By starting puppy in a smaller space, you don't give her the chance to make (m)any mistakes, which makes it much easier for her to learn. This applies to potty training, learning what's appropriate to shred and chew, and also how to settle. At 10 months, Peggy still goes in her pen, which we keep attached to her crate, where fresh water is accessible at all times.
Here she is today, snoozing in her pen with the pen door open:
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She's got a very busy brain, and having a clearly designated spot for settling down has been invaluable. We still will close her in there sometimes if we're watching TV and she's clearly exhausted but can't stop cycling through her toys. Like a toddler, she doesn't always know when she's tired. So in she goes and she's out like a light.
We also spent a long of time in there with her when she was a puppy. We did a lot of hand feeding of kibble, but it was also a great place for playtime, as we could easily walk out if she got too bitey. We'd count to 30 or so before going back in and resuming play.
Ideally you'll put the x-pen in a place you'd like puppy to hang out even when it's gone. We originally had Peggy's pen behind the couch, and she'll still go lay in that spot.
I didn't use an x-pen with past dogs and it's been a real breakthrough. It made almost every aspect of those early months easier and continues to pay off.
Here's the one we got:
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