Have you decided to bring a new puppy into your home? Adding a puppy to your family takes as much precaution as adding a new baby to the home, and you need to take certain steps to make sure your puppy has a safe environment in which to play. As puppies have a lot of energy and love to explore the world, you’ll need to make sure that your puppy won’t eat something she shouldn’t or get stuck or hurt. It’s time to take a good look at your home and see what changes you can make for your puppy.
Go Room to Room
When you start puppy-proofing your home, you can start by going through all of the rooms of your house. Look at the room and consider what your puppy may get into, such a tangles of cords, wires or open cabinets that may have harmful items. Here’s the rooms you may have in your house, and the dangers you may need to avoid.
Bathrooms and Kitchens Make sure any cleaning supplies with hazardous chemicals have been put up safely. You can also secure the cabinets with a baby-proof latch. Take care to make sure your puppy can’t get into any medications, lotions, or other things that can make them sick. Close the toilet lid and make sure that there’s no standing water in the bathroom before letting the puppy in the bathroom.
Bedroom Pick up any clothing, accessories and shoes laying around to make sure the puppy can’t swallow any buttons, sequins, shoestrings and other small items. If you have sewing materials, make sure that yarn and thread are secured.
Laundry Room and Garage Clean up all puddles and spills of anything including antifreeze, detergent, fabric softener, and the like the bottles will need to be secured as well. Ensure that tools and any sharp objects have been locked up carefully, and that there aren’t any objects balanced precariously, lest they fall on the puppy. Double-check your washer and dryer, if front-loading, to make sure the puppy isn’t inside before starting it.
You should also make sure that you have plants in the home that aren’t poisonous by cross-checking your household plants with the Animal Poison Control list by the ASPCA. Any laundry bins or baskets in the home should be secured with lids, and any litter boxes (if you have cats) should be kept away from puppies as well.
Consider Small Spaces
Puppies are naturally curious, and want to explore their surroundings, unfortunately, they may end up stuck in small spaces if roaming unattended. You should make sure that you’ve closed off any such spaces, nooks and crannies, and always look before to make sure you know where the puppy is before closing any doors behind you.
As you welcome your puppy in the home, just remember that your pet will be excited about her new home, and may get into trouble, so puppy-proofing lessens the chance she will get stuck or hurt. You can also prepare your children for the new puppy by teaching them how to play nicely, pet, and take care of their new canine.