Best Pens and Gates for a Shih Tzu

Overview

An indoor playpen is an excellent tool for pet parents, providing a safe space for house training, a cozy area for a Shih Tzu to enjoy their favorite toys, and a confined spot for teething puppies to chew safely. It's a versatile solution that ensures your little guy or gal's comfort and safety when you're away.


Gates can be another useful tool, used to restrict access to certain areas, offering a way to keep your dog out of trouble while still giving them freedom to explore safe parts of the home.


This article covers:

Playpens and Gates: The main differences

Top Recommendations: Playpens and Gates

Shih Tzu in canine indoor pen

The Benefits of Using an Indoor Playpen or Gated Area

Canine playpens, along with gates for room restriction, offer numerous advantages for your Shih Tzu:


Housebreaking: Preventing pups from free-roaming avoids indoor accidents. Crates can be confining and don't necessarily stop a pup from making a mess. A indoor canine playpen, fitting easily in any room, allows space for essential items and contains messes to pee-pads for easy cleanup, aiding in effective house training.


Home Alone: Separation anxiety can be mitigated with the right setup, including engaging toys and a playpen to offer a sense of security. Free access to the house may increase stress and lead to destructive behavior. A playpen acts as a comforting den for your little guy or gal.


Safety When Unsupervised: For times you can't watch over your Shih Tzu, a playpen keeps them secure and out of mischief, whether you’re busy with household chores or have visitors.


Personal Retreat: Dogs occasionally need solitude. A playpen can be a refuge for your Shih Tzu, offering them a quiet space to unwind, away from other pets, children, or during stressful situations like thunderstorms.

Playpens vs Gates: The Key Differences

The two options to keep a Shih Tzu in a defined area (while avoiding confining and restrictive crates) are to have a canine playpen or to use gates to block off a room. Let's look at the pros and cons:

Pens: An appropriately-sized indoor canine playpen is often the best choice. The pros are that this fits the bill in regard to offering the right amount of space. These are also great because many are portable and able to be moved from room to room (or even brought along when visiting another house) as needed. With these, you have the option of an open pen (it rests on your flooring) or a closed bottomed pen (which offers a sealed bottom to protect your floors). 

Gates: Depending on the layout of your home and the size of the room that you are thinking of blocking off, this may work for you. If you choose to use gates to keep your Shih Tzu within one room, that room will need to be thoroughly puppy-proofed. Gates can be extremely helpful if you want to block off steps or access to certain rooms (if a Shih Tzu keeps trying to mark in one area or if a particular room contains too many dangers, etc.).

Recommended Indoor Canine Playpen for Shih Tzu Puppies and Dogs

With canine playpens, sizing and sturdiness are the most important qualities to consider. The goal is to have the pen big enough to hold all of your Shih Tzu's necessary supplies, but not be so small that it could be perceived as confining and cause stress. Let's see our top choices: 

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This company really knows how to design an excellent indoor pen. It's free-standing, made of sturdy metal and has a door with a side hinge for easy in and out. The best aspect is that you can fully customize this for your particular Shih Tzu's needs. You can choose the height (24, 32, 40+ inches) and the square footage via panels (from 1 to 24 panels); the most panels you'd use indoors is 8. 


The 24 inch tall, 4 panel pen is a good choice for new puppies and the 32 or even 40 inch (for jumpers), 6 or 8 panel pen is great for adult Shih Tzu dogs.

This pen is made of durable plastic and instead of a door that swings open, it has a lockable doggie door. The overall height is 26 inches for all size options, but you can customize the square footage with a 4, 6 or 8-panel design. And, a great aspect is that you can obtain extra panels (available in sets of two), so if you have a Shih Tzu puppy, you can make the pen larger as they grow. 

Top Recommended Gate 

If you are looking for a gate to block off a room or to use as a safety feature to block off a stairway (it is common for this to be done for both puppies and senior dogs with waning vision), the 3 elements to look for are: durability, ease of use and sizing of holes (many baby gates have slat width that would allow a little puppy to wiggle through. Our top pick is: 
This is an excellent option for just about every scenario where you want to block off a room; it fits  across openings between 28 and 42 inches wide. It's pressure-mounted and super-easy to install (no hardware at all). 

It's made of Earth-friendly bamboo which also happens to be very sturdy. And, one of the best features about this gate is that the spacing is super-tight; toys, chews, and other possessions that a dog may have cannot be dropped through the gate onto the other side. 

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Shih Tzu Allergies - If your little guy or gal is having allergic reactions to something, this article can help you pinpoint the trigger and offer immediate relief for itching and other common issues. 
How to Keep a Shih Tzu Clean - It takes more than just baths every few weeks to keep a Shih Tzu looking nice and smelling fresh. See our top tips. 
Help for a Teething Shih Tzu Puppy - There can be intense itching and discomfort when a pup is teething and chewing urges can be very strong. Follow these tips to keep your puppy happy during this time. Includes the top 5 best teething toys and chews. 
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