out. He quickly "graduated" to our puppy-proof, gated kitchen and now he has roam of the house. He, too, is SOOOOOOO good when he's left alone. He's never touched anything--and sometimes the girl's toys are laying around--nothing that could hurt him if he chewed on them, but he COULD put teeth marks on them, etc. or anything else in the house for that matter but he never has. We're so pleased to have such a good boy :wub:


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## makettle29 (Nov 12, 2005)

Thanks to everyone who has replied to my questions, you've all been a great help. I think this ex-pen system would have saved me a lot of trouble for my own two malts. I think crateing alone is not sufficent. At least my daughter will have the advantage of your experience.
:thumbsup: 

mary anna herk and theena


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