Puppy
Proofing Your Home
|
|
The process of preparing your house for your new bundle of joy will begin before he arrives. Take time to make your house a safe and comfortable environment for your little pup. Remember, unlike a newborn baby, your pup will be old enough to walk around and explore on his own. Even if you confine him to a crate, there will be times when he's allowed to roam the house and yard free.
Puppy Proofing Inside the House
Before you bring your new pup home, take a look at your house through his eyes. Get down on your hands and knees, and begin looking at your house the way a pup would. What would he find interesting enough to chew or put in his mouth? Which corners would he be attracted to? If you have cabinets in your house with loosely hinged doors, would he be able to accidentally enter one and lock himself in? Are there electrical switches or plugs installed at floor level?
Electrical cords dangling temptingly within reach of your pup can be too alluring to ignore. Tuck these away, and duct tape electrical switch outlets that are at his level.
Make sure cabinet doors have locks, or purchase cabinet locks for these. Most of the time house cleaners, solvents, bleach and other potentially dangerous chemicals are stored in these cabinets, and these can prove a poison hazard to your puppy.
Your puppy might have difficulty navigating your stairs. Purchase baby gates and use these to seal off the staircase.
Puppies and shoes have an unspoken bond between them. You might not know it, but your puppy could swallow shoelaces as he chews on your shoes. Keep your shoes in a shoe rack with doors.
Drawstrings hanging from draperies can choke your puppy if he manages to get it tangled around his neck.
Until your pup is house trained, keep all knick knacks, ash trays, curios and crystal out of his reach.
Remove your children's toys from the floor, small toys like cars or blocks can be swallowed, and can lead to perforation of the abdomen.
Keep you garbage can closed with a lid at all times . Pups are notoriously fond of rummaging in garbage, even when there's good fresh food available at home. It's a part of the wild instinct that remains in them and there isn't a lot you can do to curb this urge. But you can keep them away from the sources of decaying organic matter. Eating rotting food can cause food poisoning and other serious illnesses.
Keep your bathroom door latched at all times from the outside when not in use.
Keep your basements off limits for your puppy. The basement or garage is home to a lot of junk and is full of potentially harmful things that can harm your pet.
Keep your children's pencils, erasers, crayons and other stationery off limits by putting these in a large bin, and placing on a table so he can't reach it.
Keep your cosmetics and make up off your dressing table, and safely tucked away in drawers and locked cabinets.
Keep medicines away from doggy level. Pills, bottles and strips - make sure all are safely locked away in cabinets.
Puppy Proofing Outside the House
If your garden is full of exotic plants, it's probably best if you keep it off limits to your pup. Consult your vet about the types of plants that could cause him harm. Plants like cactus and mushroom are potentially dangerous for a pup.
If you use fertilizers or pest repellents on your lawn or in your garden, leave a gap of 48 hours before you allow your pet access to the area.
Make sure your fence is secure especially near the ground, to prevent the possibility of your pup sneaking out through to the other side.
Keep your pet away from your garage - there are too many old paint cans and tools there for it be safe for him.
Remember, a puppy is attracted to most of the same things a toddler or a crawling baby is. Use this logic to figure out what other potential dangers could be lurking in your home and garden.
| Dog
Training HQ |
| Dog
Training Articles |
| Puppy
Training |
| House
Training |
| Dog
Training Tips |
