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Budsters Mom
07-19-2016, 02:01 AM
I bought Rosie a large collapsible play yard (play pen;)). It is big enough for a dog up to 70 pounds. It sets up in about a minute. It fits into a small carry bag and only weighs about 5 pounds. It can be thrown into the car and taken wherever you want to go. Sounds too good to be true, Huh? All of this is true. Easy set up. Easy take down. Can be stored anywhere. Even under a bed or behind a couch. Soooo much easier then handling metal wire dog pens.

As I unboxed my new purchase, I noticed a flaw very quickly. The flooring (botton) was held together with about 10 or so small pieces of Velcro. That makes it easily removable to collapse the pen. That also makes it very easy to escape from, particularly if you have an escape artist in the family. The top zips on and off. The flooring should have had a zipper also. It would be way too easy for the dog to pull out the bottom and slip under the pen, since it is so light weight. That would take Rosie about 30 seconds to figure out. Once she had done it once, there would be no containing her and the pen would be unusable.

I thought about returning it, but my thriftiness encouraged me to keep it and fix it. I found it for about a third of the price that they normally run. I know that because I searched comparisons on my phone (at the store) before purchasing it. Well, I knew that I had to secure the floor before ever letting Rosie into the pen. I am not handy enough to actually sew in a zipper, so I did the next best thing. I went to Walmart and bought a roll of industrial strength Velcro. I then came home and attached the entire bottom all the way around with Velcro. After letting it sit for a half an hour, to cure the adhesive, I tried to pull it apart myself. Yes, it does come off, but not easily. Industrial-strength velco holds together through a pressure force of up to ten pounds. There is no way that Rosie can remove it and will never know that it once came out. :D

The moral of the story is…. If you are going to buy one, buy one with the zippered bottom. Many of the brands have them. I assumed that the one I purchased had a zippered bottom also. Don't take it for granted that it has one. Be sure to check. If you happen to get a good deal like I did and it doesn't have a zipper, be sure to secure the bottom to keep your fur baby safe.

Side note...Rosie loves the pen. She doesn't mind being in it at all. I use it when I go out to the pool, so she can still be out with me and I don't have to watch her. :D

This is the one I bought. I purchased the large size, but not on-line. It was bought at a local discount store.

https://www.chewy.com/precision-pet-products-soft-side/dp/102014?gclid=CP_mruPx_s0CFYqPfgod4gsJiw

Kathy

addy
07-19-2016, 09:15 PM
That looks really cool and I am glad Rosie likes it.

Does she like swimming in the pool?

Budsters Mom
07-19-2016, 09:50 PM
I don't let Rosie swim because her skin is ultra sensitive due to allergies. I am afraid of the pool chemicals causing a flare up. :o So, she watches from her cozy pen while I swim. :p She is happy in it because she is still near me. :)