The first step to keeping your puppy and belongings safe is to puppy-proof your home. It’s kind of like baby-proofing your home, only puppies have razor-sharp teeth. They love to explore their surroundings, and they’re not afraid to put things in their mouths. While this can be cute and amusing, it can also be dangerous. Puppies can easily choke on small objects, and they’re also at risk of ingesting poisonous substances. That’s why it’s important to puppy-proof your home before bringing your new furry friend home.
Understand the Basics of Puppy-Proofing Your Home
Puppy-proofing is simply a matter of taking some basic precautions to make sure your home is safe for your pup. Before bringing your puppy home, get on your hands and knees. That puts you around eye level with your incoming pup and familiarizes you with what your pup can and cannot reach.
Crawl around the house and look at all the potential dangers from your puppy’s eyes and put all the tasty-looking wires and electronics away.
Create Restricted Areas
If you cannot prevent access to electrical outlets and other hazards, think about installing baby or puppy gates to keep certain areas of your house off-limits. Careful though; many baby gates aren’t chew-proof. To curb this, you may consider getting puppy-safe chews for your dog, like KONG toys filled with peanut butter.
You can also use puppy playpens to restrict your puppy’s freedom until the whole “I-want-to-eat-everything phase” passes, which it might. Hopefully.
Install Ramps to Avoid Jumping Off Furniture
If you have decided to allow your new family member on the couch or bed, make sure they have a safe way to get on and off, like dog ramps, or a step. Puppies are clumsy goofs that are brave enough to try a spectacular jump, only to potentially hurt themselves in the process.
Although somewhat hilarious, the goofiness of a puppy’s gait and movement can hurt their delicate, growing bones if they take too much of an impact from a big fall. It can also put too much pressure on their joints, leading to the development of luxating patella and other soft-tissue conditions.
Keep Puppies Out of the Kitchen
Talk about a minefield of dangers. Always keep your pup confined when you are cooking. Puppies seem to have a superhuman ability to get underfoot. The kitchen is a veritable puppy hazard.
Make sure your dog can’t reach any human food. Many human foods that contain toxic substances might not hurt a large adult dog much but will wreak havoc on a small puppy’s sensitive system. Some human foods that are toxic to dogs include xylitol from certain types of peanut butter and mouthwash, along with garlic, onions, chocolate, and some nuts.
Keep the trash stashed securely away in a sealed bin. Cut up all plastic bags so that they can lay flat. While the image of a puppy trying to get his stuck head out of a bag or container can be hilarious, these are serious suffocation hazards.
Put away all washing supplies. A puppy’s sharp teeth can chew through a child-proof cap and make short work of a thin, plastic bottle.
Keep Living Rooms and Bedrooms Free of Hazards
Make sure all electronics and electrical cords are kept way out of reach. If you have carpets or rugs, now might be a good time to put them away until your puppy is fully potty-trained.
If you have stuff on the ground, be prepared for your puppy to attack it. As noted, puppies love to chew. Check your indoor plants if you have any and make sure that they aren’t toxic to dogs.
Keep skincare products and oils out of reach. Some products might contain chemicals that smell good to a pup. Stow away bags and coats. Pockets often contain stuff like nicotine, medications, and gum.
If you have an attached toilet, always close the lid. Dogs love to drink from toilet bowls, and a clumsy puppy might find itself headfirst in a bowl with serious aftereffects. When in doubt, or if unable to secure your toilet, simply practice closing the door after you.
Secure Outdoor Areas
Make sure your pup cannot get out of the yard. Some breeds, especially Huskies, are known for being escape artists.
Check along the fence line for any holes that your pooch could dig through. Always supervise while outdoors, especially if your area is prone to playing host to wild animals. Like indoor plants, check all your outdoor plants and make sure that nothing is toxic to dogs. If you have a pool, always be 100% sure that there is an easy way to exit the pool. You might limit access to the pool or drain it until your pup shows that he is a competent swimmer and can easily exit.
Puppy-proofing goes hand in hand with getting a new family member. With some planning and a few simple tweaks, you can prepare for the new arrival and keep your pup safe.
