FXW Homeplus Indoor Dog Playpen - Stress-Free and Safe Play, 24 Inch 6 Panels for Puppy and Small Dogs, Black│Patented

This dog play pen was perfect for our needs. Our dog is 16 years old, blind and showing signs of dementia and bowel problems. This pen is keeping her safe. She has plenty of room to walk around and the pad from the same company fits in it nicely. We love the gate that we can open with one hand and does latch by gravity - very helpful because we carry our dog outside and then she walks in and easily steps over the entrance. Each section angle is very easy to adjust because the sections are light weight, but the silicone pads keep them in place and the entire structure is very sturdy. We would have had to buy the taller version in our dogs younger years because she would have been able to jump over, but for now this is perfect. I do wish I didn’t have to take the connector poles out to take it down & could just fold it up, but it only goes down to a z instead of being able to fully fold flat, but I think that would be a hard design change because the connector poles keep the sections nice & close. It took about 10 minutes for me to set up the first time and we think it’s well worth the money. If our dog were to pass, we would use it for a new puppy because it’s way better than a crate.

Pros & Cons below.I especially wanted to say, I have a C section breed, and I’ve always loved the look of the outdoor version used as a whelping pen, but the door on that version would require my short momma fresh outta surgery to leap over the threshold (or me picking her up repeatedly which can be just as bad), so I had held off, hoping they would eventually make a version without such threshold, I’m so glad they did! I had been waiting for soooo long I had just about given up hope, but they finally came thru for me!PROS:Favorite Feature:No threshold - C Section mommas don’t have to jump!Packaging:All panels and pieces were packaged properly, nothing arrived damaged, each piece was protected. Came with a few spare pieces as well.Assembly:Easy to set up! No tools. Done it myself without any help. Didn’t need instructions. I built it to where the door would swing inside, perhaps a bit odd because of the latch, but this way I could walk in with the door so momma couldn’t get a gap to make a run for it. She actually never tried to escape it, so probably not necessary, but completely possible to do this, and could be handy depending on your room size.Details:This pen (double check me here) comes with muffler tubes already installed, whereas with the outdoor version they needed to be purchased separately. I had no issues with rattling or clanging noises, except the sound of the door latching, but that’s acceptable.Pretty Factor:Looks great! Wires are thick enough that it doesn’t give me those “chicken wire” vibes like some of the other manufacturers pens. I chose black, to contrast against my lighter color wall.Dog’s Opinion:My little momma loved it, keep in mind, she loves her crate for bedtime, but she had never been contained by anything other than her crate, and this pen was set up in the spare bedroom she doesn’t visit but maybe twice a year, so I was concerned that she would be afraid of it, especially after anesthesia, hormones, and these little “aliens” crawling towards her, but no, she absolutely loved it. She really enjoyed it. I had let her watch me build it (being careful not to cling the panels together cause I didn’t want to startle her) and began letting her visit the pen and I would hang out inside the pen with her beginning about 4 days prior to her c section. Soon as we walked in the door with the puppies, she led the way to the pen.Size & Configuration Options:I got the 32” 16 panels.Plenty big enough, I created a whelping square on one side, then instead of squaring it off I bowed out the other side to an octagon for me to sit, mom to eat/drink/chill. (I wanted mom to potty inside the pen on pads, so I wouldn’t have to risk her bringing in germs from outside but she wouldn’t potty inside, yet she would walk out the pen door to a pad and potty, that worked but I didn’t think to get a waterproof floor protector large enough to accommodate for that, so just keep in mind you may want to go much bigger for floor protectors. You can make a long run, L shape, complete hexagon or octagon, rectangle, and square. With enough panels you could make shapes within shapes. Additional sets of panels will connect, if it’s the exact same size & model. I do not think the outdoor version would connect well with the indoor version.Cleaning:I was pressed for time, didn’t want to spot test and wait, so I used chlorhexidine to clean it, safe for humans, dogs, puppies, and metals.CONS:Packaging:Box is HEAVY. I had this for weeks sitting in the garage waiting on my dude to help me carry it in, he never got around to it, FIX: open box where it sits and carry each panel to designated area. I could carry 3 panels at a time, although it was a bit cumbersome.Design:The 32” inch has 2 locks on the door, my momma dog is easily contained by only a top latch on her crate, so I’m accustomed to only one latch and found the 2 latches to be annoying.FIX: I zip tied the bottom one to where it wouldn’t catch. Easy to remove the zip tie if necessary later on.I would like to see a single latch in the center of the door to replace the 2 smaller latches, perhaps functioning similar to the old plastic crate types.Assembly:Once you have your shape created, the panels are easily bumped and shifted, I could envision a large rambunctious dog completely rearranging your shape. The pen does rattle if bumped enough to move significantly.FIX: zip ties! I zip tied the top twice and bottom once, I would zip tie inside the indent at the top and then force it to slide down an inch which made it extremely tight & sturdy. Then I zip tied the indent again in case one came loose I could just slide the other down. I used neon zip ties so that I could quickly notice if any were missing in the event mom or pup chewed one loose, plus easier to locate a missing zip tie inside the pen for quick retrieval before an animal swallows it. Mom nibbled on a few of them curiously but then left them alone. You could use black to blend in. Once all panels are zip tied tightly together, this pen doesn’t budge, but you can lift and slide as needed to change out whelping pads.I had heard that closet shelving brackets would snap onto the panels and lock it into place, this may work for the outdoor model (I don’t have the outdoor model so I can’t be sure) but these brackets do not work on the indoor model, plus they’re $6 each, so I highly recommend zip ties.Cleaning:I read in a comment after I ordered that the indoor has a different coating than the outdoor, I still haven’t researched, but I would think the outdoor would have an anti-rust coating, and now I’m assuming that perhaps this one does not. This could be a big flaw when you consider potty training, slobbering dogs, humidity, and even cleaning the pen.Whelping:Drafts. I had put a pool will tall-ish walls inside but still, drafts.FIX: Heavy blankets thrown over the panels, use clips to keep in place, keep checking that blankets don’t slip. Cardboard zip tied could work as well.You will want to create a bumper pad situation for pups so they can’t try to get out and get stuck.FIX: 6” cardboard and or wood (attached on the outside) will work.Whelping pads are easily dug up by mom, this pen has tiny feet, so the whelping pad is not held down securely by the entire panel/pen.FIX: cast iron doorstops sitting on the edges of the whelping pad outside the pen. I considered cutting holes the size of the feet into pads and stitching to reinforce then the pen would absolutely hold a pad still, but that seemed like way too much work and could compromise the integrity of the pads, threads could unravel and become a hazard to puppies.I had ordered pads to fit the layout I envisioned, but after building the pen, and having it larger than envisioned, my pads were too small, so I had to overlap them. Don’t do this, get a massive whelping pad cause you may very well build larger than you expected.Least Favorite Feature:The feet on the panels. I know they’re to protect the floors, but for my whelping purposes, I would really rather the pen help hold pads in place instead. Maybe if the manufacturer could remove the feet design but add a velvet or rubber bottom lining to each panel it could protect floors and hold down pads.I don’t believe the outdoor model has these feet.Puppies can get their paws under the panels because of the floor protecting feet. If you’ve got whelping pads and fleece down (so there’s some “give”), I can’t imagine a puppy’s paw actually becoming stuck, but thought I should mention that. Using a cardboard bumper will prevent all but a paw and eventually only a toe from being able to fit under the panels.Final Thoughts:I’ll buy another. Very happy with this pen.These cons aren’t a dealbreaker for me, I was able to fix each con quickly and easily.This pen is basically a dupe for a big name whelping pen at only 25% the price, without side covers/accessories, hint-hint.

This pen is well designed and well constructed. It's made of lightweight aluminum, but is strong since it's metal. The panels connect with metal rods that join 2 attachment points at each end. I also purchased a set of wall anchors by the same company, to make permanent installation and removal a breeze. Very sturdy, easy to configure to whatever shape you need, and the door lock is also well made, with 2 locking sites on the door. On top of that, the price is very reasonable, considering the quality of the gate.

I bought this for my French bulldog who loves to tear up things. I ordered a higher crate. It’s very easy to move around and stable even when he jumps up against it. The only concern is that the Lowe part of the gate doesn’t latch unless I push back on it and press the latch down. It’s a great use giving him plenty of room when I can’t watch him.

Easy to set up and use, very sturdy. I had borrowed a different model from a friend and that one didn’t have a door per se and I’m glad I went with this one. It’s much easier to put my dog in shut the door and leave vs the hooks on the other one.Size is great for my senior 17lb dog. He sleeps all day so no need for tons of extra room. His bed and food/water dishes are in there and there’s room to move, but not a lot of extra room with his bed in the pen.Looks nice in the kitchen too. I have a pattered pee mat under the entire pen that fits perfectly.UPDATE: We've had the pen now about 2 months and I lowered the rating from 5 stars to 4 because I wish that each time I wanted to fold up the pen, I could simply fold up the pen. Instead, you have to remove each pin and disassemble the entire pen. I have to do this every time the cleaners come (yes, it's a "first world problem") so they can mop the floor under the mat/pen. Then I have to reassemble the pen. I assume the reason you can't fold it up, is because the metal is rather thick. I could do this with the pen I borrowed, but it is lighter in weight and "flimsier". It's a trade-off I guess. I am still happy with the pen overall and will suffer through having to dismantle it every when the cleaners come.