Introducing your puppy to a playpen is an important step in teaching it to become comfortable being on its own. But while doing that you might find out that your puppy is an escape artist and stopping it from doing that can be difficult sometimes.
You can stop your puppy from escaping its playpen by installing a taller fence and covering the inside walls with plastic sheets. In addition, you can put toys, treats, and your puppy’s crate in the playpen to ensure its comfort.
Read on to find out more about stopping your puppy from escaping its playpen.
Why do puppies escapes their playpen?
Puppies escaping their playpens is not uncommon at all. Although a playpen is designed to be a comfortable, safe space for them to live in, there are many reasons why they might try to escape it. Here is a list of them.
- The most common reason is that your puppy might feel unsafe, uncomfortable, or isolated in its playpen. This is common for pups who haven’t adjusted yet to their new surroundings.
- Your puppy is very energetic and restless and needs to burn let out that energy. This is especially true for breeds that like to roam and chase after prey.
- The puppy is bored and wants to find something else to do.
Puppies can be pretty clever when it comes to find ways to escape their playpens and a pro tip is to record the puppy in action to be able to see how it escapes the playpen and use that information to prevent the puppy from escaping it.
How to Keep your Puppy from Climbing out of the Playpen
Puppies escaping from their playpen can be frustrating and also a cleaning nightmare if they’re not potty trained. There are a few things you can do to make sure it doesn’t escape.
1. Cover the inner side of the playpen with plastic sheets
For puppies that are energetic and restless, ensuring they don’t jump out of the playpen is essential since in doing that, they can hurt themselves. A great solution is to cover the inner side of the fence with plastic sheets so that your pup can’t stick its paws between the gaps.
2. Add a PVC Pipe on top of the playpen fencing
Another way to stop your puppy to climbing out of the playpen is to place a PVC pipe on top of the playpen fencing, making it hard for the puppy to get a grip and pulling him/herself over. Just make sure to get a soft PVC pipe so you’re able to cut through.
3. Reinforce the playpen
A common problem with lighter playpens is that the puppy can move it around on the floor. The best way to keep a puppy playpen from moving is to reinforce the corners with heavy objects. This can be something that you have in your home like kettlebells, bricks or heavy furniture.
4. Additional Playpen
Depending on the type and style of the playpen, you can stack another playpen on top of the current playpen, doubling the height and weight and securing it with cable ties, so that it does not fall over.
5. Heavy Cloth
Cover the pen with a heavy cloth similar to a table cloth and pet the side down with clothing pegs. The only problem is that if you are not careful the puppy might be able to grab ahold of the cloth and pull it down, through the pen.
6. Add a mesh cover on top of the playpen
You can purchase a considerable size of secure mesh that is big enough to cover the top surface of the pen. Ensure the mesh is made out of metal so that your puppy cannot chew through it, and attach the sides of the mesh to the fence using cable ties for a stable lid. This prevents your puppy from jumping over the fencing and is preferable for smaller-sized dogs.
7. Train your puppy to stay in the playpen
Train your puppy to stay in the playpen. Put your dog in the pen and do not leave him or her alone. Make it a spot where your puppy has fun and is occupied so that the thought of jumping over the fence does not occur to him or her. It is also beneficial to place your puppy into the playpen after exercising and when fatigued. You may also only allow your dog to enter the pen when he sits this causes your dog to associate sitting with a good outcome.
Tips for introducing your puppy to the playpen
Introducing your puppy to its new playpen is an important step and should be done correctly for the best results.
Start with taking the puppy for a walk and then let it in the playpen, giving it a chewable toy to keep it occupied. You should then leave your puppy alone. This should be done subtly, so as to not make a fuss about it. Return after a few minutes and let your puppy out.
These steps can be repeated a few times a day, and the duration for which the puppy is left alone can be gradually increased.
In Summary:
Many puppies tend to escape from their playpen, especially energetic breeds. Keeping them in their playpen and ensuring they’re comfortable and occupied can be difficult, but doable if the steps and guidelines are followed correctly.
