When you get a new puppy, you need to create a space specifically designed for them. It’s a place for them to relax and sleep while you are in bed or at work. Naturally, you want your dog to be as comfortable as possible while in their space within your home while also emphasizing safety and style. If you’re wondering how to make a dog room, here are some great indoor puppy pens or dog sleeping area ideas.
What You Need
A puppy pen can benefit from the inclusion of a number of items to keep your dog happy. Some of the basics are:
- dog crate
- dog bed
- toys
- water bowl
- wee-wee pads
Naturally, you will have the option to get a number of other items for your dog’s space as well. Let your imagination roam. Once you have these items, you need an area to put everything.
Picking a Location
Picking the right place for your dog’s living space is crucial in making a dog room. First, you need to pick a room with easy to clean floors. You should probably avoid carpet and – to a lesser extent – wood. Tile is generally the best option since it doesn’t stain. The area should also be large enough for your dog to be comfortable and store everything while not being so big that they can cause trouble or go potty in multiple areas. The size of the area depends on several things, but mostly the size and activity level of the dog. Your dog will help tell you if the area is too big or too small with their behavior.
Setting Up
When setting up your dog room, the first step is to properly secure the area you selected. How can you go about keeping your pet out of the room with you work? Well, if you have a puppy-proofed the bathroom, you can simply shut the door. Just remember to put everything that can be damaged out of reach. Some people utilize walk-in closets or porches, too. You just have to learn how to dog proof a room. If you don’t have a room that works for your purposes, you can buy a gate. Be sure to secure the gate properly every time it is in use.
Once you’ve established a secure area, it’s time to place the biggest items, such as a rug, a crate, and a bed. Make sure the dog can’t jump on the crate to reach things you don’t want them to reach. Next, you get to place smaller items. Scatter some toys throughout the room so the dog has plenty of entertainment.
Be thoughtful about the placement of your items as you set up your dog’s room. The wee pads should probably go in a corner away from everything else. The crate can be between the wee pads and the bed/toys. You can also make the crate look like furniture if you’d like to help it jive with the decor of your home.
Introducing Your Pet to the Dog Room
When your dog is ready, it’s time to introduce your pet to their new home. Now, this shouldn’t be a problem considering there will be a number of toys for them to play with. If that still doesn’t work, use treats. Once the puppy is happily playing with their toy or eating their treat, quietly leave for a couple of minutes. Come back without any fanfare and let the dog out. Continue this process while gradually increasing the amount of time you are gone. If your puppy does start to act up when you walk away, you could try a calming scent. They sell products specifically designed to release pheromones that will help your easily excitable god relax when you leave.
Time Spent in Dog Room
Dog rooms are designed for long term puppy confinement area. A dog room is a great place for the dog, but it doesn’t mean that you should leave them there for too long. A puppy needs to get out to play a little bit and go to the bathroom. Also, try not to keep the dog in the crate for more than six hours. If you do need to be gone for longer than this, you should hire someone to come and walk the dog about halfway through the day. Ask a friend, family member, or neighbor who is home during the day. There are even apps available if you don’t know anyone.
If you are going to keep them in there for a long time, you should be sure to give the puppy exercise first. They will be happy to go to their bed and relax and drink water after a nice run or game of fetch.
Similarly to when you introduce the dog to the puppy pen, you want to introduce your dog to long term confinement gradually. If you ease them into it, it will be less of a shock to them.
Why a Dog Room
Some people may wonder exactly how necessary it is to create a dog room. Can’t you just leave the dog alone for a couple of hours without making a whole area for them to stay in? Well, you could by keeping a dog confined to one ordinary room. However, the effort into making a dog room can help reduce stress down the line and also make your dog feel like they have a place of their own to call home. Here are just some of the reasons to have a dog room:
Contain accidents
Puppies have accidents while potty training. It comes with the territory. You don’t want to come home and have to spend your evening searching the house for the source of the poop you smell. Plus, who knows when you’ll find a present you didn’t smell right away? In the dog room, you will have a wee-wee pad ready for the puppy to use if they can’t wait for you to get home. This helps contain accidents and makes it easier to clean up. Ideally, the dog will not even have accidents in the puppy pen.
Protect your property
One of the main reasons you want to keep your puppy in one place is to prevent them from damaging your property while you are away. Puppies tend to have a lot of energy. If they are left alone too long, this energy could be used to chew pillows or tear up the toilet paper. While the dog is in the dog room, they won’t be able to reach any furniture or toilet paper. You will walk in, and everything will be intact.
Make your dog feel comfortable
The dog room is an area of your home filled with all of your dog’s stuff. It’s a place they can call home. Just like you like to go unwind in your home with all your stuff, they like to have a spot to feel comfortable.
Peace of mind
When you put your pet in the dog room before you leave for the day, you can rest assured your dog and your home will be safe. You won’t be worrying about whether your dog is acting a fool in your house. This will allow you to be in the moment while you are out.
Teach a dog to be calm
When a dog is kept in one little place, they won’t have too much to do. Eventually, they will relax and sleep. After a time you will notice that the dog is calmer in general. This is perfect for wild puppies who could use some relaxation in their life.
Dog Safety
Your dog’s safety is of the utmost importance when it comes to making a dog room.
First, just look around for potential hazards. Common hazards include electrical cords, curtains, window shade cords, plants, and small objects they can choke on. you should also make a point to properly secure the gate or room you are using for the puppy pen. For additional security, consider installing a camera for you to watch your dog from wherever you may be.
Keeping it Stylish
Once you’ve made the dog room effective and safe, it’s time to decorate. It doesn’t have to be a dog-themed room, but your dog deserves a space that allows them to express their own personal style, whatever that might be. Pick a color scheme that’s both fun and not too light (you want to be able to hide stains). Paint the walls a fun color and put up fun artwork related to dogs. Just make sure not to put the artwork in a place where the dog can knock it down. You should also get a dog bed and toys. Make sure the dog bed fits into your color scheme.
You can also put a decorative blanket over the cage and put down a fun rug. Just make sure you don’t mind these items getting slobber on them.
The dog room serves as a puppy pen, and it is your opportunity to have some fun with your design aesthetic. Don’t be afraid to be playful and colorful. Unless your dog has a different personality. Your dog may prefer a sophisticated sleek look with lots of blacks and grays. You can even mix and match styles if your dog likes to switch things up. Whatever it may be, enjoy yourself while decorating.
Dog Room vs. Crate Training
It can be very easy for people to confuse building a dog room with crate training. However, they are two very different creatures – and in fact, a dog room often has a crate inside of it. Since the dog room provides that much more space, your dog can be left there for much longer than in a dog crate. Also, dogs tend to enjoy the mobility of a dog room way more than a crate. A dog crate offers many benefits of its own though, as it taps into a dog’s tendency to want to burrow in a den. Keep in mind that you need to put the dog room in a dog-proof area, and it can require a substantial amount of space.
Tips For Using a Dog Room
You want to make the most out of your dog room. Here are some tips on how to utilize it in the best way.
Keep food out of the dog room
While potty training, you should make a point to keep food out of the dog room. You can try using a closed bowl where you feed the dog on a regular schedule. This will help their digestive system move regularly. Basically, there will be fewer accidents this way. That doesn’t mean you can’t give them one treat before you leave, though.
Use dog room when you are at home
You want your puppy to feel comfortable in the dog room at all times. Use the dog room when you are at home but leave an opening so that they don’t feel trapped. You want them to feel at home there. You don’t want them to see going to the dog room as a sign that you are leaving, because it can cause them to dislike it.
Don’t listen to barking or whining
You don’t want to teach your dog that barking or whining will help them get their way. If your dog starts getting vocal after you put them in the dog room, you should not respond in any way.
Consider a Dog TV
If you put the dog close to the living room, you can even place things in a way where the dog can watch tv. There are channels specifically made to entertain dogs while you are away. Put the channel on before you leave to help distract them.
Your puppy deserves to be happy and safe. And you deserve to come home to a clean home. Creating a DIY dog den or dog room can help make both things a reality. Your puppy will have more room than if you just put them in a creative, and you’ll still be relieved to know they can’t get into anything while you are away. This might also make you have the right decision if you should let your dog roam the house at night. Once you’ve confined them to their playpen while you’re away, they will be just as comfortable as if you were home. It’ll almost be like you never left.
Casey Collins is an avid art enthusiast and loves to write about her passions, ranging from painting to obscure projects, and even basic lifestyle updates. She is a mother of three and happily married to her husband Steve.
