I recently purchased the JB Wholesale xpen (I thought it would be a good way to ease Gossy into having the run of the house when I'm gone) and was a bit disappointed. I only ordered the 36 inch one and the free shipping doesn't apply JSYK. What I was really disappointed in was the latches on the door - they are not at all secure. It was really easy to push against the door a couple of times and they come free.
Are you sure the xpen is right side up? There is a name plate that should be at the top of one of the panels, if it is setup upside down then the door latches will not work correctly and will open really easily. I have several of them and all the doors are just as secure as all the midwest pens I've used. I've never had to worry about the door, I don't think there is any way Piper could open them.
I'm sorry your not happy with it and I feel really bad since I recommended it. Also I never got charged an oversize fee just standard shipping, whereas most places charge extra for xpens and crates, but maybe they changed that recently.
I checked and I did have it upside down (:o) but I also discovered the door is a little warped. It doesn't matter right now (since Gossy climbs over anyway) but I'll remember that for future use – I plan on taking it along when we go camping.
I checked and I did have it upside down (:o) but I also discovered the door is a little warped. It doesn't matter right now (since Gossy climbs over anyway) but I'll remember that for future use – I plan on taking it along when we go camping.
Didn't you get the top for it?
Thats cool, I did that at first as well. And you can get a top for it for when you go camping, they are pretty much required to keep most basenjis in.
And I'm glad Gossy is fine out in the house and you don't need to use the xpen or a crate. I'm sure you're relieved.:)
I think a lot of it is luck of the draw from the factory. There can be slight little differences in the straightness of the wire or how well the hinges are placed, etc. that can make a difference in how easily the latch slides around. All my pens and crates that have doors are made by Midwest and have the same kind of latch. But I see a variation of "tightness" between all the different door latches from crate to crate. The pens are worse because of the long panels vibrating when they bang on it, it would be easier for the latch to slide back out if they stick their feet through the wire and tap the handle. But I have never had anyone open any of the latches. These are probably the easiest latches for a dog to undo. I had a puppy who lived in one of my xpens for 12 weeks, and never had a problem with latches. Then just a couple days after going to his new home, had learned to open his crate, which had the same type of latch. They now have to clip the handle down. lol When he came over last year to stay for the weekend they brought his crate, and yes, he had an exceptionally free sliding latch! No wonder. lol I think the wind blowing would have opened it. 
But like I said, luck of the draw in some cases. I don't remember what brand his crate is.
But yes, it helps if you make sure the xpen is right-side-up!
The other day, I discovered that Gossy can open this kind of latch on her own (is she smart or what). I had put her back in her kennel temporarily while I washed the floor and pretty soon she was out. And the kennel latch was pretty stiff.
And I also discovered that she jumps on top of her kennel even though it is the wire kind (how she stays balanced on the wires beats me). So now I think that maybe she didn't really climb over the xpen but used her kennel to get high enough so she could jump over to the nearby kitchen table (it has dog scratches on the top).
Sneaky little devils aren't they?
What kind of bottoms, if any can you get for the x-pens? Are there any brands in particular that make them?
You can get another top and use it as a bottom. Or are you looking for one that is solid?
Solid, so that we could put it on carpet
Someone posted about how to build a wooden bottom and sides for an xpen but for some reason I can't find it by searching.
I bought a section of cheap linoleum type material at Home Depot. The pens are 4x4, so I would get something that's 5x5 or so. Then you can roll it up and stick it in a closet or something somewhere when you're not using the pen. It makes a good solid surface that's easy to mop up and disinfect, yet can be thrown away if it gets yucky.
If your dog isn't a big shredder, you can get the thick plastic sheeting that comes in rolls like painters use and such. You can put that as a layer on the bottom to prevent things reaching the carpet, and then just throwing a sheet, blanket, rug, whatever over top as a "base" for the pen.
I did the exact same thing as Kelli. The linoleum scrap was great and Lowe's has already cut pieces packaged up for sale. I got a piece larger than the ex pen so I wouldn't have to worry about the whiz running out the side.
Linoleum works great under xpens. That is what I use for puppy's also… and also did the same, much bigger then the pen itself. However, I would suggest that you might want to put a tarp under the linoleum also over the carpet... sometimes if it get really wet.. it can kind of stick to the carpet or if you have wood/laminate floors....
