A crate or a playpen, which one is better for your puppy? And do you really need to use either one?
Generally speaking, if you don't have a teacup sized puppy, then you might not "need" one.
We'd like to point out that crate is better to train your puppy when your puppy is not a teacup sized. On the other hand, when you have a teacup puppy, it is a must to have either crate or playpen and it is not for a training purpose.
Teacup puppies and dogs are prone to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar level) which can lead to hypothermia. It is very critical for a small puppy/dog. It may sounds scary, but it's not hard to prevent. All you need to do is, feed your puppy and keep your puppy warm. Above all, the greatest tool to prevent hypoglycemia is to have a playpen or a crate for your puppy.
Your puppy should not roam around the house all day long. Okay, let's put it this way. You are running on a big schoolyard for the whole day. What happens is that you get exhausted and tired. For these small puppies, your house can be as big as schoolyard to us. Therefore, it is better for you to keep your puppy inside the playpen/crate when the puppy needs to rest or sleep.
Now, you understand why it is good to have a playpen or a crate for your teacup puppy.
Playpen has more room for puppies to have everything they need compared to a traditional crate. They can have a little bed, eating station, pee pads, and toys for their playtime. We know it's easier to potty train your puppy inside the playpen as well. We usually place 3-4 pads at first and slowly remove pads one by one.
Crates don't look as nice as playpens because playpens have various colours to choose from and more. However, crates have their own advantages. For example, our research about crates and playpens tells us that dogs feel more safe when there is a roof. And as you know crates have a roof.
Then, which one is better?
Choosing between a crate or a playpen depends on your needs. But, when you are getting one of our little cups, we strongly suggest you to use a playpen until your puppy is 6-8 months. It is because, we believe that potty training and even cleaning inside the pen is a lot easier than the crate. Not only that, when you're not home, your puppy has enough (but not too much) space for the puppy to play, sleep, eat, and potty.