Puppies are super cute and so much fun to have around. They are
filled with energy and curious about everything around them. It is
your job as a responsible pet owner to puppy proof your house to
make it safe from them and to protect your belongings.
The first thing you should do when puppy proofing your house is to
go room to room on your hands and knees. Look at the things in your
home from your puppy’s perspective. Think about what is at that
level that may be interesting to him. You may be surprised to find
many things that are potentially dangerous that you never even
thought of before.
One thing you should be aware of in your household is the location
of electrical cords. Make sure to limit your puppy’s access to
these areas. Puppies can chew through cords and get electrocuted
causing serious injury or even death. Wrap cords up and store them
away or lay down rubber or plastic runners that can be purchased at
most home supply stores.
Another potentially dangerous thing for puppies is your stairs.
Small puppies have a hard time navigating up and down stairs and
could fall down them and injure themselves. Stairs also lead to
areas in your house that may be off limits. The best way to ensure
that your puppy stays away from the stairs is to purchase baby
gates, available at most department and pet supply stores.
Just as curious toddlers are, puppies are very curious about what
is inside cabinets. Many people store cleaning supplies and
personal care products in cabinets that can be accessible to
puppies. These kinds of products contain harmful ingredients that
can injure or kill your puppy. Make sure to either store these
products in cabinets that are out of reach to puppies, or purchase
plastic cabinet locks that are available at most department and pet
supply stores.
Be aware of small objects that are located around the home, on
coffee tables and other surfaces that are accessible to your puppy.
Just as with small children, puppies can choke on items like coins,
needles, jewelry and small toys. Make sure to keep these kinds of
items out of your puppy’s reach.
Puppies seem to be attracted to shoes and socks. They love to chew
on them. Not only will this ruin your favorite shoes, if a puppy
were to chew on and swallow a shoelace or a sock, it could get
wrapped around their intestines causing serious injury or death.
Make sure to store your shoes and socks out of reach of your puppy,
and NEVER encourage them to chew on these items, no matter how cute
it may be.
Always limit your puppy’s access to the bathroom. Bathroom garbage
is very tempting to chew on. If your dog were to swallow some
dental floss or feminine products, this could be very harmful to
them. Puppies also are curious about toilets. Small pups could fall
in an open toilet and drown. Make sure to keep your bathroom door
shut at all times, or install a baby gate at the entrance to your
bathroom. The same can be said for the kitchen and kitchen garbage.
Open windows are another potential hazard to your puppy. Being very
curious about the world around them, they could easily fall out of
a window causing serious harm or death. On the ground floor, they
could exit out of the window and get lost or run into the street.
Be mindful of open windows when you are not directly supervising
your puppy.
House plants are another concern when it comes to puppies. Most
dogs are very attracted to plants and many household plants are
toxic to animals and can cause nausea, vomiting, and in some cases,
death. Always make sure to keep house plants away from your puppy’s
reach.
The best way to puppy proof your house is to crate train your puppy
right away. You are providing him with a safe place to go whenever
he wants to as well as a place to be safely contained when you are
not able to directly supervise him. If you need more information
about puppy proofing your home, consult your veterinarian or pet
professional.
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