Playpens for Pomeranians

& How One Can Greatly Benefit Your Pom

Overview

If there was one 'secret' supply that many owners overlooked, that also dramatically changed the happiness level of a Pomeranian, it would be playpens.

These can make huge differences in so many ways that affect a Pom's day-to-day life. Let's look at how these can help.

Crates Vs Playpens

There is a huge difference between crates (or cages) and playpens (also referred to as exercise pens). Crates were popular a long time ago, as a means to keep a dog restricted to one spot when owners could not watch him, or for the dog to sleep.

However, these are barely used any longer (thank goodness); they are terribly claustrophobic due to being small, confining spaces, and often lead to both physical and emotional stress.

Crates do absolutely nothing to help a dog learn housebreaking and often exacerbate behavior issues.

Playpens, on the other hand, offer a good sized area that is conducive to both house training, keep a dog safe, happy, and importantly, comfortable.

The 4 Top Benefits of Playpens for Pomeranians

Let's look at how pens can help, counting down from 4 to 1.

#4 - To help with housebreaking. The biggest and most common complaint that owners have is that their Pom pees and poos all over the house. This can be 100% fully resolved by using a playpen at the right times.

You will want to bring your Pom outside as soon as he wakes up (both morning and after naps), right before bed, 20 minutes after a meal, and every few hours as his age dictates (every 3 hours for a 3-month old, 4 for a 4-month, etc.).

And, when you can keep your Pom literally right by your side, and you can fully give your attention to him, at the first sign of needing to go to the bathroom, you can pick him up and bring him right out.

However, the playpen should be used for every single other time other than these two instances. If so, there will never be another accident in the house.

Ahead, we will discuss how to set up the playpen.

#3 - To stop destructive chewing. When a Pom puppy is teething, or if a Pomeranian of any age likes to chew, nothing is off limits. A dog may mouth anything at all, simply to discover the answers to 'what is this?' and 'would it feel good to chew on this?'

If you are keeping an eye on your Pom, if he goes for a non-toy item, you'll want to clap loudly to gain his attention, or use a safe corrector spray that emits a short burst to interrupt a dog like The Company of Animals Pet Corrector Safe Spray. These stop a dog in his tracks, which then allows an other to redirect a dog's attention.

Any time you cannot keep a close eye on your Pom, placing him in his playpen fully resolves the issue of chewing non-toy items. He will have every supply he needs to keep him happy, and nothing in your house will every be chewed on again.

#2 - To keep a Pom safe. No matter the age of a Pomeranian, there are a number of dangers throughout a typical house. The most common issue with toy breeds are electrical cords (these should be wrapped in cord concealer like PetCords Dog and Cat Cord Protector) and small socks (dogs love socks due to the fabric holding in their human's scent).

And just about any small object such as dropped coins, pen caps, paper clips, and the like present choking hazards. These is also the issue of possible poisoning by both eating dropped food and getting into cleaning supplies.

The house should be proofed for these sorts of things on a regular basis. And, if a Pom is placed in his pen when his owners cannot keep an eye on him, this eliminates the problem.

#1 - And the Number 1 benefit of playpens is as part of a plan to keep a Pom happy when home alone.

Separation Anxiety is a huge issue for many Pomeranians. While just about all other dog breeds can have problems with this, it seems to develop more often with breeds like the Pom that were developed to be companion lap dogs.

Poms can feel completely lost and overwhelmingly isolated and lonely when by themselves.

A big part of helping with this, is to create the right environment. When a puppy or dog has a whole room, or the entire house for that matter, to himself, this can make matters worse. Big, empty rooms lead to bigger feelings of loneliness.

But, when a Pomeranian is in the right exercise pen, this creates the feeling of having a 'den', which by canine instinct immediately equals feeling of safety and security. A quality bed will also lend to this effect.

In addition, a big part of helping a Pom be by himself, is to offer the right supplies, including great toys. But what good are those if they roll away, or are otherwise lost in a big room? With a great playpen, a Pom can have all of his needed supplies in one spot, right there for him.

The speaking toys, and companion toy that you have for your Pom will be close by and able to do their jobs.

Your Poms water and food will also be close by and easily accessed.

The music that you play for your Pom to relax him will be on loop right beside him.

If your Pom needs to go to the bathroom while you are gone, the pen will prompt him to use pee pads. If within the playpen, you have your Pom's bed, toys, and bowls. Dogs rarely soil their own belongings. If the other areas within the pen are lined with pee pads, that is where any messes will be deposited.

Summary of Playpen Benefits

Now that we know that a playpen will:

Help with housebreaking
Keep your Pom safe
Stop your Pom from any unwanted chewing
Offer the perfect 'den' environment to help your Pom feel secure when home alone (when used in conjuction with a quality bed)
Keeps all of his important supplies (speaking toys, companion toy, food, and water) right by his side
And ensures that he will be close to his home-alone music...

It's clear that the best place and way to leave a Pom when you aren't home or can't be close by is to use a playpen.

Qualities of the Best Pens

1) You will want the pen to be of adequate size; you do not want it to evoke any feelings of restraint or confinement; but rather offer a safe and comfortable 'den'.

2) You will want it to be easily portable. Models that can be brought from room to room, or even to other houses, should you bring your Pom to visit, are great.

3) You will want the pen to have a door. This is important. Because you do not want your Pomeranian to associate the pen with anything bad (like you leaving). When you are home, leave the door open. Your Pom can go in there to fetch favorite toys, or even to rest when he feels like retreating.

Recommended Playpens for Pomeranian Puppies and Dogs

There are two main options, and both are good choices depending on what you are looking for and your Pom's preferences.

Cloth/Mesh Pop-Up Pens - These are a great choice if you are looking for something very portable, and also if the flooring in the room has carpeting since this type of pen will protect your rugs.

These are like small rooms, that have a bottom, sides, and the option of a roof. The door to the pen is often a zippered and/or velcro flap.

Made from a combination of breathable, washable cloth and mesh, these are foldable pens that open similar to a pop-up tent. These are good for both indoor and outdoor (supervised) use. And many also come with carrying bags, should you be on the go with your Pom.*** If you do not see the images below, try refreshing your browser; note that if you have a blocker, it may prevent images from showing. On mobile, you may need to turn your screen horizontal to see all 4 items in a grouping.

Structured, Heavy-Duty Plastic Gated Pens- These are also an excellent choice and are a great option if you have wood, tile or other type of flooring that can be easily cleaned.

These offer more of a view for dogs since the sides are gated and there is no roof, so you'll want to choose this type if your Pom likes looking out from his pen.

The best models are made with heavy-duty molded plastic, which is quite durable and easy to clean. Some models come with doors and some do not; we recommend the type with an access door.