The long awaited day is finally here! You are going to bring your new bundle of fur home.
It must be a joyous feeling that after a long search, you have finally found that one puppy that stole your heart-so now what next?
Well, as a responsible pet owner, you need to prepare and create a safe haven for your little furry friend. You need to puppy proof your home and make it a safe environment for your pooch by making sure that you eliminate all dangers.
This is similar to what you do when you have a curious toddler in the house. Your dog will want to check every electrical cord, every nook and cranny. He also probably won’t be able to make a distinction between your favorite shoe and his chew toy.
Here are a few tips for puppy proofing your home.
Table of Contents
1. How to puppy proof your living room
You probably have a nice living room area, with nice sofas, throw pillows, shoes and your favorite magazines. All of these things could tempt your puppy to chew and feed his curiosity.
You need to be vigilant and make sure that you put away all that clutter. Put everything out of your puppy’s reach. Remember to remove all your pillows and rugs from the floor. You for sure do not want your dog’s fur all over your favorite pillows.
You can invest in decorative bins to make sure that your living area is fully dog proofed.
2. How to dog proof your furniture
If you have a puppy that is long-haired and really sheds fur, getting yourself a pet-resistant sofa might be a good idea.
How is it possible for you to properly puppy proof your furniture to minimize the dog drool, odors and stretch marks?
You can get really nice seat covers for your sofas. These are removable and can often be washed. It is a good idea to keep your seats covered and protect them from your curious little dog.
Washable blankets can also do a good job covering your seats. Additionally, you can also regularly groom your dog to minimize shedding. Trim his nails to minimize the scratches on your sofas as well.
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3. How to puppy proof your bedroom
You need to be aware that dogs are scent-oriented. This means that your dog will obviously be attracted to anything that smells like you.
Your shoes, blanket or other clothing that smell like you will be his toys if you are not careful. He will quickly want to be possessive of these items.
When it comes to puppy proofing your bedroom, make sure that you keep the clothing picked up lest you come and find your favorite dinner dress or shirt in tatters.
Make sure that all your shoes are in a locked closet or out of your puppy’s reach. You can get small containers to store all your hair pins and jewelry, coins and all other small items that he can easily ingest. Put some temporary blockades to prevent your puppy from going where he is not supposed to.
Most dogs like to hide behind beds and furniture so take time to create barriers to hinder them from doing so in your bedroom.
4. Puppy proofing your bathroom
This might be an area that you may think does not pose any risk to your little pup. However, there are a number of hazards that can be dangerous.
Your dog can easily ingest the razors, cotton swabs and soap that is within his reach and this will mean an emergency visit to your vet.
Alert your family members to stop leaving thing they used to clean up themselves all over the bathroom. Neatly organize all your towels, soaps and tissues in the bathroom cabinet that is lockable.
Put your toilet lid down at times especially if your puppy is very young. It is very easy for your puppy to jump into the toilet bowl and drown.
The best thing is to keep the bathroom door closed at all times. As for the bathroom trash can, make sure it has a lockable lid or you simply stash it under the sink. Put away all electric cables that are dangling in the bathroom for the safety of your furry little friend.
5. How to puppy proof your home office
There are a lot of temptations that can draw your puppy into your home office like magazines, papers, cords and wires. These office equipment might be fun to play with but they may be choking hazards for your puppy.
Put away the stapler pins, paperclips and magazines away and out of your puppy’s reach. Some dogs are attracted to plants as well, if you have any in your office, you can put them on a shelf or any high counter.
Also make sure that your office door remains closed just to be additionally cautious until your puppy graduates from this curious stage.
6. How to puppy proof your yard and garage
Puppy proofing your home also includes your yard and garage if you have them.
In your garage, there are many things that may pose danger to your puppy. There may be things like oil paint, insecticides, fertilizers, gasoline and other things that may be harmful if your pet ingested them.
You need to make sure all the containers are properly secure with tight lids, you can put some of these things in boxes and store them safely away.
If you have plants that can be poisonous like daffodils and the foxglove, keep them on high counters or locked cabinets where your dog cannot reach.
There are plants that are poisonous to dogs hence if you have them planted in your yard, you need to either replace them with non-toxic plants or simply do away with them. You can also create barriers to those areas in your yard where the plants grow.
7. Puppy proofing electrical cords
Puppy proofing your electrical cords is a must. Puppies like to chew on electric wires and cords while playing.
This can be a really great danger to them as live wires can cause electrocution that can lead to death. You sure wouldn’t want to come home to a dead puppy because you failed to take some safety precautions.
Simply tie all loose wires and keep them out of your pup’s reach. You can also get a PVS pipe to enclose all the electric wires and keep your puppy safe.
Other things that you need to be mindful of when puppy proofing your home includes :
8. Medications
Make sure that you store all medication safely out of your puppy’s reach.
Invest in medicine cabinets where you can easily keep all your medicine. Alternatively, there are cabinet locks that you can put in place to ensure that all cabinet doors stay locked. This will protect both your puppy and kids if you have any.
9. Rubbish
All trash cans should be wrapped or have a tight lid that your curious ball of fur cannot open on his own.
Put the bins high up and make sure your puppy cannot reach them. If there are any sharp objects and poisons your pup will be safe from harm.
10. Detergents and other cleaning products
Vapors from acidic cleaning products and detergents can be very toxic to your puppy’s eyes and lungs.
Simply ensure that they are kept in containers with very tight lids on and stored in lockable cabinets or cupboards. Bar your puppy from going to the areas of the house where you have used the sprays and detergents.
11. Fire
Create temporary blockades to fireplaces and any other places where your puppy is likely to be exposed to fire like stoves. If you have an open fireplace or space heater, you should never leave your puppy unattended.
Always keep an eye on him in order to keep him safe. Puppies, just like kids are curious all the time. So make sure you keep your puppy under close supervision when seated around the fireplace.
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12. Curtain and window dressing cords
Never forget about your curtain and window dressing cords. They can easily be a strangulation hazard for your puppy. Make sure to tie them up properly and get rid of the excess cord.
13. Doors and windows
Be extra careful about closing doors and windows. Your puppy may be following you without your knowledge. Make sure all your screens and sliding doors are in a good state of repair and are securely fastened to keep your puppy from falling off the window sill or escaping.
Conclusion
In a nutshell, puppy proofing your home should be an exciting time as you get ready to receive the newest addition to your family. Make your furniture dog proof to minimize the dog fur, odor and scratches. You can invest in a good pet-resistant sofa as well.
When training your dog, you can form some rules that restrict your dog from jumping on the furniture. Instead, create a cozy spot like a dog basket where he can chill instead of your sofa.
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