Homemade Puppy Exercise Pen

A litter of puppies is a joy to have around -- and even one puppy can be a lot of fun. It is important to have a puppy exercise pen so your puppies can play as they grow. Puppies need a safe and secure place to play, and a homemade pen can be just that.

  1. Outdoor Pen

    • Growing puppies will enjoy being able to safely play outside. Section off an area of your back or front yard. With string or sticks, measure of a pen roughly 6 feet across and 5 feet wide. At each corner, drive a stick into the ground that goes in at least 6 inches. The stick should be at least 3 feet tall as it sticks out of the ground. Take a role of chicken wire and wrap it around the outside of the square you have made out of sticks. Use a staple gun to staple each corner of chicken wire fence onto a corner post. If you intend to leave the puppies outside in the pen unattended, stretch a sheet across the top of the pen and use staples or string to secure the sheet. This will keep anything from getting into the pen.

    Indoor Pen

    • As puppies grow, they might need a safe place to play inside. Clear out a section of your basement or rec room. Cover the flooring with newspapers or puppy pads. Use a freestanding adjustable kennel, tall guinea pig fencing, or garden fencing with a flat bottom to create an enclosed are over the area you have protected. Your puppies can play inside as long as they would like to.

    Considerations for Both Pens

    • Keep certain things in mind when you use your puppy pen. Make sure your puppies can't get their heads stuck in the holes in the fencing. Outdoor play time needs to be supervised, or pens need to be covered to protect puppies. Puppies should have age-appropriate toys, chews, and water available at all times. Only let adult dogs play with puppies under supervision.