HOW TO PUPPY-PROOF YOUR HOUSE

With winter coming in, and pets spending more time in their home, it is necessary to make sure that they are safe inside as well. But despite winter, many other puppies are also finding their new forever home. As all dog owners know, puppies are extremely curious and get into lots of mischief. This can become a problem if you have anything dangerous or even sentimental that’s in your puppy’s reach.

Before you bring your new puppy home for the first time, or bringing your beloved pups inside to keep warm from the cold weather, it’s important to learn how to puppy-proof your house.  

Give your puppy his own space

Crate training or having his own dog bed, helps a puppy feel comfortable and safe in his new environment. Especially if he is not used to the environment and smells. You can also block off a small room with a gate or use a dog play pen to give your puppy his own space.

According to Russell Hartstein, a trainer and founder of Fun Paw Care in Los Angeles, “It is important to realise that they will be in stress and shock the first few days. Allow them quiet time to decompress and offer them a safe, quiet environment.”

Hide electrical cords

Puppies tend to chew more on objects especially something that looks inviting or interesting like electrical cords. It can be really dangerous if your puppy chews on electrical cords or extension cords. Make sure to tuck them away good where no dogs can reach them.

Cover your trash

We all know that dogs sometimes tend to steal something out of the trash. So make sure to cover your trash cans to avoid dogs eating foreign objects and getting sick.  

Keep poisonous foods, medications and products out of reach

Make sure all human foods are out of your dog’s reach since some foods are poisonous to dogs (and many foods can be harmful if he eats too much of them). It’s also super important to put away anything else that could be poisonous to your dog, like human medications, toiletries and cleaning products.

Throw away poisonous plants

Various plants can affect dogs and cats negatively. Make sure to do your research on the house plants you have and get rid of any plants that are poisonous to your dogs. 

Cover sharp edges

Puppies tend to run a lot when they are playing, and so do other dogs as well. And running in the house - like most parents used to tell their kids - are not safe. Cover any sharp edges of tables, chairs or counters (or anything else you can think of) which may hurt your animals when they chew, or run into it. 

Get child safety locks

Never underestimate how clever your dogs are. Dogs can pick up things humans do such as opening a cupboard which has snacks in. By putting child safety locks on doors, cupboards and other things you may think of is a great way to keep your pups out of places they shouldn’t be.