If you’re welcoming a new puppy into your home, you are going to have to prepare. Failure to puppy proof your home can endanger your new puppy and things like furniture, charger cables, shoes, etc. Luckily, we have a quick and easy puppy proofing checklist so you can focus less on protecting your house and more on playing with your new pup:
@playfetchpup
@playfetchpup
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www.communityhealthmagazine.com
Pick Up Small Objects
Puppies will put anything in their mouths, and we mean ANYTHING. This is why it is so important to pick up tiny objects like coins, jewelry, rubber bands, tacks, paperclips, etc. from the floor. You don’t want your new pup to choke, so make sure the floors are free from all those pesky choking hazards.
Secure trash
You don’t want your dog becoming Oscar the Grouch, and trust us they will if given the chance. Because of puppies’ intense curiosity, they are tempted to rummage through anything they can get their hands on, and quite frankly, the nastier the smell, the more curious they’ll be. Using tall trash cans with lids or gating off areas with the trash cans will save your dog from an upset tummy or worse.
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www.cuteness.com
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Greenies Commercial
Cover your Cords
Electricity is a huge part of many people’s daily lives, but all those cords are just chew toys in the eyes of your dog. Not only will your dog ruin those cords, they could possibly get electrocuted if the cords are plugged in. It can be a pain to constantly plug cords in and out, so we recommend utilizing cord protectors that your pup can’t chew through. Don’t forget to protect any cords you have in your yard too!
Hide Cleaning Supplies
Puppies can’t tell when a substance is going to be poisonous, so cleaning chemicals can pose a real threat to them. Make sure you keep all cleaning supplies in high cabinets or put them behind doors with childproof locks. You should also ensure that the puppy is kept in a separate room when you clean so the vapors don’t affect them.
Dora, pictured thought we meant she should hide… but we spotted her cute little tail and paws.
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@corgiincalgary
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Hide Medicines
Like cleaning supplies, medicines can be very poisonous to dogs. Make sure all your medicine is kept away from the counters where dogs can possibly jump up to. Even if the bottles have a childproof lid, it is easier to just keep all the medicine high up in a cabinet and not risk your puppy getting into it.
Close the Toilet Lid
You should be regularly filling your dog’s water bowl to make sure they don’t get thirsty. If you don’t they may look for any water they can find which usually means the toilet. In some cases, they may even fall into the toilet when trying to get a drink, so just keep the lid closed to have a little more peace of mind.
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@greenthusiasm
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@birddogwedding
Secure Blind Cords
If you have blinds you likely have a cord that moves the blinds up or down. There is a chance that these can get tangled around the puppy’s neck and hang them. Unfortunately, puppies don’t always have the best sense of self-preservation, so you have to reduce the dangers around you whenever you can. Try and put the cords up high enough your dog can’t get to them.
Keep Windows and Doors Closed
Puppies roaming around the neighborhood freely is just a recipe for disaster, so you need to be really careful to secure doors and windows so they can’t perform a great escape.
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@halepetdoor
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www.pinterest.com
Hide Sharp Objects
You are probably tired of hearing about how much you have to hide from your puppy (welcome to pup parenthood!) but you also need to hide sharp objects from your pup. This includes knives, scissors, razor blades, saws, etc.
Move Poisonous Houseplants
Are you a plant person? Does your home look like a lush forest? Unfortunately, some of those plants may be poisonous to your pup! You may need to get rid of some of your plant life or at least move it to higher ground so your pup won’t eat some toxic leaves.
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@pluto.spaniel
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@heelmerry
Protect Your Prized Possessions
Since this is such a delicate time for learning, make the lessons come easier for yourself and your dog by putting away some of your most cherished items out of the equation. Secure them by placing them in a closet or shed for a few months until the puppy is familiar with the house’s ground rules. It will save you some sanity!
Create A Safe Space For Puppy
Please give yourself a little hand by considering a puppy playpen to help keep them under watch within the house. Slowly build up their freedom to patrol the rest of the home, and until then have a place where they can be safe and comfortable when you can’t supervise them.
If you like the one to the right, click here
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www.etsy.com
Most of these are pretty straightforward, but it’s always worth triple-checking your home as curiosity also strikes extremely energetic puppies.
The bottom line: It’s about gradually introducing your dog to the new territory in a way that keeps pets safe. Do you have any suggestions for pet-proofing your home? Share your craziest puppy stories in the comments below!
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