Any suggestions for keeping a pup from tipping his enclosure

[Bulldozersma]

Hi all,

Bocephus was having some serious issues taking to crate training - mostly I would come home at lunch every day and he would be covered in urine and or feces. I decided to clear out my dining room (tiled) and set up a larger area for a pen. Everything is seeming to go well, I bought the Iris 8-Panel Indoor/Outdoor Pet Pen. It's a large enclosure with room for him to sleep, have water, play etc.

The problem???? Yesterday the little stinker met me at the back door when I came home. He had managed to tip the whole thing over and get out. I have no idea how long he was out but he got into a few things - nothing dangerous that I can tell.

When I left today, I put up my barstools on each side of the enclosure and I'm hoping that will keep him from tipping the whole thing over.

Does anyone else have this type of set up? If so, have you come up with any clever ways to keep a rambunctious pup from tipping it over as soon as you walk out the door?

I'm even considering duck taping it to the floor!!! I'm open to any suggestions.

Here's a pic of it when I originally set it up in the kitchen

 

[dalmatina38]

Nope. I got no advice on this one. I used a very large fully encased cage large enough for a Great Dane and that was big enough to train a puppy. Now since both of mine are completely housebroke I have since taken it down and I only have one travel crate for Ruby during the day. Good luck.

 

[Marine91]

Yes. I have the exact same setup. Harlea used to drag it around the living room when she was in it but it is now in my office as my wife is in a wheelchair for a few months. To put a stop to it i put her Coolaroo bed inside of it. She has a nice place to lie down and still had plenty of space to play without being able to drag it around the house. However, for us she is only in it when we leave and no one is home, but other than that we just leave the door open and she goes in and out as she pleases. Now she will still bounce on the sides when we walk in, but because of her bed she can't flip it over or move it too much.

 

[Bulldozersma]

Thanks Marine91! He's definitely got the moving it around thing down. Does her bed anchor the sides down for her or does it just make it more difficult to tip over? Sorry, I'm just trying to picture it.
He must have been stuck in between the panels when he got it to tip over, although there were no signs of injury at all.
I'm really really hoping this will work out for him. He seems to be much happier than in his crate and it keeps him out of trouble when I'm away.
I leave the door open for him when I'm home and he can see any activity going on in the living room if he goes in to play or get some water.

 

[ChanelnBrutus]

Sorry to LOL but I am just picturing him runny with the pen lol such smart bullies

 

[Marine91]

Thanks Marine91! He's definitely got the moving it around thing down. Does her bed anchor the sides down for her or does it just make it more difficult to tip over? Sorry, I'm just trying to picture it.
He must have been stuck in between the panels when he got it to tip over, although there were no signs of injury at all.
I'm really really hoping this will work out for him. He seems to be much happier than in his crate and it keeps him out of trouble when I'm away.
I leave the door open for him when I'm home and he can see any activity going on in the living room if he goes in to play or get some water.

No it doesn't anchor down the sides but it is just wide eblnough to fit across 2 panels across the back and 1 panel on each side making it almost impossible to move. The front portion by the door still move but the bed keeps her from closing it to a point the where she can knock it over.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

 

[Bulldozersma]

Oh the little bugger will move it all over the room
I'm thinking the duck tape around the rungs at the bottom may be the way to go.
Either that or I'll need to get a pen for the pen.

 

[Bulldozersma]

No it doesn't anchor down the sides but it is just wide eblnough to fit across 2 panels across the back and 1 panel on each side making it almost impossible to move. The front portion by the door still move but the bed keeps her from closing it to a point the where she can knock it over.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using Tapatalk

Now I get it, maybe I rig up the same arrangement with his crate - which I'm sure he'll just use to go in and pee :D

 

[Marine91]

One of my friends has a similar setup with a crate in it and it somewhat works but his pup can still move it because the crate is smaller than 2 panels but at least his pup can't close it enough to flip it.

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[goobers mom]

I used to have that problems with my springer spaniel puppies, my husband anchored the pen down to à piece of plywood with métal straps. Plus plywood protects the floor.

 

[Manydogs]

When I had two pups, I had a crate-but had a wire pen. I had it in the kitchen, and tied 2 ends of the pen to the crate,(which was against the stove, and then tied the other sides of the pen to handles on the kitchen drawers, because they started standing up and knocking the pen over. They had a puppy pad in the pen, and toys.

 

[anatess]

The plywood floor is a good way to go... unless you need to break it down and move it often.