What size pen?

Question

I have a three month old lab puppy. He is in the house now, but soon he will be too big to keep inside all the time. How big a pen should we build for him to have room to play and grow?

I don't mean for him to live outside. Just somewhere for him to be outside while I'm away from home, instead of him being cooped up in his kennel (crate) several hours at a time.

Answer 1

Instead of thinking of a "pen" or run,why not think about fencing in an area that is attached to a door to outside from your house? That way when the dog needs to go to the bathroom and you don't feel like a walk you can just open the door and when he wants to come back in he will be at the door waiting for you to let him in? You might even be able to get him to use a doggie door when he is older.

Answer 2

Why not? My lab I got at 6 weeks old and passed away at 12 years...lived in the house with me all of her life.
Take your dog for walks, crate train him, after the puppy teething stage gets passed and he is housebroken...there is no reason in the world you need to pen your doggy outside..unless you are going to be away more than 6 hours.

Answer 3

why anyone would buy a dog and not intend to keep it inside all the time drive me nuts if you want a dog you can go look at every now and then out in the yard then go look at the neighbors if you cannot have it in the house then why have it? i have two big dogs in my one bedroom appartment they are fine because they get outside a lot to run

Answer 4

Do you live in a cardboard box? They are fine being inside and labs will suffer personality wise if they are stuffed in the backyard in a "pen." But if you just want somewhere to exercise them, how about a local park?

Answer 5

pretty big because dogs dont like to be confined in closed spaces.......i wouldnt suggest an Exact size but Big is good.