How to prep your home for a new puppy?

Puppy proofing your home is essential to create a safe and welcoming environment for your new furry family member.

1. Remove Hazards

Remove anything that can hurt your puppy.

Get down on your hands and knees to view your home from your puppy's perspective. This will help you identify potential hazards such as electrical cords, small objects, or toxic plants.

2. Secure Electrical Cords

Make sure electrical cords are not where your puppy can chew them.

Use cord protectors or hide cords to prevent your puppy from chewing on them, which could lead to electric shocks or fires.

3. Keep Toxic Substances Out of Reach

Make sure every item that might be toxic should be away

Place household cleaners, chemicals, medications, and any other toxic substances in high cabinets or locked drawers. Ensure garbage cans are inaccessible.

4. Puppy-Proof Your Trash

Puppies love to get into garbage

Invest in a trash can with a secure lid or store it in a cabinet to prevent your puppy from rummaging through and eating harmful items.

5. Block Off Restricted Areas

Its essential for your puppy's safety

Use baby gates or pet barriers to keep your puppy out of certain rooms or areas of the house where they could get into trouble.

6. Puppy-Proof Your Yard

Your yard must be properly fenced.

encing is essential to keep your puppy safe outdoors. Ensure it's secure and without any gaps. Remove any poisonous plants in the yard.

7. Safeguard Your Furniture

Use bitter apple spray on furniture.

Cover or spray furniture legs with a pet deterrent to discourage chewing. Invest in chew toys and teach your puppy what's acceptable to chew on.

8. Protect Your Shoes and Belongings

Don't blame the pup for chewing

Keep shoes, clothing, and personal items off the floor or in closed closets to avoid them becoming chew toys.

9. Puppy-Proof Flooring

The floor should not be slippery.

If possible, opt for flooring that is easy to clean and not easily scratched. Puppies can have accidents, and they may scratch or chew on certain surfaces.

10. Supervision

Always supervise your puppy

Always keep a close eye on your puppy, especially in the early days. This will allow you to intervene if they start to chew on something they shouldn't.

Other stories

Check out the other stories from The Happy Puppers

THE HAPPY PUPPERS is your one-stop destination for everything related to dog care, health, psychology and training.

The Blog

Check out The Happy Puppers blog

Hi I am Dr Shruti. I love writing on everything related to dog care. Welcome to your one-stop destination of dog care. Articles focus on dog care, grooming, psychology, training, diseases and everything else dog-related.