Tips for Puppy Proofing Your Home

If you just got a new puppy, congratulations! A dog can bring so much happiness and adventure into a household. But, puppies are a lot of work and to ensure their safety it’s important to make sure their new environment is safe for them to explore. Here are some tips on keeping your puppy happy and healthy.

Puppy Proofing Inside

Puppy proofing the inside of your house is most likely where you will need to do the most work.

• If you have any coffee tables of low shelves, check those areas to ensure there aren’t any items the could easily be knocked off or gotten into from curiosity or an excited wag of their tail.
• Ensure you don’t have any wires sitting around that could be potentially chewed on. Try to move them out of reach or cover them with wore protectants to avoid any potential injury.
• Check your trash cans, making sure they are heavy enough not to be easily knocked over and have a secure lid on. The last thing you want is a curious pup eating anything and everything they find in the garbage.
• Any long blind cord should be tied up and out of reach. A playful pup could damage your blinds, or worse injure themselves by getting tangled up.
• Remember to keep your toilet lids closed! if your puppy is tall enough they could drink out of the bowl which is unsanitary and no one wants puppy kisses from a dog who just drank out of the toilet.
• Keep your floors regularly swept to avoid any random items, wrappers, or scraps from being left out. Your pup may try to eat anything small enough if they’re curious enough.

Puppy Proofing Outside

If you have a fenced in backyard, make sure to examine it carefully. Check for any holes or potential opening that they could squirm out of or get stuck in. If you don’t have a fence and are using tie-out stakes, also check that they are secured as well as their connected collar. You don’t want your poor pup running off and getting hurt. If you’re someone who has rodent traps or insect bait in the ground, either remove them or be absolutely sure your pup can’t get to them. Traps like they are extremely poisonous to dogs and deadly to puppies.

Easy Ways To Monitor Your Pup

Keep doors closed that don’t need to be opened to limit the places your pup could get into. This will not only help them stay out of trouble but it will also help you keep a careful eye on them.

Keeping Your Puppy Entertained

Having a variety of chew toys available for your pup will make it easier to deter them from chewing on other items that hey shouldn’t be. Encourage them to use these toys, giving them positive reinforcements when they play with suitable toys. This will help them with teething appropriately and not on your furniture. One tip would be around the holidays to keep an eye for wrapping paper, toys, and a generally hectic atmosphere with people in the house. If you want to read some tips about keeping your dog happy during the holidays read our blog. 

Once you’ve puppy proofed your house you can breathe a bit easier knowing there is a limited chance of them hurting themselves or getting into trouble. Instead of worrying you can spend your time enjoying your new puppy!