What ex-pen or playpen do you reccomend?
 

So, it's time to get Alice a pen of some sort for inside when I have to leave the house. I've been using her crate that she sleeps in at night (it's only big enough for her to be able to turn around and lay down comfortably), but she FREAKS out when I put her in there during the day and dh works night shift and sleeps during the day so that's not good. I want her to be more comfortable and have enough room for a piddle pad, small bed, water bowl and toys. I don't have room for a huge one, just big enough for those items and for her to be comportable and have room to move around and play with her toys.

I've looked at quite a few on Amazon are there are a lot of options. Any reccomendations? She's 4 lbs. now and most likely only going to get up to 5 lbs. She is agile though! She can jump high - I discourage this of course and I've also seen her kind of "climb" up the side of our high bed (also discouraged lol) so it has to be really inescapable. The "soft" sided ones look nice, but I'm afraid she'll either chew through it or take a good jump for the side and knock it over. Here's links to some of the ones I've looked at:

Amazon.com: Iris CI-604 Indoor/Outdoor Plastic Pet Pen, 4 Panels: Kitchen & Dining
Amazon.com: Best Pet Folding Play Pen - Blue - Small: Kitchen & Dining

Amazon.com: 24H" x 24" 8 Panel GoGo Black Epoxy Exercise Pen w/ Door: Kitchen & Dining

The other thought I had was to get a large, metal, open kennel (like the one we use for our Akita) but idk what's a better option. Oh, my spending limit for this is about $60.
Thanks in advance for any recommendations:D

I love, love, love this one! Amazon.com: Orange Pet Dog Tent Puppy Playpen...
I have it in large and it's huge and spacious for my 13 pound teapot. It has a zippered top so he's definitely well protected. It's very sturdy and I haven't seen Max tilt it at all even if he's stretching on the side. It's the only play pen I've ever had so I don't know what much to compare it to, but I absolutely think it's perfect. I'm very comfortable leaving Max in it when I leave the house.

EDIT: oops I just clicked your links and it looks like the 2nd link you listed - the blue tent size small.

I have something similar to the second link. Roxie loved it. Eventually I got tired of looking at it in my living room, so I put it away. However, she does still use it when she stays with my parents.

I have the first one, the Iris, and I like it but it's easy for puppies to climb. Mine doesn't know how to climb so it's fine for me, but maybe not for yours.

I have 2 of these 57x36 and a small 44x24 and I love love love them...They have a floor in them for accidents and easy to clean, the top zips up to keep our little climbers in LOL.

Thanks:D I compared them both and yours is definatly bigger around (52") than the one I looked at (33"). I'm so terrible at trying to picture the size of things lol. Since I want to put a piddle pad and a small bed in there plus a tiny water bowl, which size do you think I would need?

Thanks for the pic:D That gives me a better idea than the pics on amazon. LOL - ya looking at it in the livingroom, that's the only thing I'm thinking about. Our Akita's kennel is in the livingroom, but it's black and tucks nicely into a corner so it's not an eyesore. Uhh, desisions lol

I like the look of that one and was leaning towards it at first, but she is a climber so thanks for the tip:)

How big is Alice? I just took this photo of Max (13 pounds) in the large kennel so you can get an idea of how much space he has. You can fit tons of stuff in it, but not sure if it's bigger than you need.

I have both the first one and the last one you listed. I really like the first one. It's nice and easy to move around and clean but I do have 2 dogs that can climb out of it! :eek:
I actually have 2 of the last one and I frequently link them together outside and I really like these as you can use them to block off a room or as I said, I will link 2 together and use them against the front of my house and that gives them a big area to play in so I like that it's flexible. I can also use one to block off the living room or part of a room but I do have one that will climb that one as well. I guess it would depend on what you are using it for. If you're just going out for a few hours, I think the first one is fine but it is a little small for a really extended period of time, imho.

Wow that is big:) She's only 4lbs. now at 6 1/2 months old so pretty sure she's going to stay tiny. I probably need something inbetween those two sizes. Just thinking the small one won't have enough room for a piddle pad to not take up all the space. Thanks:D

I have the Iris too. Yep, it looks cute, but it's worthless. My pup scaled the walls at 10 weeks. Sides are way too low and the horizontal bars make nice lil steps for a pup to scamper up. I was worried she'd get hurt falling over the top, so quit using it.

Now she's 18 weeks old, I just use gates to confine her to a couple of rooms while I'm gone.

I have this one and love it!... that being said I only use it for travel, cause when Harley got to that stage, he got his own room, which we baby gate off!!!:D:aimeeyork

I used that Iris when Pfeiffer was a pup - loved it! Sturdy, light, not too ugly :D, folds away.

Right now we keep Sugar Bear in the kitchen when we are gone and at night with a gate:

Amazon.com: Tall Wood Frame Gate with Coated Wire...
When we are gone during the day, though, she has plenty of room to walk and play, but nothing interesting to look at. There are no floor-level windows, no TV, etc. Have been looking at pens to put in the living room while we are at work so she can have a picture window and maybe the occasional soap opera :p. Here are the pens I think I like best - roomy, not too awful looking :rolleyes: . Waiting til the weekend to see if I can find one retail to check it out in person. Hate to order such a big item from Amazon until I know it's the right one.

I really do like the 'pup' tents though. Is the screening dark or can they see out easily? Sugar likes to watch everything. What about the velcro bottom and chewers? Most Amazon reviews gave the tents 4-5 stars, but a few mentioned that the bottom is not secure for escape-prone pets.

Amazon.com: Joovy Room2 Portable Play Yard,...
Amazon.com: Joovy Room2 Ultralight Playard,...
Amazon.com: Insect - Bug Netting For Child's...
Amazon.com: Jeep Playpen Netting: Home &...

I have an 8 sided TALL expen,but my last dog (5lbs) was a climber and it scared me to come home and find him running free in the house (that ment he scaled the fence and JUMPED),I will be getting a wire crate with enough room for the items that you mentioned,if my new baby is a climber.

The 44x24 is small, but it has enough room for a bed/food/water and a potty pad but not much room for anything else...it was just right for my Harley when I first got him at 12 weeks...I have a 2 story home so I quickly got tired of carrying it up and down every day...so I order the 57x36 for down stairs and that one is HUGE...enough room for everything and play space, but like I said its huge. I have a big house...if you have a smller home I would think the 44x24...maybe a little bigger would be good...they come in all sizes...you just have to mearsure before ordering to make sure it will fit in your space, thats what hubby and I did...hope this helps...Good luck in your search.

Thanks, that does help:) I measured a piddle pad an it's 22" and the one found is 42"x21" which is about 10" wider than the first one on my list but the same hight, so I think that'll be good since she's so small she only needs a tiny bed. I wish the bigger ones weren't so high. I may even cut the piddle pads in half for when she's in there so it doesn't take up so much space?

LOL...That is funny you said that...while we did measure the 44x24...I just jumped right online and ordered the 57x36 and didn't even look at the height measurements of it...I just wanted it bigger around than the 44' that I had.. the 24' height on the small one was just right for my yorkies..needless to say I was shocked :eek: when it arrived and kinda disappointed at the height of it...I guess I was thinking, they all come 24' high LOL..but Owell I still love them.

LOL Ya, I want her to have enough room but at the same time I don't want this huge funny looking thing in my living room. And why do they have to make them in such bright colors? A nice "tan" would be great but I can't find one:p