An exercise pen (or “ex-pen” as most owners call them) is one of those pet products you don’t realize you need until you have a hyper puppy, a small dog that needs supervised outdoor time, or a rabbit that deserves more than a cage. It’s a portable enclosed space that gives your pet room to move without the full freedom of a dog-proofed house or the confinement of a crate. ...
Dogs overheat faster than people. They don’t sweat efficiently — they pant, they find shade, and if neither is enough, they can be in real trouble before you realize anything’s wrong. A dog pool or splash pad is one of the simplest ways to keep them cool on hot days without running the AC all afternoon. But not every pool works for every dog. A 120-pound Great Dane splashing in a kiddie pool is fine until the pool tips over. A nervous rescue might hate the deep end of a hard-shell pool but love a shallow splash pad where they control the water. We tested six options across three categories — hard-shell pools, inflatable pools, and splash pads — to help you find the right one for your dog’s size, personality, and your backyard setup. ...
Some pets have a talent for being where they are not supposed to be. The kitchen while you are cooking. The stairs when the front door opens. The couch cushions right after you fluff them. A good pet gate or playpen solves the boundary problem without turning your home into a prison. We tested 6 pet gates and playpens on dogs, cats, and the occasional determined rabbit. Pressure-mount, hardware-mount, freestanding, and modular designs — we put them all through the same tests. ...