How to Puppy Proof your Home

It's easy to overlook things that may be harmful to your new puppy or might get chewed up. Here are some tips to help you puppy proof your home.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. 

   Unplug or wrap up electrical cords that are exposed. Move lighting around so that the cord is running behind a piece of furniture that the puppy cannot get to. Where there is a lot of cords such as your television or computer, either block access to the cords or duct tape the cords out of reach. Also, you can use a ceramic planter to put the excess cord inside of and to block access to the plug going into the wall.

2. 

   Remove throw rugs that have fringe. It is better just to remove the rug for awhile until the puppy gets older.

3. Get in a habit of putting your shoes out of reach. If a shoe does get chewed, do not just give it to the puppy as they cannot tell the difference between a shoe they can chew and one they cannot. It's better to make all shoes off limits.

4. 

   Use Bitter Apple spray on furniture legs, woodwork and other immovable items to keep the puppy from chewing on them.

5. Close doors or install a baby gate to keep the puppy out of rooms that they don't need to be in. This can include your child's room as they will chew and possible swallow children's toys and crayons.

6. Install baby gates on the bottom and tops of stairs (if the puppy goes upstairs with you.)

7. 

   Check your back yard for any dangerous plants (check with your vet for a list) that the puppy may chew and any holes in your fence that the puppy could get through.

8. Keep your puppy away from a location where you have used fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides for 48 hours.

9. 

   Keep your garbage can locked up or up off the floor, or purchase a heavy duty one. A puppy will be attracted to the smell and if they manage to knock it over will chew or swallow what was in the garbage.

10. Keep hamsters or other small caged animals off of the floor until the puppy gets older.

11. Remove tablecloths and runners as a quick pull on one of these can bring everything from the table down on your puppy. Also, check any long cords from window shades that a puppy may be able to reach.

12. 

    Use a baby latch on your bottom cubbards, particularly any that may have cleaning products or just temporarily remove the products.

13. Block access to your swimming pool as not all puppies can swim.

Tips & Warnings

• Look at your house as though you were going to let a baby crawl around to help you identify anything that may be harmful for the puppy. If need be get on all fours and crawl around to get a different view of what your puppy will see.
• Remember that these are temporarily changes in your household and before long you can put things back the way they were.

[cookvegan]

on 7/9/2008 Also remember to hide all of your chocolate and to keep your poinsettias out of reach during Christmas time, both are poisonous to puppies and dogs.

[Desula]

on 6/14/2008 Thank you for these tips. Those tricky pups of mine were mischievous and liked to chew on anything they could. I had puppy proofed so well Biscuit (the black dog in my avatar) had to chew on the wall.

[L1onherd]

on 6/13/2008 This works well for kitties to

[LNAngel]

on 6/11/2008 I remember my puppy and fringe - yikes!

[momandpopoften]

on 6/9/2008 Never would have thought of some of these dangers myself. thanks!