Puppy Proofing Your House
Making House Safe For New Puppy!
Puppies Like A Safe Place To Roam!
Introduction
Congratulations on bringing a new puppy into your family. Puppy proofing your house now plays an important role as you make preparations for a safe environment for puppies. Puppies have lots of energy and are very curious so getting your house ready for his arrival must be thorough. As you may have lots of stuff exposed to his curious mind.
First and foremost, your new puppy does not know what he can and cannot do. He must be trained to perform the proper behaviors you want him to do. This will take time and patience on both you and your pet. Training him will take on a huge priority of your daily routine.
Puppies need to get acclimated to their surroundings and his owner. I know that this can be very challenging. Right now, everyone is excited about the new arrival.
This article will help you to prepare your house or apartment on the inside for the arrival of a new puppy or dog. We also have included a section on the outside or yard.
Video – New Puppy Preparation
A short video on what new dog owners need to do for new puppy.
Puppy Proofing Indoors
Below is a list of things you need to do that makes the arrival of your new puppy or dog to be trouble free.
- Secure electrical cords. Cords can be chewing hazards so keep them out of reach or string them through cord concealers.
- Keep cleaning supplies in secured cabinets. When using them be sure puppy is out of the area as the vapors may be harmful to him from the chemicals.
- Pick everything up you don’t want chewed or destroyed. Puppy doesn’t know the rules yet so everything is fair game to him. So, keep shoes, socks, purses, gym bags, backpacks and keys out of reach.
- Put all medications away in a safe place. Do not leave out medications on night stand, coffee table, low tables, bathroom counters, so puppy cannot get into them.
- Keep all toilet lids closed. So puppy won’t drink the water especially if it contains a flush cleaner which can be harmful.
- Keep doors and windows closed. This will keep puppy from escaping or falling out. Secure the cords that raise the blinds to prevent them from getting caught in puppy’s neck.
- Avoid feeding him table scraps. Do not get tempted to feed your pet table scraps. It’s not healthy for him and some foods are poisonous to dogs. Only feed him his kibble or treats.
- Put away small items that can be choking hazards. This includes coins, paper clips, rubber bands, and jewelry.
- Keep sharp objects out of reach. These include: sewing needles, scissors, knives, razors and tools.
- Secure all trashcans. Be sure all trashcans have lids on them so puppy won’t be tempted to investigate the trash. Garbage emits odors which attract puppies. Some foods are harmful to dogs or upset their tummy.
- Remove all poisonous house plants. Some house plants are dangerous to puppies when eaten. See our list of poisonous house plants below.
- Remove toxic foods that are hazardous to dogs. There are some foods we eat that are dangerous to dogs. See our list of these foods below.
- Set up a designated area for puppy to hang out or play. You need to prepare an area for your puppy to play and hang out in. A play pen will do the job. By having a small area, you keep him restricted in cleaning up his accidents and controlling his movements around the house when you are in other rooms.
- Designate an outside potty spot. This is really important. You want your pet to do his business in the same area. So, you need to designate a spot where you take him to do it. Over time, he will go this area as he gets older.
- Limit access to rooms in the house or apartment. This cannot be stressed enough. You control where your puppy goes. It’s recommended to reward your pet 1 room per month when he does not have an accident or destroys things. When going into other rooms, use a leash.
- Setup a crate for sleeping. Do not let your pet sleep in your bed. Before you bring your pet home, secure a crate. This will be his sleeping and rest place. New puppies will rest throughout the day and sleep at night.
Puppy Proofing Yard
If you should own your own home, you will need to puppy proof the yard outside. Your puppy will explore everything and there are some dangerous plants and other things you need to do before you let your puppy play or roam outside.
- Remove Toxic Plants. See list below of plants that are poisonous to dogs. You can also fence off these areas.
- Fence around pool areas. If you have a ground-in pool, fence it off so puppy won’t fall in. Remove fencing if dog has been trained.
- Designate a puppy area. Designate a bathroom area for your dog.
- Keep lawn trimmed and brush controlled. Ticks like to hide in tall grasses and then latch on your dog.
- Keep puppy away if lawn was fertilized. If your lawn was recently treated with fertilizer, pesticides or insecticides, keep your pet away as the chemicals can be harmful to him.
- Clean up after puppy does his business. If not, you pet may just eat his own feces. Dogs view dung as a delicacy. American Kennel Club says “it’s in the dogs DNA to eat feces.” So, keep the area clean when he is done.
Toxic House Plants
Below is a list of the toxic house plants that are poisonous to your dog. You do not want them in your home as your dog may eat a portion and suffer serious injury or death. If you have any of these plants, remove them before you bring home your puppy. Also, remove or fence off outside areas that have any of these plants.
Aloe Vera
Amaryllis
Arrowhead Plant
Asparagus Plant
Autumn Crocus
Azalea
Begonia
Bird of Paradise
Bleeding Heart
Bloodroot
Brunfelsia
Cactus
Calla Lily
Castor Bean
Castor Oil Plant
Chinaberry Tree
Chinese Evergreen
Chrysanthemum
Corn Plant
Cyclamen
Desert Rose
Dieffenbachia
Dracaena Fragrans
Dumbcane
Elephant Ear
English Ivy
Eucalyptus
Ficus Benjamina
Flame Lily
Flaming Katy
Flamingo Flower
Flower Bulbs Any Kind
Foxglove
Gardenia
Geranium
Golden Pathos
Hawaiian Ti
Heart of Jesus
Hemlock
Horsechestnut
Jade Plant
Jerusalem Cherry
Kafir Lily
Kalanchoe
Madagascar Dragon Tree
Mother In Laws Tongue
Mushrooms All Kinds
Oleander
Ornamental Pepper
Panda Plant
Peace Lily
Peyote
Philodendron
Poinsettia
Poison Primrose
Pothos
Privet
Rhododendron
Rubber Plant
Sago Palm
Schefflera
Song of India Plant
Thorn Apple
Ti Plant
Tulip/Narcissus Bulbs
Weeping Fig Tree
Winter Cherry
Wisteria
Yew
ZZ Plant
Toxic Harmful Foods
The foods listed below from the, Animal Health Foundation, are considered harmful to your dog. They should be removed so your dog will not accidently eat any of them and get sick or even die.
Apple Seeds
Apricot Pits
Avocado
Caffeine
Candy
Cherry Pits
Chocolate
Cooked Bones
Dairy
Fatty Foods
Garlic
Grapes
Gum
Macadamia Nuts
Medications
Moldy Foods
Mushrooms
Mustard Seeds
Onions
Onion Powder
Peach Pits
Potato Leaves & Stems
Raisins
Rhubarb Leaves
Tea
Walnuts
Xylitol
Yeast Dough
Conclusion
We presented some information for new dog owners on what they need to do to make the inside of the house or apartment ready for a new dog or puppy’s arrival. Along those same lines, we presented what you need to do to get your outside yard ready for a dog to play or roam in.
We mentioned plants and foods that can be hazardous to your pet and should remove them so your dog will not accidently eat any of them and get sick.
With this information you can prepare your home or apartment for the arrival of your puppy or dog. It’s important that you go through the steps mentioned so your pet will have a safe environment to live in and a peace of mind for you the dog owner.
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