Tips for Puppy Proofing Your Home

Tips for Puppy Proofing Your Home

It’s true what they say, a home with a four-legged friend has a lot of extra love and snuggles in it. If your family has made the decision to bring home a puppy there are some things you’ll need to consider to make the transition a smooth one. Unlike older dogs that have already been trained, you’ll likely be dealing with some behavior, potty and chewing issues until the dog is older and well adjusted.

Here are some tips for puppy proofing your home to keep your belongings and new friend safe.

Put the Shoes Away

Especially if you own pricey shoes that you care about, it’s important to now keep them stored away safely somewhere out of sight. Shoes laying around the house are an easy target for dogs and they are obsessed with chewing them up. Replace the urge by providing your pup with toys meant for chewing that they can use instead.

Block off Stairways

Just as with young children, you’ll need to think about investing in a baby gate to block stairways to help keep your puppy safe from harm. Their natural instinct to explore could send them tumbling down the stairs if they’re still not sure how to climb them. Be sure to also note if your puppy is small enough to possibly squeeze between the rails as this will require an even greater job of blocking off access to the area to avoid serious injury.

Never Leave the Door Open

If you’ve never had to think about shutting the door that leads outside immediately to keep a pet indoors, this may take some getting used to. There are too many dangers outside for a young pup who is not on a leash. From moving traffic, to other dogs, and not to mention how easily they could get lost. Until you are able to train your dog to wait for the leash or to sit and stay when the door is open, it’s best to watch carefully that doors shut immediately and not opened wide enough for them to slip out.

Put Chemicals and Other Dangerous Items Out of Reach

Much like making the home safe for small children, you’ll need to keep chemicals, cleaning supplies and even plants that dogs could mistakenly eat high out of reach. Toxins for dogs could also be chocolate, medication or a food like grapes. Read up on what items are toxic and be sure everyone in the home is aware of the dangers and to keep the dog safely away from them.

Be Consistent with Potty Training

Potty training is one of the major tasks that comes with bringing a young puppy into the home. They are still learning what the outdoors versus the indoors regarding when it is time to relieve themselves. Have plenty of newspapers and pee pads laid out in case of an accident but don’t allow the puppy to get comfortable with using the indoors for the bathroom. One of the best ways to get them accustomed with the outdoors is to bring them with a leash outside every hour to the same spot until they realize the reasoning behind this action. As they start to do as intended, reinforce the behaviors with lots of praise.

Give them plenty of love

Finally, the most important thing you can do for a new puppy when bringing them into the home is to show them lots of love and affection. Dogs really are man’s best friend and a terrific companion. Having a pet around to grow along with the family can create deep and lasting bonds.

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