How to Choose the Right Dog Playpen Size
Sophie & the Fur Babies — pet playpens for renters, puppies & cats
When I first brought Wally home, a wobbly little Cavoodle puppy with more energy than sense, I assumed any pen would do. Miso, my rescue kitten, had already claimed the top of the bookshelf as her throne, so I figured a corner of the lounge room would keep everyone safe. What I did not count on was how quickly a puppy grows, and how much floor space a pen actually takes up in a rented flat near the Perth coast. Choosing the right size turned out to be the single most useful thing I learned, and it is the reason I am writing this dog playpen size guide for other first-time pet parents who are working with small rooms and a tight budget.
Why size matters more than you think
It is tempting to buy the smallest pen you can find because you are short on space. I did exactly that at the start, and within three weeks Wally had outgrown it. A pen that is too small does not just feel cramped; it changes your dog's behaviour. A puppy with no room to turn around, stretch, or move away from their water bowl gets restless, and a restless puppy chews the mesh and whines at night. On the other hand, a pen that is too large in a small flat eats the walking space you need to get from the kitchen to the door, which your housemates or partner will notice quickly.
The sweet spot is a pen that gives your dog room to do the four things that matter: sleep in one corner, eat and drink in another, toilet on a pad at the far end, and still have a little space to potter. For Wally as a puppy that was a surprisingly small footprint, but it grew as he did. Thinking about size as a moving target, not a one-off decision, saved me from buying twice.
Measure your dog before you measure the room
This is the step most of us skip. We look at the empty corner of the room and guess. Instead, grab a tape measure and your dog. Have them stand naturally, then measure from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail; that is the body length. Then measure from the floor to the top of the shoulders, which is the height at the withers. Finally, measure them lying stretched out full length, because a dog that sleeps flat needs that much room to be comfortable.
Add about fifty percent to the body length when picking a pen footprint. So a dog whose stretched length is sixty centimetres wants roughly ninety centimetres of floor space to feel relaxed. For height, the pen walls should stand well above the shoulders, and for a jumper you need even more, because some dogs will use the top rail as a step. I measured Wally on a Tuesday and again two weeks later, and he had grown nearly five centimetres, which is why I now re-measure every month while he is young.
Do not forget the door clearance. A pen with a swinging door needs space in front of it so you are not wedging it against the sofa. In a flat, that clearance is often the thing that decides whether the pen lives in the lounge or the bedroom.
A dog playpen size guide by weight and breed
Weight is the quickest way to narrow things down, with breed giving you the shape and energy level. Below is a plain guide I wish someone had handed me, using Australian sizes that are easy to find locally. Prices are typical specialty-store ranges in Australian dollars and will vary by retailer.
| Dog weight | Typical breeds | Suggested pen footprint | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 5 kg | Chihuahua, Maltese, kitten, toy Cavoodle | 70 × 70 cm | Smallest safe footprint; room to turn and stretch |
| 5–10 kg | Cavoodle, Mini Poodle, cat + small dog | 85 × 85 cm | Space for a bed, bowl and toilet pad apart |
| 10–20 kg | Cocker Spaniel, Beagle, larger Cavoodle | 100 × 100 cm or more | Needs a real walking pace inside the pen |
| 20–35 kg | Border Collie, Kelpie, English Staffy | 120 × 120 cm | High energy; small pens cause restlessness |
| 35 kg+ | Labrador, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd | Large dog play pen, 140 × 140 cm+ | Only a large dog play pen gives safe room to move |
If your dog sits at the top of that table, be honest with yourself about the floor plan. A large dog play pen is a real commitment of space, and in a one-bedroom flat it may not fit comfortably. That is not a failure; it just means a different setup, like a gated laundry or a courtyard run, might suit better than a free-standing pen.
The soft octagonal pen and where it fits
Our own foldable soft pen comes in three sizes, and these are the ones I actually use at home. The shape is octagonal, which sounds fancy but really just means no sharp corner to wedge into, and it folds down flat for the caravan.
| Size | Dimensions (cm) | Best for | Typical price (AUD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | 72 × 72 × 45 | Kittens, toy breeds, Miso's safe zone | $39 |
| M | 85–90 × 85–90 × 58–60 | Cavoodle puppy, small cats, indoor play | $59 |
| L | 114 × 114 × 58–60 | Small to medium dogs, two pets at once | $89 |
I want to be straight with you about the limits. This soft octagonal pen is brilliant for small to medium dogs and cats, and the large size happily holds Wally and Miso together on a rainy afternoon. It is not built for large breeds. A Labrador or a German Shepherd would crowd the walls and could push the lightweight frame around, so for them you genuinely need a sturdier, bigger enclosure. Matching the pen to the pet, rather than hoping the pet adapts, is the whole point of a good dog playpen size guide.
What worked in my flat
In my lounge I run the medium size for Wally during the day, with a cosy bed in one panel, his water bottle clipped to the mesh, and a toilet pad at the opposite side. Miso gets the small size nearby when she wants a break from the puppy's enthusiasm; cats appreciate having an escape route, and a separate pen gives her that without shutting her in a room. Because the frames are soft and fold flat, I tuck them behind the sofa when friends visit, which keeps the place feeling like a home rather than a kennel.
The biggest lesson was not to size for today. Wally is a Cavoodle, so the medium is his long-term size, but if I had a breed that doubles in weight, I would have bought the larger footprint from the start and simply used a smaller bed inside it early on. Room to grow beats a perfect fit that lasts a fortnight.
Taking the pen to the campsite
Weekend camping at the coast is our favourite reset, and the fold-flat pen comes with us. At a caravan park the octagonal shape sits neatly on the awning mat, and the mesh sides mean Wally can see me while I am sorting the esky, which keeps him calm. For a campsite you want the size that lets your dog lie stretched out on their own mat; a cramped pen in the heat is miserable for everyone. I pack the large size because the extra floor space means Wally and the camp chairs do not share the same patch of shade.
One practical tip from the coast: measure the caravan storage bay before you leave. The pen folds small, but the travel bag still needs a home, and there is nothing worse than arriving to find it does not fit beside the spare doona.
Frequently asked questions
How do I measure my dog for a playpen?
Measure body length from nose to tail base, height at the shoulders, and full stretched length when lying down. Add roughly half the body length to the footprint so your dog can turn, stretch and sleep comfortably.
Can a puppy and a cat share the same pen?
Sometimes, but it is safer to give each their own space, at least at first. Miso uses the small pen beside Wally's medium one so she can watch him without being bowled over, and they meet on neutral floor when supervised.
Is the soft octagonal pen big enough for a Cavoodle?
Yes. The medium size at 85 to 90 centimetres square suits a Cavoodle well, and the large size fits a small to medium dog with room to spare. It is sized for small to medium pets, not large breeds.
What size pen suits a large dog?
A large dog play pen of around 140 by 140 centimetres or more is the sensible minimum for a Labrador or similar. Our soft octagonal range tops out at the large size, which is better matched to small and medium dogs.
Will a playpen fit in a small apartment?
Often yes if you choose the right size and fold it away when not in use. The medium and small sizes tuck behind furniture, and the flat-fold frame stores in a cupboard or under the bed.
Can I take a fabric pen camping?
Absolutely. The soft pen folds into a travel bag and sets up on an awning mat or inside a caravan annex. Pick a size that lets your dog lie stretched on their own mat, and check it fits your storage bay before you drive off.
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