Dogs occasionally need to be contained. It’s just part of the deal when you own a semi-independent being with any amount of strength or size. Even when they’re small puppies and not quite housebroken, it can be very handy to have a way to let them roam a little bit, but not onto surfaces that are easily damaged. Dog gates span across doorways, hallways and even whole rooms to provide a simple barrier to keep your dog in a certain area. The come in a variety of formats, both mounted and hardware-free, to accommodate any home.

For the perfect halfway point between create and free-roaming, consider our list of the best dog gates for containing your pup.

The most basic approach to this question is to get one of these tried-and-true expanding gates from Evenflo. I’ve had a number of these over the years and can attest that their ease of use is pretty much unmatched. This attaches using simple eyehooks and locking hooks on each side. It’s extremely easy to open these one-handed, but will still keep your puppy at bay most of the time. It extends between 24 and 60 inches, so it should address a wide variety of openings.

If you want to go way upmarket with this, you could also consider the Lascal KiddyGuard Avant Retractable Safety Gate. It’s very stylish and can be mounted without damaging your walls or trim.

Buy the Evenflo Expansion Walk Thru Room Divider Gate here.

If you want to move up slightly, you could consider a plastic gate. These should be a touch more durable than the thin wood pieces of the option above. This one features a comfortable lock handle and the ability to use it as a pressure mount or hardware mounted for use as a swing gate. It adjusts between 26 and 42 inches wide and comes in your choice of sand, ivory, or espresso.

An alternative to this would be the Safety 1st Easy-Fit Security Gate, which is a non-mounted option. The reviews consistently comment that the lock isn’t as one-hand usable as the manufacturer claims, but it still a good gate for places where you can just leave it up full-time.

Buy the Supergate Ergo Pressure or Hardware Mount Plastic Gate here.

If you’d rather go for something lighter, this fabric option could be one to consider. This is a wide option, which will work for transitions between rooms and other wider openings. The frame is based on tension rods, so mounting is quick and easy. This is a good option for small or docile dogs, as rowdy dogs may punch a hole in the screen. Still, as an easy-to-install and lightweight option, it’s worth considering.

Buy the Safety 1st Wide Doorways Fabric Gate here.

Of course, if you’re going to have the gate up all the time, it would be really handy if you didn’t actually have to remove it to walk by. This super-popular option from Regalo is one of the walk-through varieties, which inserts a door in the middle of the gate. It’s meant to be installed — using pressure mounts, not damaging hardware — somewhat permanently but with no negative effects on your ability to move through it. The fact that it’s made of steel might also help with corralling crazier dogs.

It’s a bit on the narrow side, so if you want something like this for wider areas, try the North States Supergate Deluxe Décor Gate, which is also very popular.

Buy the Regalo Easy Step Walk Thru Gate here.

Open concept living is great; my house is almost entirely one continuous room. However, this means that unless I put my dogs in a bedroom or a crate, there’s no good way to get them to stay confined to one area. In my case (which might also be yours), I would need to look into something like this to span the width of my dining room. At its longest, this gate is 192 inches wide, which would certainly work in my case. Additionally, it doubles as a puppy playpen, if you prefer.

The major downside to this is that you’ll have to request additional parts from Regalo if you need to remove just one panel to make it fit for your application. This is due to the fact that each linking part is a male-female set, so you’d actually have to remove two in order for it to terminate properly. That said, for areas where the measurements work out, this steel gate is large enough to do the job.

Buy the Regalo Super Wide Adjustable Gate and Play Yard here.

These sorts of gates are very much a function over form product. Most of them don’t look particularly attractive, though the white ones are easy enough to ignore. If you want something a bit more intentional, try this option. It adds the little detail of the arch topped door in addition to the interlocking circle pattern. This will fit well into a richly textured modern home, or may also work in some industrial chic designs. It accommodates openings between 28 and 42 inches.

If that’s not quite to your taste, you might try the Munchkin Loft Aluminum Hardware Mount Gate which has a brushed aluminum finish that goes well with modern appliances. The also make a metal and dark wood option, as well.

Buy the Summer Infant Modern Home Decorative Walk Thru Gate here.

Oddly enough, our last pick is actually designed for pets. Not just dogs, either: This gate features a 10 inch by 7 inch cat door that will allow your smaller pets to move around the home freely while still containing your dog. Obviously this means that it isn’t ideal for small dogs, a truth reinforced by the wide spacing of the bars, but for large dogs, this is a great choice. It’s 41 inches tall and properly mounted should prevent most dogs from jumping over it. In addition to the pictured platinum finish, you can buy it in white. It’s adjustable from 29 to 39 inches wide.

Other tall dog gate options include the Evenflo Position and Lock Tall Pressure Mount Wood Gate, which is only 31 inches tall, or the MidWest Homes for Pets Steel Pet Gate at 39 inches tall. For my money, the consideration for multi-pet households makes the Carlson Pet the strongest of the three.

Buy the Carlson Pet Products Platinum Extra Tall Gate with Pet Door here.