How to make your own Puppy Pen with PVC Pipes

pvc pipe puppy kennels

How to make your own Puppy Pen out of PVC Pipes!

Source: Â Michele Clay Oak Hill, Florida

ThisÂ Portable Pet EnclosureÂ is designed for temporary containment, ideal for travel or hotel use.

The one above was made by Roverpet.com but if your handy you can make your own!

Puppies, left to their own devices WILL get into mischief. This can lead to holes in your backyard, chewed up shoes, toys, and basically anything they can get their mouth on..oh and they can be very sneaky too. Even the most obedient dog when left at home for hours can get bored and anxious. A pen or crate is an excellent way to keep your dog safe and out of trouble. However, they can be quite pricey at a pet store. Luckily, it is fairly easy to make your own pen at home.

If you’d like to make a puppy pen like the one I made for my puppies, here are the directions:

First, you need to decide if you want to make it out of 3/4″ or 1/2″ pipe. 3/4″ is suitable for larger puppies. 1/2″ is better for smaller puppies because it allows for a smaller space between the bars. Let’s assume you’re making your pen for small breed puppies.

Shopping List –Â You can get these items at Lowe’s, Home Depot, Builder’s Square, or any store like them.

(10 or 11) 10′ pvc pipes
(20) corners or L’s
(32) crosses
(8) T’s
(8) caps
pvc pipe cutter
tape measure
pvc glue (optional)
rubber mallet

Cutting the pipe: I cut an equal number of pipes 35″ and 46 1/2″ to make my pen; you can make yours any size you want. Remember the addition of the corners will add approx. 2″ to the length and width of your pen. Let’s say you’re making yours just like mine, so it will be easier for me to tell you how to do it. For each layer, you will need two 35″ pieces and two 46 1/2″ pieces. You will also need to cut a number of little connection pieces, 1 7/8″ long. These will be used to connect the fittings, where they appear to be connected to each other, rather than to your long pipes. You will need eight to attach the leg caps to the legs, and then sixteen for each layer.

Make one layer at a time. Put a cross at either end of a piece of pipe, making sure they will sit on the floor evenly. On the opposite side of the crosses, put the connection pieces, and then tap the corners on with your rubber mallet. It is very important to make all your connections snug. Put connection pieces on the bottoms of your crosses, and tap on your caps. Your first layer is done! Repeat the process (except the caps) and then attach the second layer to the top of the first layer by putting connections pieces in the top of the crosses on the first layer. This is the only slightly difficult part of the project because you might have to do some finagling to get it to fit perfectly. If you have cut your pipes the same size, tho, it will fit.

Keep doing this until you get to the top layer. You can make it as many layers as you need to, depending on the size of your puppies. Rather than using crosses, you will use Ts so the topline will be even. The Ts will be pointing down, to connect with the tops of the crosses in the lower layer.

You’re done! Cover the bottom with newspaper and add puppies, food, water, a bed, and toys. They will love having all the space. If your pen gets dirty, just wipe it with a washcloth you’ve moistened and sprayed with Windex. You can also use a bleach solution, if you need to disinfect it. It will look like new again.

Here’s another design where just the frame is 3/4″ pvc. This pen is roughly 6’x6′, 2′ high. I just cut 10′ pipes in half, and put them together. The wire is attached with plastic electrical ties. This design is really easy, and doesn’t take very long to make. The hardest part is finding a place that sells 2′ wire. You can put a pen outside, too. This is nice for sitting around chit-chatting while puppies play. The lovely lavender pen was made by David Brooks; he found the pretty pipe at Lowe’s.

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