7 Things You Must Do To Puppy-Proof Your Home
You've got yourself a puppy — congrats! This is an extremely exciting time for you. Having a new dog in the home means new adventures for you and your pup — allowing both of you to bond and strengthen your relationship. There are, however, some precautions you must take prior to bringing your pet into the household. You need to puppy-proof your house by doing ten things below.
1.Keep your trash underwraps
Well, for starters, it's an easy way to prevent a lot of problems. For instance, if you leave your trash out in front of the house, you'll likely attract animals—whether they be stray cats or raccoons—and they could make a mess and even ruin some items in your home. Keeping your trash underwraps can help keep these critters out so that they don't have access to what they're after!
It's also important because dogs love to eat things. If you have a dog and it's used to getting into the garbage can, then when you leave it open for long periods of time with food inside, there may be a chance that he'll eat some of what's inside before you come back from work or school each day. This would mean an expensive vet visit later on down the road!
2. Cover and contain cords
Cords can be extremely dangerous to your pup. They are often chewed on, which can damage the insides of their mouth, hurt their teeth, and even cause them to choke. In addition to this, they can get tangled in them or even break them by chewing on them so much.
Cables that are loose or not properly covered are also an issue because they can easily be pulled out of their sockets when your puppy plays with them. This could cause damage to any electronics that are plugged into these outlets, as well as potential injury for your dog if they accidentally plug themselves in while playing around with the cords.
In order to prevent this from happening, you should cover all exposed electrical cords including those under rugs or furniture where puppies could get trapped or chew on them without anyone knowing about it until it's too late!
You can use plastic clips or zip ties to keep loose wires together so that they don't pose as an enticement for curious puppies who may try chewing on them which could lead to electrical shock if enough voltage passes through their bodies.
3. Properly stow your bags
If a puppy can get into your bags, they could get into some dangerous items. Not only that, but it's possible that if a puppy has access to your belongings, they might start chewing on them. Kitting out your home for a puppy means making sure that there are no dangerous items lying around, especially in the places where they're likely to be curious—like near the front door or under the bed.
“Properly stowing” also means keeping all of your belongings out of reach and safely secured in cabinets or closets. This is especially important if you have medications or other dangerous items lying around in a bag—not only can a dog chew these items up, but they could accidentally ingest them as well!
4. Watch out for poisonous houseplants
Whether you have just got a chihuahua, a golden retreiver, or one of these German Shorthaired Pointers, you will no doubt be aware that puppies are curious and playful and they want to explore everything they find. They will eat anything they can get their mouths on and that includes plants. Plants can be poisonous to dogs so it is important to watch out for poisonous houseplants when you are puppy proofing your home.
The first thing you need to do is check your dog's eating habits. If he likes to chew on things, then you need to take extra precautions with any plants in your home. In addition, if your dog likes to eat grass or other plants outside, then you should also check that he does not get into any trouble eating them at home.
Some common toxic plants include azalea and rhododendron (both flowering), lilies (all types), philodendron (all types), euphorbia, oleander and holly berries (all berries). Other plants like castor bean plant and foxglove are toxic if ingested and dangerous if chewed on because they contain cyanide which breaks down quickly in the body once eaten.
5. Give them space
Attending to a puppy’s needs is the most important thing you can do for your puppy, but it’s not the only thing. You also need to make sure that you’re giving them enough space and time to decompress from their busy day.
Puppies are incredibly active and energetic, which means they need plenty of space to run around and play. However, even when they’re not running around, they still need some time to relax and recuperate.
With this, it’s important to ensure that your puppy has somewhere comfortable and quiet in your home where they can go if they want some peace and quiet. This will help them feel more secure in their new surroundings.
6. Set limits
Setting limits is about more than just preventing your dog from getting into trouble. It's also about teaching them how to be a good citizen and what's appropriate behavior in your home.
If you're not setting limits, then dogs will get into trouble and begin to act out, which will lead to more problems that are much harder to solve. You might end up with a dog who is afraid of people or other animals, or one who bites without warning. This can be the result of allowing a puppy to run around unchecked for too long—and it can take months or even years of training and medical care to correct those behaviors once they've been established.
Aside from that, setting limits also include making sure that young children are taught how to approach and play with your new puppy in a safe way. They should never grab at your puppy or pull on his ears or tail. Children should also be taught not to play roughly with him or throw balls or toys for him because this could hurt him. By setting these limits, you will be able to protect your puppy and the people who will be interacting with him at the same time.
7. Keep your batteries out of their reach
Batteries are dangerous, and they're also a choking hazard. They can leak acid and cause burns if they come into contact with skin or eyes—and that's just when they're used in the way they were intended! If you have a puppy, then you know how easily they can be tempted to put things in their mouths. If a puppy swallows a battery, then it could cause serious internal damage and even death.
The best way to prevent this from happening is by keeping all your batteries stored safely away from your puppy. Some people keep their batteries in an out-of-reach cupboard or drawer but others store them in hard to reach cabinets. This makes it so that your puppy will have trouble getting them open (and therefore won't be able to swallow them) and also keeps them organized so that you will be able to find them easily when needed.
To puppy-proof your home, you're going to have to think about a number of different things. There is no single “do this” or “don't do that” tip or trick. Instead, there's an overarching process that will result in a home that suits your pup. The good news, however, is that it's not too difficult of a process. And once you live through it once, it will become second nature and the details will become ingrained in your mind.
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