This is the current setup of Ginger's play pen. I still confine her nowadays whenever I'm away or unable to supervise her.
We have long ago removed the wired bottom crate you saw in the previous post. Please note that wired bottom crate is bad for dog, they might get hurt with their feet/muzzle stucked between the wires. We are using a plastic crate which we will find her retired into it during the day for a nap.
Ginger chilling inside her plastic crate.
I can't say enough good things using a crate for your dog. Many scorned at the thought of confining a dog in a crate, thinking that it's a cruel thing to do.
Dogs are by nature a den creatures, crate if properly introduced is a den - a safe haven for your dog. It's a quiet place where your dog can retreat into for a quiet time or rest. It's not a jail or toilet!
Ginger will run and hide in her crate whenever she feel threatened or uncomfortable when encountering a strange noise or object. :)
When your dog is trained to use the crate, you will find your dog more easily handled: in the car, at the vets, when travelling, etc.
Ginger will automatically go into her crate and wait for us to lock up the crate when she knew it is bed time. We will then move her crate into our bedroom where she gets to sleep in the same room with us. Next day morning, we will move the crate back into the playpen and remove the door.
We moved the pee tray into a corner of the toilet and the gates are moved to block the toilet bowl (Ginger used to lick the toilet bowl's water, yuck!), so we humans have our toilet back. We doing this by shifting the pee tray to the left side inch by inch over weeks and expanding the gates slowly.
