Puppy Proofing Your Home - The Ultimate Guide

Puppies are naturally inquisitive creatures with a lot of energy. Curious about everything and learning rapidly about the world around them, they are thrilling to have, but like any young creature, they are a LOT of work!

They’ll need constant supervision and correction to learn their boundaries early. Puppy proofing your home is the first step in ensuring that your pup, belongings, and home is safe.

Getting Started With Puppy Proofing

This may sound weird, but first thing’s first. You get on your hands and knees, and crawl your way around your home. No kidding!

This gives you an accurate, bird’s eye view of what your pup can reach, and what sort of potential dangers there are at that level.

Remove all kinds of potential hazards like electrical outlets and cables.
Use gates to keep some rooms or sections off-limits. New puppies are inquisitive and tend to get into everything. Keep them in a dog-proofed area, or keep doors to rooms closed where they shouldn't be allowed to wander unsupervised
Your attention is essential! Not only for safety reasons but also to assist with potty training. If you are unable to keep a constant eye on them, confine them to their crate or puppy pen.
If you want to let your puppy up on the couch or other resting locations, make sure they have a safe way to get on and off. Puppies are clumsy, uncoordinated goofs that can hurt their delicate, growing bones if they fall from a big jump or height
Get started on your training as soon as possible, teaching them fundamental skills that will lay the foundation for future training, and keep them safe in the meantime.
Puppies have teeny bladders and can’t hold their pee for very long. If you can’t take them out to potty constantly, try using puppy pee pads to make cleaning up way easier.

Puppy Proofing The Kitchen

The kitchen has loads of dangerous things that can hurt a cheeky puppy.

Counters - Keep food off the counters and wipe down all the areas that come in contact with food, Pups can be greedy little buggers that follow their nose and could hurt themselves trying to climb up a table or counter.

Trash - Secure your trash and NEVER let your pup get into it. While adult dogs know better than to go into trash bins, puppies have no such qualms. Many types of common human foods like onions and garlic are toxic to dogs, especially small puppies.

Bags - Cut up all bags that are thrown out to eliminate suffocation risk. Store food bags out of reach and in cupboards, and make sure that there are no bags within reach that could pose a threat.

Washing supplies - Keep detergents and other cleaning supplies way out of reach. Even with an airtight, childproof cap, an enthusiastic puppy might still be able to chew through the bottle.

Puppy Proofing The Living Room and Bedrooms

Electrical cords - All cords and cables should be put away and out of puppy’s reach. Puppies will chew through a cord like a knife through butter, posing a huge electrocution risk.

Plants - Some plants might be toxic to dogs, so if you have houseplants, you might want to check. The ASPCA has a nice list of toxic and non-toxic plants for dogs.

Toxic substances - Think about what your puppy might reach. Some seemingly harmless objects like candles, essential oils and skincare products might accidentally get eaten and cause a massive problem in a puppy’s sensitive stomach.

Bags and Coats - Place all your bags and coats out of reach. Not only will it prevent your pup from destroying your favorite, expensive stuff, but harmful substances like nicotine, medications, or xylitol in sugar-free candy or gum can poisoning your pooch.

Backyard / Outdoor Area

If your lucky pup has an outdoor area to play around in, you’ll have to puppy proof that too.

Make sure your yard is escape-proof with gate latches and no holes for your puppy to dig and escape from.
Do not let your dog stay unattended outside
If you have a pool, limit access to it until your puppy learns to be a competent swimmer, and ALWAYS provide a way to easily get out.

Conclusion

Puppies will get into trouble, that’s pretty much certain. By incorporating few changes into your home, you can prepare it for the new arrival and reduce the risk of any potential situations.

Good luck, and enjoy your new pup! .