We have a young, 15 lb. Doxie/Jackie mix who has a LOT of energy. We bought this pen primarily so we could use it as a barrier between rooms, and it works great for that. We use one of the end sections as a "door" for us (and him) that we set against the wall when we want to close off the room; we stretch three of the adjoining sections in short "V"s for the length of the room opening; and then we "fold" the remaining partitions together and set them against the opposite wall. It is completely free standing this way, which means it doesn't rub against the walls (unless our dog jumps against it, which he has been known to do--but it doesn't fall over when does this because of how it's propped against the wall, and that's important). We've also used it as a pen, and it worked great for that too. We wondered if our little guy would be able to knock it over when it was in its pen shape, but if he tried, it didn't come down. We left him in it while we ran errands for a couple of hours, and when we came back, it was exactly as we'd left it. He's pretty well potty trained at this point, but we also wondered if we left him in the pen (rather than his kennel) while we were gone if he'd break protocol and do his business in there since he has a lot more room in the pen than he does in his kennel. But he didn't make any messes at all; so I would recommend it for dogs who are at or near the end of their potty training but still need to be confined while their owners are gone for a short period of time. A final word (no, really, I swear): We really like the black coating. Some friends of ours have a gold pen they offered to loan us, but we don't like the way the gold one looks. The black is more "stylish" (which, let's face it, does matter to some of us), and if the pen winds up rubbing against a wall, the black rubs off a little bit (which is quickly and easily cleaned off) but doesn't harm the wall. (Our friends' gold pen rubbed against one of their walls and left scratches on it.)
The Midwest Exercise Pen provides about sixteen square feet of space and while this isn't much, it does come in handy for a small to medium size pet. This area can be expanded slightly by attaching the open ends of this pen to the opening of a dog crate. I have a metal dog crate and this combination seems to work very well. Not only does it expand the total square footage, but many dogs also appreciate the attached crate because they can crawl inside it when they like, similar to what they do in a doghouse. Besides the play area, the walls of the pen are tall enough to keep pets contained. Panels are sold in varying heights that range up to fortyeight inches. From my experience, I have found that most dogs will stay inside the panels without any need for supervision. Many dogseven smaller breedscould easily jump these walls but they tend to stay confined without any problem.
I like the Midwest Exercise Pen but I have noticed a few potential problems that should be pointed out to any potential buyers. First, I don't like that there are only four snaps included. These snaps are intended to attach the open ends together and to prevent the exercise pen from being moved around and losing its intended shape. However, the snaps are not very secure and since you need two of them to close the openended panels, you will have only two left, and this means the pen will not be as stable as some pet owners would prefer.
Another area of concern with the Midwest Exercise Pen is the lightweight construction. As I have said, the pen is made from metal but the metal spokes are not very thick. This results in an exercise pen that is very lightweight and thus is not suitable for a larger, more active breed of dog. A large or medium size dog with lots of energy could easily knock this pen over, with the right effort. The ground stakes help to prevent this problem, but if the pen is used indoors or in a garage or basement, you obviously cannot use the ground stakes and you will have to tolerate a little bit of sliding around.
The Midwest Exercise Pen is a very good exercise pen for small to medium size dogs, rabbits, and other pets and I am glad I made the purchase. It isn't perfect and it isn't suitable for every type of dog, due to its limited weight and stability. But this is still a very good exercise pen that lets pets enjoy a little freedom while also keeping them under control.
Buy Midwest Black E-Coat Exercise Pen Now
We love this pen. It is large enough for the puppy and for an adult or child to sit in and play with the dog. When opened up it spans a very large entry to the great room in our home giving us the ability to confine her to an area of the house. It is strong and sturdy and although she is a puppy I can imagine her using it even as a 30lb adult dog. For larger dogs, I definitly would consider buying the taller 30" or more. This pen is extremely well priced and after shopping around at local pet stores this one was positively the best deal ever.Read Best Reviews of Midwest Black E-Coat Exercise Pen Here
This is a very basic ex-pen, in spite of its coating. Having owned several brands, I find that Midwest's tend to rust the most and the earliest. The 42" height is useful for the toys and small terriers (as long as you don't have a climber!), giving enough height security while taking the edge off the weight versus a 48" pen. These pens aren't light! I wouldn't personally use a lower pen for any breed.Toss the ground stakes, which you'll probably never use anyway, and toss any cheap snap hooks that may be included to close the pen. You'll want to buy some good-sized, solid brass snap hooks, which are a lot easier to use and won't rust. I recommend getting them at least 3" long.
If you can wait, you can find a better ex-pen at almost any decent-sized dog show (or this one, for less money).
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Attached is a video review to show the pen and the parts that come with it, my thoughts on the durability, and how the pen performs. The size that I purchased was 24" x 30".
Here's my written review:
Features
+ Eight panels, connected at three points
+ Black E-coat, intended for long lasting coat
+ Comes with eight metal stakes to nail into ground
+ Comes with four clips that can attach panels to another external cage
Durability
+ Strong and well built panels
+ Joints that connect panels are also durable
Stability
+ When folded (Zig zag fashion), the panels are difficult to move when on flat ground. No stakes needed
+ When placed outside (grass, dirt) with the use of stakes, neither I or my 30 lb Labrador pup can push it down.
For the competitive price and versatility, this pen is an excellent purchase. After about a month of use, the pen's black coat shows no wear. This pen gives me peace of mind, knowing that our dogs will not reach a particular area. Not only will this exercise pen be great for keeping dogs and animals in the pen, but also can be used as a fence that can be moved around for other purposes. Buy with confidence!
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