PUPPY-PROOFING THE HOUSE

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You want to pick a few rooms that the puppy can be in with you without too much danger to his health or your home. The kitchen is always a logical room. It can be made safe and cleaned fairly easily, and there is generally a lot of activity in and around the kitchen, which is perfect for a puppy who is trying to acclimate to life with you.

Depending on your personal lifestyle and decor, there may be other rooms that you can safely make puppy-friendly. Areas that are closed off from the rest of the house, like the garage or basement, are not a good choice. These are unkind locations for a little dog, and do nothing to help integrate him into the life of the household.

Look at things from a puppy’s point of view and remove or protect anything reachable that he  could chew—ties on chair cushions, electric cords, tassels on carpets . . . even the carpets themselves.

 ♦ Preparation for the Puppy’s Arrival

Put away any object or aspect of your decor that could be destroyed by the puppy and any item that could be dangerous to him.

Think of a human toddler and how everything goes in his mouth—it’s the same with a puppy when it comes to protecting the youngster from dangerous substances (except with the puppy those sharp little teeth will chew through anything you leave in his path).

Put human baby-proofing latches on low cabinets—some pups can open these doors.

Any electrical or phone wires that you can’t tuck out of the way should be treated with Bitter Apple cream (the spray is too messy for thinner wire).

Any object that smells like you is a magnet for a puppy.

 ♦ Creating a Safe Space for the Pup

Set aside a confined area if you will be going out for longer than the puppy should be confined to her crate (her age in months plus one for the acceptable number of hours).

If you have a really big kitchen, you’ll need to enclose only part of it or choose a bathroom instead.

Get a baby gate to close the doorway—try to find a wire one, since pups will chew on wood and/or plastic.

Copyright © Tracie Hotchner – Originally appeared in The Dog Bible: Everything Your Dog Wants You to Know by Tracie Hotchner