SolveYourProblem.com Article Series: Dog Care
Dog Care Tips
How
To Make A Home Puppy Proof
Puppies are super cute and so much fun to have around. They
are filled with energy and curious about everything around
them. It is your job as a responsible pet owner to puppy
proof your house to make it safe from them and to protect
your belongings.
The first thing you should do when puppy proofing your house
is to go room to room on your hands and knees. Look at the
things in your home from your puppy’s perspective. Think about
what is at that level that may be interesting to him. You may
be surprised to find many things that are potentially dangerous
that you never even thought of before.
One thing you should be aware of in your household is the
location of electrical cords. Make sure to limit your puppy’s
access to these areas. Puppies can chew through cords and get
electrocuted causing serious injury or even death. Wrap cords
up and store them away or lay down rubber or plastic runners
that can be purchased at most home supply stores.
Another potentially dangerous thing for puppies is your stairs.
Small puppies have a hard time navigating up and down stairs
and could fall down them and injure themselves. Stairs also
lead to areas in your house that may be off limits. The best
way to ensure that your puppy stays away from the stairs is
to purchase baby gates, available at most department and pet
supply stores.
Just as curious toddlers are, puppies are very curious about
what is inside cabinets. Many people store cleaning supplies
and personal care products in cabinets that can be accessible
to puppies. These kinds of products contain harmful ingredients
that can injure or kill your puppy. Make sure to either store
these products in cabinets that are out of reach to puppies,
or purchase plastic cabinet locks that are available at most
department and pet supply stores.
Be aware of small
objects that are located around the home,
on coffee tables and other surfaces that are accessible to
your puppy. Just as with small children, puppies can choke
on items like coins, needles, jewelry and small toys. Make
sure to keep these kinds of items out of your puppy’s reach.
Puppies seem to be attracted to shoes
and socks. They love
to chew on them. Not only will this ruin your favorite shoes,
if a puppy were to chew on and swallow a shoelace or a sock,
it could get wrapped around their intestines causing serious
injury or death. Make sure to store your shoes and socks out
of reach of your puppy, and NEVER encourage them to chew on
these items, no matter how cute it may be.
Always limit your puppy’s access to the bathroom. Bathroom
garbage is very tempting to chew on. If your dog were to swallow
some dental floss or feminine products, this could be very
harmful to them. Puppies also are curious about toilets. Small
pups could fall in an open toilet and drown. Make sure to keep
your bathroom door shut at all times, or install a baby gate
at the entrance to your bathroom. The same can be said for
the kitchen and kitchen garbage.
Open
windows are another potential hazard to your puppy. Being
very curious about the world around them, they could easily
fall out of a window causing serious harm or death. On the
ground floor, they could exit out of the window and get lost
or run into the street. Be mindful of open windows when you
are not directly supervising your puppy.
House
plants are another concern when it comes to puppies.
Most dogs are very attracted to plants and many household plants
are toxic to animals and can cause nausea, vomiting, and in
some cases, death. Always make sure to keep house plants away
from your puppy’s reach.
The best way to puppy proof your house is to crate train your
puppy right away. You are providing him with a safe place to
go whenever he wants to as well as a place to be safely contained
when you are not able to directly supervise him. If you need
more information about puppy proofing your home, consult your
veterinarian or pet professional.
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