Life’s so much better with a pet—but not if your fur baby trashes your home within seconds of putting its paws through the door! Hence, it pays to puppy proof your house before you bring home your new bundle of furry fun.
If you think cats are mischievous, just you wait until you see your sweet, innocent puppy in action. I’ll hazard a guess—you might change its name to Rebellious Rover!
Think of your puppy as a mini adventurer; every open door is an invitation to explore, objects left lying around are there for the taking and anything new is surely in need of a chew.
However, while you’d hate to find your puppy drooling in your Nikes or wrecking your Ray-Bans, puppy proofing your house is all about the safety of your puppy—and if you can save an expensive pair of runners or your favourite sunnies in the process then that’s a bonus!
How to puppy proof your home
You should start puppy proofing your house a few days before you bring your four-legged friend home. Certainly, getting your home ship-shape (read: puppy safe) will help reduce the stress for both of you. It’ll also make puppy’s home coming a cinch.
Ready to puppy proof your house? Let’s get started room by room…
Image source: Matty Sievers on Unsplash
Living room
Make sure paper (magazines, newspapers, the favourite book you’re half-way through) is hidden away or up high, out of puppy’s reach. Puppies make excellent paper shredders, don’t you know!
Unless you want shoes full of slobber, or worse chewed—pack them away in your wardrobe.
Scatter pillows can quickly become a dog’s dinner so perhaps put them out the way, at least until feisty Fido has gotten used to his surroundings.
Dogs love apples…apple iPod, apple iPad. So be sure to keep them out of sight of Rover’s roaming eyes.
Kitchen
Draws, cabinets and cords are super cool to explore and pull on—but also very dangerous. In the same way that you’d baby proof your house, you can use child latches to prevent Puppy PI from investigating more than he should.
Make sure dangerous chemicals (often stored under the sink) are locked away; the last thing you want to do is poison your new puppy.
Image source: Berkay Gumustekin on Unsplash
Bathroom
Don’t overlook the bathroom when you puppy proof your house. Soap, bathroom cleaners, razors, sharp scissors, tweezers and a whole host of other potentially harmful objects and liquids reside in the bathroom. Childproof locks can help make exploring boring, Also, be sure to encourage all members of the family not to leave small objects (jewellery, hair grips, band-aids) lying around. Not only will this help keep your bathroom clutter free and clean, but it will keep pup safe too.
Oh and don’t forget to close the toilet seat!
Bedroom
Finding clothes and shoes (especially slippers!) on the floor can be a whole heap of fun for your little canine comrade; avoid devastation by keeping the bedroom door closed at all times.
Before you mark your Puppy Proof To Do list as complete, pretend you’re a puppy. No really, get down on all fours and take a look around your house. You’ll be surprised at how many little (swallowable) things you’ll find within puppy’s reach.
Remember that puppy proofing your house isn’t a one-off; you’ll need to keep it puppy-proofed until Rover has graduated from his Masters Degree in Mischief!
If you’re more of a cat person, check out our guide to kitten proofing your home.
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