Puppy Proofing Your Home
Puppies are adorable and playful creatures that bring joy to our lives. However, they are also filled with a tremendous amount of energy and curiosity, which can lead them to explore everything around them. As a responsible pet owner, it is your job to ensure that your puppy is safe and your belongings are protected.
When thinking about puppy-proofing your home, the first step is to get down on your hands and knees and look at things from your puppy’s perspective. This will help you identify potential hazards that you may not have noticed before. Consider what is at that level that may be interesting to your puppy, and remove or secure anything that could be dangerous. You may be surprised to find many things that are potentially hazardous that you never even thought of before.
To help puppy-proof your house, take the following measures:
Electrical cords and wires: When possible, unplug electrical cords and wires. Otherwise move them out of reach, or hide them in a split plastic cable tube. Electrical cords are dangerous chewing/choking hazards that can shock, cause burns or even start a fire. Puppies can chew through cords and get electrocuted causing serious injury or even death.
Stairs: Small puppies are often unable to navigate up and down stairs and may fall down them, leading to injuries. Additionally, stairs may lead to areas in your house that are off-limits for your puppy. To ensure your puppy’s safety, it is best to purchase a baby gate, which are available at most department and pet supply stores. These gates can be used to block off staircases and other areas that are not safe for your puppy.
Cabinets: Puppies are naturally curious creatures, and they may be attracted to the contents of cabinets in your home. 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. To keep your puppy safe, it is important to either store these products in cabinets that are out of reach to puppies or purchase plastic cabinet locks or child safety locks that are available at most department and pet supply stores.
Cleaning Supplies: Store cleaning supplies out of reach or secured behind a latched door. Child proofing devices aren’t just for children, invest in a set of childproof latches to help secure these dangerous chemicals. When using cleaning supplies, make sure to keep your puppy out of the room, so they won’t be affected by chemical fumes from the cleaning products. Puppies are much smaller than humans and a small amount of cleaner can have adverse effects.
Medications: Keep all medications out of reach. Puppies can chew through plastic bill bottles so it’s important not to store medications in a spot that’s easily accessible.
Secure trashcans: The contents of your trash can may make your dog sick or could be poisonous to a small animal. Chicken bones are choking hazards, plastic can get lodged in their stomach or intestines, sharp items can cut your dog and the list goes on and on.
Choking hazards: Small items such as coins, paper clips, Legos, rubber bands, magnets, toys, sewing needles and jewelry all look like to play things to your puppy but could easily be a choking hazard or could get stuck in their stomach or intestine resulting in an emergency trip to the veterinarian. Dental floss, shoe laces and rubber bands are all items that could cause your dog to choke or result in other serious medical issues.
Sharp objects: Make sure all sharp objects are kept out of reach. This includes knives, kitchen utensils, scissors, sewing needles, razors, thumbtacks and tools. If it can cut you, it can cut your pup.
Poisonous houseplants and flowers: Beware of poisonous houseplants that can be ingested by your puppy and can cause nausea, vomiting, and in some cases, death. Consult your veterinarian for a list of dangerous house plants and flowers.
Shoes and Socks: A lot of puppies are attracted to shoes and socks. They love to chew on them, which can not only ruin your favorite shoes but could also pose a potential health risk. If a puppy were to chew on and swallow a shoelace or a piece of sock, it could get wrapped around their intestines, causing serious injury or even death. To prevent this, it is important to store your shoes and socks out of reach of your puppy. Never encourage them to chew on these items, no matter how cute it may be.
Windows: Open windows are another potential hazard to your puppy. Even when secured with a screen a puppy could easily scratch or chew through the mesh and end up in serious trouble. They could fall out of a window, or if on a lower floor, escape outside where they could get lost or run into the street. Be mindful of open windows when you are not directly supervising your puppy.
