[teetee]

For hours of the day when I'm not home and while sleeping at night, I would like to know what you think is the better option...

A) drop the $$$$ on a large grate where she will be comfy and able to have food and an area to pee

B) using a babygate, block off an area between my bed and closet ( a nice size square, the same as a crate) and do the same with a place for food and an area to pee.

Where can I find a large size crate? I just found some at Ross that are for a med size dog, but I want a LARGE crate so she has plenty of room...hopefully under 50$ which I know is unlikely..I've tried craigslist btw.:daisy:

 

[kimr]

Both my Chis climb a baby gate before I can get in the other room.

A large crate is more comfy for them. My two snuggle up together in their plush little bed with all their baby blankets while I'm at work.

You can get one relatively cheap at any large department store, like Walmart - you'll pay more for one at a pet store.

 

[MiniGrace]

Have you thought about an exercise pen instead of a crate? That's what I use for my two dogs. Mine are actually ferret playpens which have much smaller mesh and is great for little pupu cause they can't get their heads through. Mine pens were $57 or so and still using one even for Charlie who weighs 9lbs.

 

[Dragonfly]

I would use a baby gate but like Kim said, they might jump over it. We have a couple baby gates and mine can jump over but they know not to, even Kanyon the big one...he can easily walk over it but he knows not to lol I don't really like crates unless they are huge but I really like what Terri suggested. My aunt has two puppy yorkies and she has them in a nice size pen! So much room for Pee pads, food,water, toys beds and of course room for them to play together. I love pens! I am not huge on crates unless they are super big for the dogs.

 

[teetee]

i thought about getting a mesh playpen but i am concerned that as she grows, she will jump on the sides and pull it down

 

[MiniGrace]

Charlie has never pulled his pen down and has never jumped over it either. Ferretplaypens are designed with primarily vertical bars which seems to help prevent this. Go to the Foster and Smith website and look up the Marshall ferret playpen and you will see what I mean.

 

[teetee]

what about something like this? Is it ideal?

 

[jesuschick]

We had this one for our older boy.
http://www.amazon.com/North-States-Superyard-Classic-Packaging/dp/B00020L78M/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320804326&sr=8-1-spell
He was never a jumper. We got the extra extension panels. We used it when we got Hope (no worries with a 1.5 lb. dog!). Still roomy enough when we got Ruby. Then we got Miss springs for legs (Eden) and she made me nervous so we got this:

I got it a bit cheaper. We'd love 2-4 panels more so will be buying another and storing extra panels in case of times that we need to create 2 pens (if one had surgery, etc.).

 

[teetee]

so there should be plenty of room in there for pee pads, food, a bed, and toys right?

 

[MiniGrace]

I like them all! Your new baby will be very comfy!

 

[jesuschick]

We have beds, blankets, potty pad, water dish and toys in ours. I do not put chew type toys in with them. I am a choking worrier. Also, because we have multiples, I do not put in anyone's cherished toys that could cause battles while we are not there.

 

[Missygal]

I use a big crate, it was about $60. But it's nice cause she has room for a bed and play. I bought dog dishes that screw onto the crate so she can't knock them over.

 

[svdreamer]

This is the set up I had with my puppies. I got very heavy ceramic bowls at that time, they were unable to knock them over. And I loved the placemat, it fit perfectly in the space the pee pads didn't cover.

I got it on Amazon.

Amazon.com: Iris CI-604 Indoor/Outdoor Plastic Pet Pen, 4 Panels: Pet Supplies

 

[20887]

I would go with the playpen/baby gate. I bought a standard baby gate from Target and neither of mine could jump it.

 

[Tink]

You know, it's so funny to hear you talk about your dogs jumping baby gates and other barriers. Tango and Jazz will both taking flying leaps on and off the couch, jump over the two steps leading down to my den area, leap straight up off the ground in excitement, and yet they haven't figured out how to jump over the length of wood I have propped up, separating the den from the game room, because the opening is too big for a traditional baby gate. This length of wood is about 12 inches high. That's it. They could clear it without any effort at all if they wanted to. But it's as though it were 6 feet high. They get to it and immediately stop. If I'm on the other side of it, in the game room, they will stand at the wood barrier and whine and whimper because they're not where I am. But it doesn't occur to them I guess that they could jump it without any problem. Weird.