You did it! You are finally bringing your puppy home! But...first things first...prepare your home! Here are some tips on what to look out for to keep Fido safe:
Puppies resemble toddlers in various ways: they possess a seemingly unlimited amount of curiosity to explore the new world around them and they have developing brains with a short attention span and little tolerance for temptation. Unlike toddlers who are armed with opposable thumbs, puppies explore their novel surroundings with their teeth—making household products, from cleaners to metal picture frames, even more hazardous to your adorable runt. In order to protect said cutie, follow these simple guidelines to puppy-proofing your home.
- Keep electrical wires out of chew-range. Plastic and rubber-covered wires can look like rope or pull toys to puppies, but once they chew, they can experience electric shock. A good way to hide wires is to cover them in duct tape and secure them to the ground. Simply tucking them under your carpet won't do for the inquisitive pup.
- Keep garbage in closets, under sinks, or in other enclosed spaces. A puppy will chew up and ingest anything—from Styrofoam cups to paper wrappers. While eating those would not be the end of the world, if your puppy ingests eggshells, chocolate, coffee, onions, chicken bones or other poisonous and/or harmful products, sickness or even death will result.
- Remove all poisonous plants. Common poisonous household plants include: dieffenbachia, azalea, Calla lily, philodendron, cactus and mistletoe.
- Put and keep all prescription and over the counter medicine as well as other household cleaning products and toiletries in a medicine cabinet or other place impossible to reach or enter by your puppy. In a particularly unfortunate case, a springer spaniel mistook Advil for treats and ingested a lethal dosage. While she lived, others might not be so lucky. Be aware that many medicines such as Advil are candy-coated and may smell/look appetizing to a puppy. Scented shampoos or soaps might have a similar allure.
- Keep all small objects that may not appear toxic off the floor. For example, you may habitually leave socks around your laundry basket. Puppies love playing with socks and can swallow these too! Maintaining a tidy home environment can be a great prevention from these sorts of accidents. Don't forget the change that falls out of your jean pockets, too! A copper disc in a puppy-stomach is a dangerous situation.
- Develop and stick to a solution for containing your puppy when you are out of the house. This way, when you are not able to watch them, you can isolate your puppy in an area guranteed to be safe. Popular solutions include crates, baby gates to close off doorways, and play pens. These items are especially useful during potty-training, because you can keep puppy-pads inside each area for them to pee on when they need to.
- With time and patience, teach your pup what is/is not chewable and what surfaces (if any) she or he is allowed to play on. A stern “NO!” when your youngster chews/jumps on a forbidden object followed by a reward of a toy when your pup stops can go a long way over time. It can also be useful to spray Bitter Apple on specific items your puppy continues to go back to.
- Finally, don't forget your yard—if you have one! Puppy-proofing your yard is just like your home. Watch out specifically for fertilizers, escape routes, poisonous outdoor plants (including wild mushrooms!) and dead animals.
For more tips on puppy-proofing your home, check this out....
Good luck and stay tuned for more tips and advice on your puppy's health and training!
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