Portable yards for your dogs

[An Charad]

Junior Member


Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 13
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I RV with my Golden Retrievers in Alaska and soon the lower 48. Here's a response to a question I had on another forum that I thought might be of interest to others who travel with pets. The question had to do with what are the things you consider essential for traveling with pets.

One of the most important things I carry with me are three x-pens that can be linked together with snaps. I like three since I have some flexibility depending on the place I'm parking. I can drop it down to 2 or even 1. Mine are 36" high, but they come in 24" and 42" so use whatever height works for your dogs. Make sure you get the x-pens that are open at the top of the gate. There is one manufactuer that adds a stablizing bar across the top gate...tough to get inside without stooping down and bumping the whole pen down with your backside. I use these under the awnings for the dogs to have some outside time when we're sitting around enjoying the outdoors. NEVER EVER leave them alone outside, but it's nice to be able to let them enjoy time laying about off leash and safe. I made my own stabilizing bars out of those plastic rails used for fencing. Just slide the groove onto the fence and zip tie them on. Cut them to 4' lengths and they fit great over the top rails. I also stake the fence down and attach it to my camper with bungees. Don't forget the pooper scooper and poop bags to do daily cleanups. A step top lid with a plastic bag is great for picking up after your pets.

I'd send you pictures of what it looks like with my new RV, but it's on it's way up to Alaska as we speak. I am posting a couple I took last year with my TT. You can see the white stabilizer bars along the top. I've since just added another xpen so I don't have to use the lattice work. It got brittle in the cold up here and broke. We were dry camping at a dog show in these pictures, so there was lots of tailgate time we all enjoyed. We were under the ez-up tent to the right of the pictures.

[Blondiega1]

Good idea! Thanks!
We travel with two Labradors!

[monkey]

We have used AND use X pens for our Great Danes... They are brought up to respect things like that... AND Yes we NEVER leave them alone outside... Works fine for us....

PS,,, Nice looking setup Vikki !!!!

[rbott1808]

Where did you get your xpens???
we are new at rv'ing and we have two dogs that I would like to have a place from them to be able to sit with us.

[Bob_C]

Google them.....

[Philswrench]

Originally Posted by monkey

We have used AND use X pens for our Great Danes... They are brought up to respect things like that... AND Yes we NEVER leave them alone outside... Works fine for us....

PS,,, Nice looking setup Vikki !!!!

our Danes love there screen room

[1320Fastback]

We use Xpens too and have enough to make a sizeable yard. One thing that it nice about a big yard is it keeps other gusts from walking thru your area

We have a short xpen that goes along the bottom of the trailer and fits under the door perfectly with the trailer on 4" of cribbing.

[C45BR]

It wouldn't take very long for my beagle to escape that. She does much better on a cable with a heavy ground screw.

[bleederguy]

We use X Pens for our 6 Samoyeds. Used them on trips from NY to AK. Plus a whole lot of dog shows and other trips. They're worth their price.

[reubenray]

We use the 24" size for Sophie. We take two sections where we can have our chairs inside it also. Of course she is never outside in it unless one of use is outside also. We also usually have a mat to set it on. This way we can watch for ants.

We also have this type setup at our permanent RV site. I will take a picture and post it later. This setup is 3 sections, an umbrella and 4 chairs on pavers. One issue I have come across is the bottom will rust after a while from the paint being scrapped off on concrete.

I got mine from Amazon.

[rvrescuernch]

Originally Posted by bleederguy

We use X Pens for our 6 Samoyeds. Used them on trips from NY to AK. Plus a whole lot of dog shows and other trips. They're worth their price.

Your dogs don't barrel right through them? I feel like they don't look very strong for big dogs.

[1320Fastback]

xpens are mainly used in the dog show and dog agility world. Dogs of these types are trained to behave.

[rvrescuernch]

I'm not as concerned about my personal pack, though this will be a new experience for all of us. So I guess I take that back and I am. While they are normally not a problem, that has been in traditional homes with fencing, out for walks on leashes, etc. And that isn't always the case when they first come to stay - rescues are rescues of course. I just don't know what we will encounter on the road and want to make sure they get the time outside they need, but are still secure. This goes for any transports, new fosters, etc as well.

[AudiDudi]

Understand, I like dogs. Last winter we had people across the street from us that had two Dauschunds in an outdoor pen. Everytime a RV door was closed within 100 yards or anytime someone walked down the street, they would bark. It was a *very* long month before they left.