A Comprehensive Guide to Puppy Proofing Your Home – A View Through Your Dog’s Eyes
Keeping your house puppy-safe should be a priority if you own a pup. Countless items lying around could cause harm if consumed by them. Puppies can’t tell the difference between edible & inedible objects, which is why it’s essential to take steps to secure them before bringing your pup home. By now, I’m sure you’ve conducted your fair share of research and have gained a solid understanding of adequately caring for your adorable new puppy. Puppies are still learning the difference between things they can and cannot consume. So, whether it’s a delicious snack or something they can chew on, they have yet to figure out which items are safe. Acquiring knowledge to safeguard your pup’s health and safety is developed over time with training and nurturing. Puppy-proofing your home is essential to protect your puppy from potentially dangerous things, illness, and avoidable vet visits.
What is Puppy Proofing, and Why is it Important?
13 Steps For Puppy Proofing Your Home
To ensure your pup’s safety and well-being, it’s essential to prepare your home before they arrive. Taking specific preventative measures will help keep them out of harm’s way when they’re inside your house. If you’re bringing home a puppy, it’s essential to ensure they stay safe while exploring. To do so, puppy-proof your home by following these 13 steps. This will avoid unnecessary danger and provide you and your pup peace of mind.
Keep Dogs off Furniture
Keeping your puppy safe is paramount; it’s heartbreaking and dangerous when a pup gets into something it shouldn’t. Securing furniture and decorations such as lamps, bookcases, and other decorations is essential to avoid this. Open storage containers can also be a hazard to puppies, so they must be out of reach. This includes craft supplies, coins, shoes, and other small objects that could cause choking hazards or get stuck in their mouths.
Hide Electrical Cords from dogs.
Avoid potential shocks, burns, or accidents for your puppy by unplugging electrical cords. Put them out of reach or plug them through cord concealers. As an added measure, use cord covers and deterrent sprays on electric cords and power cables to ensure added safety. Always be aware of where your puppy is when they are not in a crate or pen, as puppies tend to chew on anything & everything. Plenty of chew toys can help divert their attention from hazardous objects around the house that could cause burns or electrical shock.
Keep Dangerous Foods Out of the Site
Keep food from the table away from pups. Even though they may look cute when begging for food, many human foods are unhealthy. Stay away from sugarless gum, chocolate, raisins, and other foods that can be dangerous or even lethal to dogs.
Cleaning Supplies
Ensure you securely put any cleaning supplies away, whether in high cabinets or behind doors, with childproof latches. This will help keep your puppy from coming into contact with harmful chemicals like detergents, glue and automotive fluids usually found in the house. Watch out for those sharp puppy teeth! They can easily chew through even a safety cap, making antifreeze, rat and mouse poisons, and slug baits that are particularly hazardous and need extra caution when cleaning up spills or storing containers.
Medication Cabinet
Store all your medications safely, out of the reach and sight of pets. Pets are often poisoned by human medications and supplements left around carelessly. Please keep them in secure cabinets or drawers to avoid any hazardous incidents. Storing your pets’ medications in a different place from yours is advisable to ensure safety.
Toilet Lids
To ensure your pup’s safety, keeping the toilet lids shut is a must always. This is of utmost importance and should not be overlooked. Not only can they accidentally slip and fall inside, but they also risk consuming unsanitary toilet water. Toilet lids should be kept shut to ensure your pup’s safety and prevent potential accidents or illnesses.
Windows & Doors
Keeping your puppy safe should always be a top priority. Taking preventative measures can help ensure your pup stays safe and secure. This can include fitting suitable screens on windows to prevent accidents, such as falling out or running away. Doing so can prevent your puppy from escaping or falling out of the window and getting injured or lost.
Window Treatments
When making your home safe for puppies, the usual puppy-proofing activities may come to mind, but some unknown risks can be overlooked. For example, remember to secure your curtains. Low-hanging curtains can be a temptation that puppies may chew on and even attempt to pull down from the wall – so make sure they are tied up or pulled up high out of reach. Your pup could be at risk when they get curious about the cords used to raise and lower your curtains. Chewing on the plastic or tangling themselves up in the strings can lead to strangulation, so monitoring their interactions with these materials is essential.
Choking Objects
Awareness of the potential safety hazards that small objects can pose to puppies is essential. From coins, rubber bands and paper clips to jewelry, if ingested, these objects can create a choking hazard for puppies. To ensure their health and safety, it is essential to keep small things out of reach of puppies and take extra steps to put away any items that could pose a risk.
Sharp Objects
Keeping sharp objects away from your dog is essential to ensure their safety. Anything that can cut or puncture, such as knives, scissors, razors, and tools, should be stored in a secure location that your pet cannot access. Sharp objects can cause severe injuries if swallowed or mishandled, so it is essential to take the necessary precautions to keep them safe.
Secure Trashcans
Keeping trashcans securely lidded is essential when owning a puppy. Not only do puppies have an irresistible urge to explore, but they are also drawn to the odours from waste, which can cause upset stomachs or, worse, be toxic. Properly securing and lidding trash cans can help keep puppies safe and healthy.
Dangerous House Plants
Houseplants may look harmless, but they can be toxic to dogs. Ingestion of certain plants can lead to various health problems, including digestive issues, organ failure, and potentially even death. It is best to move these potentially dangerous plants away from any areas accessible by pets. Certain plants can have hazardous effects on dogs if ingested, including the Sago Palm (depicted in the inset photograph near a pup’s crate), cycads, Castor Bean, American Yew & Autumn Crocus. It is best to keep such plants away from our furry friends for their safety. The Animal Poison Control Center has an extensive list of potentially toxic plants and flowers. It’s helpful to check it out if you want to understand more about this topic.
Batteries are Hazardous to dogs.
Batteries can be hazardous and should be handled with caution. Pets should never have access to remote controls, electronic toys, key fobs, or any other items with batteries. Keep them out of reach to avoid potentially dangerous situations. It’s not just small items that animals can accidentally ingest – batteries are also a risk. Swallowing one can cause severe damage inside the esophagus due to its burning properties. Disc batteries, in particular, are highly hazardous and should be avoided at all costs.
Tips For a Dog-Friendly Yard
Secure your Puppy in the Yard with Fencing
Fencing the yard is an ideal solution for containing your puppy. Please ensure the fence height is high enough that it can’t be jumped over and there are no open spaces for them to crawl through. This will help keep it safe and inside its boundaries.
Outdoor Hazardous Plants
To ensure that your puppy is safe, clearing away any outdoor hazardous plants from your garden is essential. This way, they won’t be able to access any potentially dangerous vegetation, and you can relax knowing they are secure.
Secure In-ground Pools from Dogs
Installing a fence around your in-ground pool is essential to ensure puppy safety. This way, they cannot accidentally fall in the pool and will be able to learn pool safety with you or a dog trainer. Considering this precaution is essential for all pet owners with pools at home.
Outdoor Dog Elimination Area
Having an outdoor area for your pup to use as their bathroom is a great way to keep your yard clean and avoid having your pup do their business in other parts of the yard. It’s essential to make sure that the space you allocate is ample enough so that they can be comfortable and far enough away from other parts of the yard. Doing this will ensure that you can enjoy a clean and safe backyard.
Ticks & Dog Grooming
Ticks can be a nuisance for pet owners and their furry companions, but there are ways to reduce the risk of tick infestation. Regular lawn maintenance, such as keeping the grass short, is one of the most effective methods for preventing ticks from residing in your yard. Additionally, well-groomed pups are less likely to pick up ticks on their fur during outdoor excursions. Following these simple steps can help keep your beloved pets safe and tick-free.
Protect Dogs from Fertilizers & Pesticides
Protecting your pup from potentially hazardous pesticides and insecticides is an essential responsibility of pet owners. Many yards have been treated with fertilizers, pesticides or insecticides that can be highly hazardous to pets. To ensure your pup stays healthy and happy, keeping them away from the area as much as possible is best. It is also essential to avoid using insecticides whenever possible since the chemicals can be incredibly toxic and dangerous for pets.
Keeping Dog Hydrated When Outdoors
In hot weather, the safety and comfort of our pets should be top of mind. Keeping them outside when temperatures rise can put them at risk of dehydration, heat stroke and other dangers. In the hotter months, it is vital to keep things cool for them by providing adequate shade and a steady supply of cool water. This will ensure their comfort and help them stay healthy. We can help keep our furry friends healthy and happy during summer with a few simple precautions!
Cleaning up Feces
Keeping your puppy’s environment clean is essential to their health and well-being. If ingested, puppy waste can contain bacteria and parasites that can cause serious health issues. Therefore, it is essential to properly clean up after your puppy every day to prevent them from ingesting their waste products. Doing so will help keep them healthy and ensure your home is free of odours or messes.
Never Leave a Pup Outside Alone
Taking care of a puppy is an important responsibility and requires much attention. With the help of supervision, you can ensure your pup stays safe and healthy as they grow. By watching them during their early years, you can coach them, communicate with them, and safeguard them from potential danger. Supervised outdoor activities are highly recommended during this time as they can help strengthen the bond between you and your pup while providing physical and mental stimulation.
Owning and caring for a puppy can be an incredibly fulfilling experience, giving you lots of love, loyalty and joy in return. As a puppy parent, you must ensure your furry friend is safe and healthy. You must provide them with the necessary nutrition, exercise and love they need and ensure their safety is not compromised. With dedication and commitment to this role, puppies will bring immense joy into your life – making it worthwhile to take on this demanding yet rewarding task.
Conclusion
Don’t forget to look around your home when considering potential hazards. Check even the hard-to-reach places, even if it means getting down on all fours. It’s essential to find a safe spot for any precious items, such as tablecloths with tassels, curtains, or shoes lying around until your puppy has developed better manners. This will help minimize the risk of them being hurt by the pup. Even though they may chew up your things and cause trouble, your puppy will teach you many fun lessons. You will have a loyal best friend who loves you endlessly!
