# Best Attractive Exercise Pen?



## Canada (Jun 4, 2009)

*Hi! I am seeking Exercise Pen guidance.*
I am planning on moving the girls' pen from the kitchen to the living room 
and therefore am seeking an attractive pen & a bottom would be a bonus.

I know that many members have the *IRIS white plastic exercise pen (in 4 panel or 8) with the gate.* 
These pens look so attractive.
My question is this: can't they be ruined by being chewed? :blink:
*If you had a "chewer" would you recommend this pen?*


So far I have the Black E-Coated Metal Exercise Pen.
Very durable. Allthough we had to fix it to the floor so the walls woundn't get moved.
It doesn't have fixed corners. 
We use it upside down as the gate was a few inches off the floor and Coco would trip. 
Reversed, the gate is lower.

I also have the wood Richel Pen that is just a hang out spot next to the grooming table 
(I always leave the door open). It is gorgeous but small.
Coco just loves to play in it.

What I am searching for is an X-pen that is approx 4 foot x 4 foot or larger.
And a solid bottom would be amazing!
Inside the pen is the potty, a few toys, bedding, water bottle.

*Does anyone have any recommendations? :aktion033:*

I have been researching a lot online for a solid bottom pen, 
can't seem to find any in North America. 
I know there are the gorgeous fabric ones, 
but Paris just laughed at me when I suggested tasty fabric.


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## beckinwolf (Sep 2, 2008)

Canada said:


> *Hi! I am seeking Exercise Pen guidance.*
> I am planning on moving the girls' pen from the kitchen to the living room
> and therefore am seeking an attractive pen & a bottom would be a bonus.
> 
> ...


What about a giant crate? I know they make HUGE ones for large dogs. That would have a bottom.


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

I've had this one for years. It's also very transportable if you travel. White Fold Down Metal Crate Small | Wire Dog Crate I have a couple of covers for it but only use them in the winter if necessary.


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## Canada (Jun 4, 2009)

beckinwolf said:


> What about a giant crate? I know they make HUGE ones for large dogs. That would have a bottom.


Thanks, Becky. That might be what I do end up looking for if I can find one large enough (48" x 48" min) and with a removable top. 



Cosy said:


> I've had this one for years. It's also very transportable if you travel. White Fold Down Metal Crate Small | Wire Dog Crate I have a couple of covers for it but only use them in the winter if necessary.


That is attractive, with the white colour.
And it must look nice with the covers also.
Sadly, the largest it comes in is 28" x 48" 
I checked the site just now, thank you for sharing the link.
I am seeking 48" x 48" min as that is what they have now.

Not an easy task!
Those plastic IRIS pens sure look nice but I will have to get feedback on the durability.


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## Canada (Jun 4, 2009)

You guys must be good luck!
I was searching for 2 hours last night and came up with zilch.
But just now I see that the Richell line might have something feasible.
Anyone have the large Richell playpens?
I notice they even come with a bottom (some of them).
There is a really big expandable one.

I like the look of the wood on it.
Allthough I wonder if my monkeys might chew it.
Yes, they have a small one already but it is just for hanging out.

It is a toss up between one of the large Richell's and the IRIS.

Allthough the Richell would be slightly smaller than 48" x 48". 
One pen is 47" x 35. And the expandable is much longer but not as wide as I have now.

Now they have 2,304 inches of pen.
The Richell pens would put them at 1,645 or 1,800.
I doubt they wish to downsize in space.
Perhaps I should just give them my bed.


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## mysugarbears (Aug 13, 2007)

I have 2 of the 4 paneled iris pens and having just one will not be big enough for what you want. I have also had the 8 paneled iris pen and it is extremely tall and it doesn't seem like it will be big enough for what you want it for. Someone had posted about an iris pen with 2 extra panels. ?Dog Pen Pet Pen Play Pen Puppy + 2 Extra Panels CI-604 - eBay (item 170558392944 end time Oct-30-10 13:57:46 PDT)


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## Canada (Jun 4, 2009)

mysugarbears said:


> I have 2 of the 4 paneled iris pens and having just one will not be big enough for what you want. I have also had the 8 paneled iris pen and it is extremely tall and it doesn't seem like it will be big enough for what you want it for. Someone had posted about an iris pen with 2 extra panels. ?Dog Pen Pet Pen Play Pen Puppy + 2 Extra Panels CI-604 - eBay (item 170558392944 end time Oct-30-10 13:57:46 PDT)


Thank you so much, Debbie!
I just love the look of that pen.

And now for the million dollar question:
Would you trust a chewer with the plastic?
Or is the plastic insanely durable?

And Oh MY! It is nice and big. It would be 2,592 inches of sleeping space (with the 2 extra panels)


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## Canada (Jun 4, 2009)

mysugarbears said:


> I have 2 of the 4 paneled iris pens and having just one will not be big enough for what you want. *I have also had the 8 paneled iris pen and it is extremely tall* and it doesn't seem like it will be big enough for what you want it for. Someone had posted about an iris pen with 2 extra panels. ?Dog Pen Pet Pen Play Pen Puppy + 2 Extra Panels CI-604 - eBay (item 170558392944 end time Oct-30-10 13:57:46 PDT)


By George! You are right, Debbie!
The 8 panel is 34 inches tall!
Too tall to reach over to snag a Malt!
I realize it has a gate, but you never know...

The 4 plus 2 panel looks better.
Or the 2 four panels like you have.


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## Cosy (Feb 9, 2006)

The Rover pens give more protection against climbing out and have a cover for the top if you need it. You can also have a door in it or not. Lots of sizes.
Rover Dog Enclosures


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## Bailey&Me (Mar 8, 2010)

I have the 8 panel pen and yes, it is definitely VERY tall! Way too tall to reach over. But I love it because it contains Bailey very well. It is just very huge and looks pretty awkward in the living room...but its been a blessing. Bailey now actually likes his pen and will go in there every morning by himself before I leave for work. He also eats his meals in there so he runs straight in there when he knows its dinner time. 

It's huge so there's plenty of space in there for a bed, puppy pad holder, bowls, toys, etc. 

I would say the material is pretty durable although I'm not sure it would hold up to very aggressive chewers...

Honestly, I dont know what I would have done without this pen. Bailey is my first dog and when I first got him, I was SO nervous about leaving him home while I was at work...I really didnt want to crate him or leave him in a bathroom. When I found this pen, it was PERFECT for this purpose and I have gotten so much use out of it. 

If you look it up on Amazon, you will see lots of pictures that people who own it have posted, so you can get a better idea of how it can be set up.


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## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

My friend has a chihuahua - there was something Maya was doing to her Iris pen....chewing?.....I'll ask her today what the problem was and get back to you. 


.....and if I don't......please remind me. The pet parade is today and I may forget to ask her.


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## MaryH (Mar 7, 2006)

Cosy said:


> The Rover pens give more protection against climbing out and have a cover for the top if you need it. You can also have a door in it or not. Lots of sizes.
> Rover Dog Enclosures


I have purchased several of the Iris 4-panel pens and love them. It kills me that I have to keep buying them but it's not because they break or get chewed up ... it's because every puppy buyer wants one so I keep a couple on hand to send off with a puppy to its new home. Yes, I've had a couple of youngsters chew on these pens but they are still not unattractive and if a puppy is going to chew something I'd rather they chew on plastic than on wood or metal. Depending on one's needs and one's dog there may be some downsides to the Iris pen. The shorter one comes only in one size, 3' x 3'. I have added extra panels to make one into a 3' x 6' pen but had to attach some stability to the 6' sides by buying, cutting and attaching some 2" wide pvc trim pieces that I bought from Home Depot. I attached them top and bottom with cable ties. Another downside is if your dog is a climber. Because this pen has horizontal as well as vertical bars (forming a grid), some adventurous, freedom-seeking dogs, not to mention an intact male hoping to meet and greet a girl in season (a live and learn experience:w00t, have figured out how to climb up and out of or into one of these pens. And those lovely arched tops are not conducive to attaching any kind of cover that would truly contain a climber. Lastly, these pens do not come with floors. I have hardwood floors throughout and when I set up an Iris pen for puppies I buy scrap vinyl flooring and cut a piece slightly larger than 3' x 3' to put under the pen. Having the flooring extend 2-3 inches outside of the edge of the pen prevents the puppies from catching an edge of the flooring to chew on (another live and learn experience:angry. 

If you really want a 4' x 4' pen I would go with Brit's suggestion of a Rover pen. They come in varying heights and floors are available. You can also purchase gate panels. When I got my first puppy years ago I bought a 4' x 4' Rover pen with floor and have added various panels since then, including a couple of gate panels. I still have my Rovers but use them only rarely and not for puppies. For me, the advantages of the Rover pens are that climbing in or out is near impossible, the pens are very stable and covers can be used. The stability has some disadvantages though, especially when combined with the floors. With floors attached, these pens are not what I'd call lightweight, they are inflexible once assembled, and therefore not easily moved. Disassembling them for cleaning and disinfecting is a major task. The gates are really not necessary and the gate clips are constantly breaking. The good news is that Rover has been around for years and replacement parts are readily available.

To sum up my review, the Rover pens are durable, long lasting, clean and neat looking. For people who have a large dog room, a large bank account, and a serious long-term use plan, they are pens well worth the investment. My initial purchase was a 24" high 4' x 4' pen with two 2' x 4' floors. I purchased two floors rather than a 4' x 4' floor so that I could break the pen down to a 2' x 4' pen if I wanted and still have a floor. The cost for that setup today is $425 plus shipping. The Iris pen, although smaller, is lightweight, easy to assemble, easy to disassemble for cleaning, easily folds up and fits in the trunk of a car for traveling and costs approximately $45 with free shipping. Hope this helps.


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## Bailey&Me (Mar 8, 2010)

I just saw this one on Petedge and it looks really nice: PetEdge: ProSelect Pet Den


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## Chalex (Feb 19, 2010)

I have the four panel Iris pen and I reach over and snag a maltese many times a day. No problem! I just measured and it's 24 inches tall. Amazon had it with two extra panels.


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## Canada (Jun 4, 2009)

Cosy said:


> The Rover pens give more protection against climbing out and have a cover for the top if you need it. You can also have a door in it or not. Lots of sizes.
> Rover Dog Enclosures


Thank you, Brit! 
And wow, those are very nice Xpens.
I like how they have the floor on the bottom.



Bailey&Me said:


> I have the 8 panel pen and yes, it is definitely VERY tall! Way too tall to reach over. But I love it because it contains Bailey very well. It is just very huge and looks pretty awkward in the living room...but its been a blessing. Bailey now actually likes his pen and will go in there every morning by himself before I leave for work. He also eats his meals in there so he runs straight in there when he knows its dinner time.
> 
> It's huge so there's plenty of space in there for a bed, puppy pad holder, bowls, toys, etc.
> 
> ...


I am so happy I asked for advice.
I prob would have thought to order the 8 panel, too
but now I see the height consideration after starting the thread.
That is great that Bailey loves his.
My two love the their current Xpen but hubby thought it wouldn't look nice in the living room. So thanks to all of you, I can present him with other options! (I mean options for the Maltese, not him!) :HistericalSmiley:




The A Team said:


> My friend has a chihuahua - there was something Maya was doing to her Iris pen....chewing?.....I'll ask her today what the problem was and get back to you.
> 
> .....and if I don't......please remind me. The pet parade is today and I may forget to ask her.


 
Thank U, Pat!
That is exactly my concern, about weither Paris would get "curious" about the plastic! She has never chewed the metal, but did elect to chew the zip ties that were on it to attach the corner.
And your Pet Parade pics were awesome!




MaryH said:


> I have purchased several of the Iris 4-panel pens and love them. It kills me that I have to keep buying them but it's not because they break or get chewed up ... it's because every puppy buyer wants one so I keep a couple on hand to send off with a puppy to its new home. Yes, I've had a couple of youngsters chew on these pens but they are still not unattractive and if a puppy is going to chew something I'd rather they chew on plastic than on wood or metal. Depending on one's needs and one's dog there may be some downsides to the Iris pen. The shorter one comes only in one size, 3' x 3'. I have added extra panels to make one into a 3' x 6' pen but had to attach some stability to the 6' sides by buying, cutting and attaching some 2" wide pvc trim pieces that I bought from Home Depot. I attached them top and bottom with cable ties. Another downside is if your dog is a climber. Because this pen has horizontal as well as vertical bars (forming a grid), some adventurous, freedom-seeking dogs, not to mention an intact male hoping to meet and greet a girl in season (a live and learn experience:w00t, have figured out how to climb up and out of or into one of these pens. And those lovely arched tops are not conducive to attaching any kind of cover that would truly contain a climber. Lastly, these pens do not come with floors. I have hardwood floors throughout and when I set up an Iris pen for puppies I buy scrap vinyl flooring and cut a piece slightly larger than 3' x 3' to put under the pen. Having the flooring extend 2-3 inches outside of the edge of the pen prevents the puppies from catching an edge of the flooring to chew on (another live and learn experience:angry.
> 
> If you really want a 4' x 4' pen I would go with Brit's suggestion of a Rover pen. They come in varying heights and floors are available. You can also purchase gate panels. When I got my first puppy years ago I bought a 4' x 4' Rover pen with floor and have added various panels since then, including a couple of gate panels. I still have my Rovers but use them only rarely and not for puppies. For me, the advantages of the Rover pens are that climbing in or out is near impossible, the pens are very stable and covers can be used. The stability has some disadvantages though, especially when combined with the floors. With floors attached, these pens are not what I'd call lightweight, they are inflexible once assembled, and therefore not easily moved. Disassembling them for cleaning and disinfecting is a major task. The gates are really not necessary and the gate clips are constantly breaking. The good news is that Rover has been around for years and replacement parts are readily available.
> 
> To sum up my review, the Rover pens are durable, long lasting, clean and neat looking. For people who have a large dog room, a large bank account, and a serious long-term use plan, they are pens well worth the investment. My initial purchase was a 24" high 4' x 4' pen with two 2' x 4' floors. I purchased two floors rather than a 4' x 4' floor so that I could break the pen down to a 2' x 4' pen if I wanted and still have a floor. The cost for that setup today is $425 plus shipping. The Iris pen, although smaller, is lightweight, easy to assemble, easy to disassemble for cleaning, easily folds up and fits in the trunk of a car for traveling and costs approximately $45 with free shipping. Hope this helps.


Thank you so much for your input and suggestions in regards to pens.
Sounds like both the IRIS & the Rover have pros & cons. I will have to decide what priorities are in choosing a pen. So far they are durability, size, attractiveness, and potentially a bottom.
My pen is in the kitchen now so flooring is not a concern.
I do have some cut faux wood vinyl that I use for visits to my parent's house, under the Xpen.
I read that idea here on SM! 
It looks fine over their hardwood, but could look strange in my living room over the carpet. Of course, I guess I can try it and see. 




Bailey&Me said:


> I just saw this one on Petedge and it looks really nice: PetEdge: ProSelect Pet Den


Indeed! Another attractive option!
I so wish they could make pens like that larger.
Maybe two pens attached together....
Hey, that could work! I will have to see if that pen comes appart.
I wonder if Paris would chew the wood...lol



Chalex said:


> I have the four panel Iris pen and I reach over and snag a maltese many times a day. No problem! I just measured and it's 24 inches tall. Amazon had it with two extra panels.


Sounds ideal for Malt snagging! :chili:
It is such a cute looking pen.
DH couldn't possibly object to that in the living room.
Guess I will just have to choose a pen & find out!


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## myfairlacy (Dec 28, 2007)

I've been wondering about x-pens too. When I get my next puppy I want to keep her seperate from Lacy & Rylie so she needs her own pen, and I don't think she needs as big as a pen since it will just be her in it..just need room for her to have a bed, a pee pad, and bowls. I like the Iris pen and think I might go with that, but I am so worried about climbing over as Lacy has always been a climber...I bought a 30in x-pen and she climbed over it so it has a chicken wire top on it. I guess I just need to find out if the puppy is a climber before I buy an x-pen...



Cosy said:


> The Rover pens give more protection against climbing out and have a cover for the top if you need it. You can also have a door in it or not. Lots of sizes.
> Rover Dog Enclosures


Wow! I love these! They are a lot more expensive than other x-pens though  but they are really nice and I wish more xpens would do the vertical bars!


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## Canada (Jun 4, 2009)

myfairlacy said:


> I've been wondering about x-pens too. When I get my next puppy I want to keep her seperate from Lacy & Rylie so she needs her own pen, and I don't think she needs as big as a pen since it will just be her in it..just need room for her to have a bed, a pee pad, and bowls. I like the Iris pen and think I might go with that, but I am so worried about climbing over as *Lacy has always been a climber...I bought a 30in x-pen and she climbed over it *so it has a chicken wire top on it. I guess I just need to find out if the puppy is a climber before I buy an x-pen...
> 
> 
> 
> Wow! I love these! They are a lot more expensive than other x-pens though  but they are really nice and I wish more xpens would do the vertical bars!


Some Yorkies must have the "climbing" gene! 
The only complaint that I have read on the IRIS on a website was that a few people said that their Yorkies could climb out of it!

And I agree that the Rovers look nice too.


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## mysugarbears (Aug 13, 2007)

Canada said:


> Some Yorkies must have the "climbing" gene!
> The only complaint that I have read on the IRIS on a website was that a few people said that their Yorkies could climb out of it!
> 
> And I agree that the Rovers look nice too.


 
I have a climber and i got a top to put on the expen, but it was a pain in the butt and just seemed so much bigger. I know have this pen Walmart.com: Pet Gear Octagon Pet Pen with Removable Top in Sage: Dogs and i love it. I haven't had anyone try and chew the zipper off and the three of them go in it everyday when i leave for work and it's not been tipped over or moved. I wish i would have gotten this first instead of an expen.


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## Canada (Jun 4, 2009)

mysugarbears said:


> I have a climber and i got a top to put on the expen, but it was a pain in the butt and just seemed so much bigger. I know have this pen Walmart.com: Pet Gear Octagon Pet Pen with Removable Top in Sage: Dogs and i love it. I haven't had anyone try and chew the zipper off and the three of them go in it everyday when i leave for work and it's not been tipped over or moved. I wish i would have gotten this first instead of an expen.


 
Sigh...those are very pretty pens!
I love the zebra one, especially.
And the pink & black.
I would have some except that I won't be the one it! :HistericalSmiley:
Paris would def eat it. 
She has a little fabric tent that she likes to beat up for sport. :w00t:
Other than that, I LOVE those pens.
Coco would also love to dig through the bottom...

Gosh, it sounds like I am trying to contain wildebeasts!


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## mo_mom (Nov 8, 2010)

Is there such thing as too much space for your pup to play in? I haven't bought one of those pens... as they're too rich for my blood. However, I live in HK so the room sizes are tiny. So since I have an extra room, I decided to indulge Momo by letting him have it all to himself. I DIY'ed a tiny little door blocker (convenient to see what he's doing) but he hates being isolated (his breeder had many dogs for him to play with) and now I'm afraid this space is too big. Is it a better idea for me to get one of those pens to cut down on his freedom space when he's home alone?


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