How to Get a Puppy Used to a Playpen
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A playpen gives a puppy a safe area of its own: more room than a crate, but away from cables, shoes and stairs. Used well, it becomes a place your puppy chooses to rest. Used badly, as a place it is shut in and left, it can become somewhere your puppy dreads. This guide covers how to set the pen up, how to introduce it so your puppy goes in happily, how to close it and step away, how long to build up to, how it fits with crate training, and when crying or frantic behaviour means you should stop and get help.
How we wrote this: the advice comes from Dogs Trust’s guide to playpen and crate training a puppy and its puppy first night advice, and Battersea’s guide to settling in a new puppy or dog. Product facts come from our product pages, which cite the makers and reviewers. We put their advice in our own words and mark our own tips with “in our view”. All were checked on 2 November 2026. We did not test any playpens for this guide, and we do not show prices or ratings.
Why use a playpen?
Dogs Trust explains that a playpen lets you keep a puppy in one area while giving it more space than a crate alone. You can put the pen around the crate to make a bigger area, or set it up in a separate room. It notes that a pen helps you manage a puppy around parts of the house that are not yet puppy-proofed, for example at night so it cannot chew anything dangerous, and that pens can suit night-time better than crates because they leave more room to move.
In our view, a pen is most useful for the first months: short periods when you cannot watch your puppy closely, overnight, and as a calm base while it learns the routine of the house.
Step 1: choose and set up the pen
Dogs Trust says the pen should be tall enough and secure, and big enough for a comfortable bed where your puppy can stretch out, plus water and toys, with room to move around. It also stresses that a puppy should always have fresh water in a pen or crate. Our guide on how to choose a dog playpen covers height, panel count and materials.
One pen from our catalog: the North States MyPet Petyard Passage, a folding plastic pen of pre-connected panels, 26 inches high, with a small pet door that swings or locks. Our product page lists it for small adult dogs that do not jump or chew, and notes that North States advises against joining more than 8 panels, as the pen could collapse. In our view, check that any pen you use is taller than your puppy can climb or jump, and that it stays put when your puppy leans on it.
Inside the pen, in our view:
- a comfortable bed or crate with the door fixed open, at one end,
- a non-spill water bowl,
- a few safe toys and something to chew that is made for puppies,
- if your puppy is still toilet training, a puppy pad at the far end from the bed; see how to use puppy pads for house training.
Put the pen somewhere calm but not cut off. Battersea suggests a safe resting space away from the bustle of the home, where your puppy can be left safely and where everyone knows not to disturb it.
Step 2: let your puppy explore with the door open
Dogs Trust advises introducing the pen in a positive way, with the door fixed open so your puppy can go in and out freely and knows it can leave at any time. At first, simply let your puppy get used to the pen being there and sniff or wander in on its own.
In our view:
- scatter a few small rewards inside for your puppy to find,
- put a favourite toy in the bed,
- sit nearby and stay calm; do not push or carry your puppy in.
Step 3: reward going in and settling
Once your puppy is relaxed about the pen, Dogs Trust suggests short, fun sessions at calmer times of day, such as after a walk or play. Sit next to the pen and drop rewards inside, ideally while your puppy is not looking, so the focus is on the pen rather than on you. If your puppy steps out, stop and wait quietly until it comes back, then start again. If it is unsure about going in at all, start by placing rewards at the entrance.
When your puppy chooses to lie down in the pen, Dogs Trust suggests praising it gently without making a fuss, and occasionally dropping in a reward. A long-lasting chew or a puzzle toy inside also helps your puppy spend longer there happily. Our guide on how to teach a dog to use a puzzle toy covers that.
Step 4: close the door for short spells
Only when your puppy is happy spending time inside with the door open should you start closing it. Dogs Trust suggests:
- closing the door partly, without fastening it, a few times,
- then fastening it for a moment before opening it again,
- then slowly building up the time the door stays closed, while your puppy has something enjoyable to do.
Outside training sessions, it advises leaving the door fixed open so your puppy can come and go. If your puppy whines or scrabbles to get out at any point, go back to the last stage where it was comfortable and stay there longer.
Step 5: step away and leave the room
Next, Dogs Trust suggests going about your normal day near the pen while your puppy relaxes inside, so it learns you can be busy while it stays put. Start in the same room. When that is easy, give your puppy something to enjoy, walk towards the door of the room, and if it stays settled, pop out briefly and come back. Build up the time you are out of the room slowly.
A baby gate across the doorway is a useful middle step, since your puppy can still see and hear you.
How long can a puppy stay in a playpen?
In our view, there is no single number; it depends on your puppy’s age, toilet needs and how settled it is. As a guide:
- build up slowly, from minutes to longer spells, only while your puppy stays relaxed,
- plan toilet breaks; Battersea notes young puppies may need to go out as often as every hour at first,
- make sure your puppy gets plenty of time out of the pen for play, training, walks and company.
A pen is a safe place to rest, not a substitute for time with you.
Never use the pen as punishment
Battersea is clear that a puppy’s safe space is a retreat, not a “naughty corner”, and should never be used as a punishment. In our view, if your puppy is overexcited, a calm break in the pen with a chew is fine, but put it in gently and with something it enjoys, not with a telling-off. Dogs Trust adds that a pen works best as part of the normal routine, with good things often found inside, so your puppy chooses to go there.
Using a playpen with a crate
Many owners use both. Dogs Trust suggests the crate can be a den where your puppy goes to rest, and that a pen can surround it to give more space. In our view, put the crate inside the pen with its door fixed open, so your puppy has a cosy bed and room to move. Then work on crate training separately; see how to crate train a puppy. Dogs Trust’s first night advice also suggests keeping your puppy close to you at first, which a pen beside your bed can make easier.
When to stop and get help
Some whining while your puppy learns is normal. Stop and go back a stage, and if it continues, talk to your vet, if your puppy:
- cries, barks or howls constantly whenever it is in the pen, even for short spells,
- chews or scrabbles at the panels hard enough to hurt its mouth, paws or nails,
- pants, drools or trembles, or has accidents in the pen when it is usually clean,
- tries to climb or jump out.
Your vet can check for pain or a health problem and refer you to a qualified behaviourist. Never leave a puppy in a pen it is frightened of, and stop using a pen your puppy could get stuck in or climb out of.
Bringing a puppy home soon? Our new puppy checklist covers the supplies to buy, a safe crate or pen set-up and the puppy-proofing to do first.
Decorating for the holidays? Our guide on how to pet-proof a Christmas tree covers anchoring the tree, gates, tinsel, ornaments, lights and tree water.
FAQ
Is a playpen better than a crate for a puppy?
They do different jobs. Dogs Trust notes a pen gives more space and can suit night-time, while a crate makes a cosy den. Many owners put the crate inside the pen.
Should I put my puppy in a playpen at night?
It can work well. Dogs Trust says pens can be more suitable than crates at night because there is more room to move. Include a bed, water and, if needed, a puppy pad.
How do I stop my puppy crying in the playpen?
Go back a step: shorter spells, door open, more rewards inside, and you nearby. If the crying is constant or your puppy panics, talk to your vet.
Can I use a playpen as a time-out?
No. Battersea says a puppy’s safe space should never be used as a punishment.