to funny. I appreciate the responses I really do but you need to understand that I have done everythign that you have mentioned to a T and then some. I am stay at home mom. But I need to leave the house for a couple hours at a time. here and there.
I did the ex-pen attached to open crate on top of vinyl floor scrap. I am the Poster Child for the puppy play room on top of a vinyl scrap of flooring. I did it with the last pup 3 years ago also. I started with the ex-pen set up you mentioned when he came home at 11 weeks. But at 4mo he was large enough to try to jump out. When he tries to jump out he gets hung (by his elbows) on the top rail of the ex-pen. I was worried he'd injure himself on the ex-pen and if he got out he'd continue to eat the wood rails and wood molding and get splinters in his Gi system. Resulting in emergency vet surgery.
Pee pads. Did that also he eats them, shreds them. Again a concern for blockages and emergi vet surgery. he also shreds and eats the newspaper. I get it that if he has energy to shred the paper/pads then maybe he's not tired enough before going into the crate.. But he's also a mouthy pup, He has access to bully stick. He's going to shred the pads b/c its fun to do so.
I DO exercise and train the dog before he's crated. Hence the epic 1-2 hour long nap in the video I refrenced above. He is tired. He naps the entire time int he crate. But when he wakes he needs to pee.
I feed at 6am, offer water. walk/train dog. Offer water then take it up. he's in the crate about 10am or noon and in for up to 2.5 hours. So it's been a long time since food/water.
Taller ex-pens are metal and flimsy and climable. I am worried that he will bring it down upon him and get injured. SO I haven't gotten a taller one.
edit to say that I Just opened the link above and I do a similar setup but I anchor the expen to the crate with zip ties so that it is sturdy and won't tip over if/when the pup tries to climb out. And I take up the water.
