Puppies like to chew things, including paper clips, rubber bands, and staples, which can be choking hazards. Move office supplies, plants, and decorative items to higher shelves or out of reach.
Puppies can also find their way to household chemicals and toxins such as bug sprays, rat poison, fertilizer, and herbicides. These should be stored out of reach in a cabinet or behind locked doors.
Close Doors
Puppies for sale are curious by nature and want to explore the world around them. However, suppose they’re not safely confined and supervised inside the home. In that case, this curiosity can lead them to dangerous places like electrical cords, poisonous plants, and even toys with batteries (which could cause choking or burns).
Small items can be choking hazards for puppies, so you must keep them in containers or out of reach. This includes paper clips, rubber bands, coins, and jewelry pieces. It’s also important to move items that a puppy might try to chew, such as delicate table lamps or framed pictures, to other locations that are out of reach.
Ensure you shut all cabinet doors shut all cabinet doors, especially those with lower cabinets containing chemicals, detergents, bleach, rags, and other cleaning supplies. Blind cords can also be a strangulation risk for pups, so tuck them out of reach. Purchase doggy gates to block access to rooms that haven’t been puppy-proofed and to all stairs. Look for ones with vertical bars; intelligent puppies can learn to hoist themselves on horizontal ones to scale them.
Secure Electrical Cords
Puppies love to play with cords and wires, so securing electrical ones is essential when puppy-proofing your home. Enclosed cables can tangle and choke puppies or cause an electric shock, so always keep them wrapped or tucked away.
When tripping hazards exist, use a baby gate to restrict access to the area. This is especially useful in rooms that contain hazardous items, such as cleaning products or medications. It’s also a good idea to look at all objects from your pet’s perspective by getting down on the floor or looking up at them. You might notice that low shelves filled with knickknacks, toys, and books should be moved higher out of reach or that the cords that raise blinds can easily be pulled down and strangled.
If your pets like to chew, consider using a bitter-tasting pet deterrent or wrapping the cords in flexible cable or PVC. You can also camouflage them by choosing cord-covering supplies that are a close color match to your floors and walls. This will help them blend in and make them less attractive to curious puppies.
Keep Purses and Bags Out of Reach
Puppy teeth are sharp and hungry, and they chew on almost anything they can get their mouths on. Objects that are small enough to choke on, like hair ties, jewelry, and coins, can be dangerous for your new puppy, so store them away. Likewise, sewing needles and fish hooks can lead to life-threatening infections if swallowed. According to Nationwide Pet Insurance, veterinarians often see dogs and puppies with foreign bodies lodged in their digestive tracts.
If you have items that can fall over, such as vases, bookshelves, and other furniture, ensure they’re secured or blocked with baby gates or doors to prevent your puppy from accessing them. Also, keep medications, such as human and prescription pet medicine, out of reach in a cabinet with a lock.
Take your time going through each room, getting down on the floor, and seeing your home from a puppy’s perspective. You might be surprised at everything you can’t find or don’t think your pup will try to get into. This is one of the most essential parts of puppy-proofing your house.
Keep Things Clean
As part of puppy-proofing, it is essential to keep household items clean. This includes putting away purses, gym bags, and diaper bags containing minor choking hazards, like buttons, coins, or Lego pieces. Also, ensure that scissors, razor blades, and needles are stored away from prying paws. Ingesting even a few hair ties, ribbons, or jewelry can cause gastrointestinal distress in puppies.
The garage and shed are other areas that can pose dangers for a curious puppy. Paint, cleaners, insecticides, rat and snail poison, lawn and auto chemicals, fuels, and antifreeze must be locked up in containers with secure latches or kept out of reach.
Puppies are naturally curious; yours will likely want to explore as much of your home as possible. Use baby gates and pens to confine her to a room that has been puppy-proofed. Alternatively, you can use baby supplies and locks designed for toddlers to secure cabinets and other objects she may try to reach. When you do this, inspect the space from your dog’s point of view. Get on your hands and knees, and you’ll notice more things that need to be moved or secured.
Don’t Let Anything Fall
Puppies like to eat anything they find, so be vigilant about putting away choking hazards. These can include coins, small toys, string, and loose pieces of food. Regularly check under sofas and other low places for clutter that could entice a curious puppy. Stow pillows and blankets in decorative bins to keep them out of reach, and tuck away cords that might become chewing targets. Also, regularly check the floors for tripping hazards—secure lamps, vases, and decorations that could fall and injure your pup.
The best way to see the potential hazards in your home is to get down on all fours and crawl around the room, as a puppy would. This will help you spot things that a puppy might snag or chew on, such as throw rugs, tablecloths, and low shelves of books and knickknacks. If you have a fireplace, keep the screen in place to prevent your pup from getting burned or harmed by flames or flying sparks. Also, tuck away cords that raise blinds to avoid accidental strangulation.