How to Puppy Proof your Home

Did you know the chocolate is poisonous to dogs? It is essential that you puppy proof your home in order to keep your puppy safe. Things that may seem hazard free for you may be deadly to your puppy.

Before bringing your pup home, dog owners like to get down on the floor so they can see what the puppy will see. By doing so, you will be able to find things that you may have never caught while standing up. Here are a few things to consider while puppy proofing your house.

How to Puppy Proof your Home

Chewing
Keep all electric cords out of reach from young pups that love to chew anything they can get their hands on. If there are items in the house with cords that can’t be hidden unplug anything that isn’t necessary (eg. lamps, vcrs etc.), or move them around so the cords are hidden behind some furniture or cover them up.

Keep television cords and other electronic necessities hidden. You can do this by duct taping them to the wall. Do this for all the rooms in the house. Its not just electric cords that you should worry about. Puppies will chew on anything that they can get their mouth on. This means shoes, toilet paper, furniture legs and much more. For the little things such as shoes, keep them away by placing them in closets. For furniture and other household items that cannot be moved, use a chew-repellent spray which isn’t toxic to yourpuppy.

Eating
Puppies will not only chew on anything, but they can also eat what they chew. So even though you might not care if your puppy chews on your curtain, keep in mind that even the smallest of fibers can cause digestive problems for your dog. Puppies will also swallow small items found around the house. Items such as jewelry, children’s toys, nails, crayons, glue, money … you get the point! Please keep ALL HOUSEHOLD CLEANING AGENTS AWAY FROM YOUR PUPPY. These agents are poisonous to your dog and in many instances can cause death if ingested. Other poisonous items found around the house are medication, household plants and chocolate (Chocolate is poisonous to dogs)

Food
It's never a good idea to give your pulpy scraps. Not only will it become annoying when every time you come to eat your dog will be sitting right in front of you begging and whinnying for food, but the food itself maybe unhealthy for your dog. Things like chocolate, grapes, animal fat, onions, raisins and salty food in general are poisonous and sometimes fatal for dogs. Keep all human food away from a puppy's reach.

Pulling
Other things to consider when puppy proofing your home is that puppies will not only chew and eat, they will also pull. Lamps around the house with cords that a puppy can reach can be pulled down by a curious puppy causing serious injury. Keep anything that can fall down and injure your dog out of reach. During holidays you must take extra precautions with Christmas trees and other decorative ornaments.

Swimming Pools
If you have pool, keep it off limits from your puppy. While puppies may be able to swim, they might not be able to get out of a pool and will drown from exhaustion. Keep your pool closed or simply keep your puppy away from the pool when she is not supervised.

How to Puppy Proof your Home - Summary

When it comes to puppy proofing your home you need to approach every room and look at with the same mentality you puppy will have. This means that you try to use the same innocence and curiosity as your pup. And don't ever think that your puppy will behave the same when you're not around. Many problems in the house occur when you are not there to supervise her so take extra precautions when you are not at home.

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