How to Puppy Proof Your House - A Complete Guide

Part of what makings having a new puppy around the house is their seemingly endless levels of energy and playfulness. It’s that same playfulness and it’s accompanying curiosity that can put your new puppy in harm’s way.

There are a myriad of hazards your puppy faces in and around your house that you should address and be prepared for prior to bringing your new puppy home. Puppy proofing your house can be a very simple process if you are aware of all the hazards to keep an eye out for.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• childproof cabinet locks
• baby gates for unsafe areas of the house
• bungee cords to secure containers

1. First off, install child-proof latches on all of your cabinets. This should include the kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Next, make sure that items that belong in cabinets stay there. Plastic bottles of household cleaner and medications/supplements should be put away at all times. An energetic puppy can chew right through a plastic bottle in no time flat, so don’t take something’s protective packaging for granted.

2. Plants, both indoors and out, can pose a threat to your new puppies health. While there is a list of plants known to be dangerous to dogs here, it’s always better to be safe than sorry. Besides, even if your plants are not dangerous to your puppy, I doubt you want to have it chewing them up.

3. Some of the things people often overlook are small items around the house. Pocket change, jewelry, paper clips, rubber bands as well as cigarettes and lighters. You may not think of these items as something a puppy would want to eat, but you’d be quite surprised at just how curious pets are.

4. Keep your trash cans behind closed doors or in cabinets if possible. Sometimes this won’t be as easy as it sounds, especially with larger trash cans and with heavily trafficked bathrooms they may accidentally be left open. It may take a bit of extra work, but bungee cords can be used to secure trash cans and other large containers. In either case, trash cans should be a high priority for you, as razor blades, chicken bones and other small, indigestible items can cause intestinal blockage and quite possibly death.

5. It may be a good idea to invest in a couple of baby gates to keep your puppy out of certain areas of the house. Stairs can be an issue, as well as areas of the house that you may be cleaning with chemicals. Also, if you have a cat, it would be a good idea to keep a baby gate up in the room where you keep the litter box. Puppies have been known to eat cat poop and, aside from it obviously being a little gross, cat poop can carry worms and the litter itself can give your puppy intestinal blockage.

6. Ovens and fireplaces can cause serious burn injuries. Sinks, toilets and pools can be a drowning hazard. Keep doors/gates closed and baby gates installed to keep your puppy out of these types of areas. Garages can also be an extreme hazard as gasoline, antifreeze and other chemicals can pose serious health hazards to your puppy.

7. Lastly, puppy proof your house from choking hazards. Electric cords can get tangled around your puppies neck (in addition to the inherent danger of electrocution). Also, puppies left alone on a leash outdoors can get tangled around BBQ grills, lawn furniture and porch railing resulting in possibly neck injuries or strangulation. Be sure to keep a close eye, as always, on your new puppy.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't take your puppies size for granted. Counter tops and coffee tables may seem well above your puppies reach, but you'd be surprised just how determined they can be.
• Just because something doesn't small or taste yummy, doesn't mean your pup won't try chewing or swallowing it.

Resources

• The Dog Scholar