Having a puppy in the house is a bit like having a young child in the house. Both babies and puppies follow their natural urges and do not yet know what is off limits. That is why parents baby proof their homes and that is why parents should also consider puppy proofing their homes.
Why Puppy Proof
Just as with a child, it is impossible to keep your eye on your puppy every second that you are at home. If you take the time to properly puppy proof your home then you can be sure that your puppy and your belongings are safe. It will allow your puppy the freedom to safely explore your home and it will allow you the freedom to do what you need to do in your home without crating or otherwise confining your pet.
How to Puppy Proof
The first thing you want to do is get down on your dog’s level. Crawl around on your hands and knees and think about things that might get chewed on, ripped or otherwise ruined. Then remove the temptation. If your dog routinely chews on shoes, for example, then make sure all shoes are properly put away in the closet. If your dog chews your child’s stuffed animals then keep the stuffed animals in a room away from your dog. Those are easy puppy proofing activities.
It becomes harder to puppy proof when the objects your puppy is chewing can’t be removed from the room. For example, if your dog likes to gnaw on the living room couch then you have a couple of choices (none of which include removing the couch from the room). The choices do include either keeping the dog out of the room unless s/he is being very closely supervised or spraying the furniture with something that tastes bad to the dog. There are commercial sprays that are made for this very purpose or you can use something hot and spicy such as a Chinese oil.
Also, keep in mind some of the important baby proofing rules and apply them to your puppy proofing. For example, any cleaning or other substance that is potentially harmful or even lethal to your pet should be kept from his reach. Puppies can knock over bottles and their sharp nails can cause little holes to rupture the bottles giving them access to poisonous materials. Also, remove anything that is small enough for your puppy to choke on from his reach. Further, if you have floor plants or flowers in easy reach, then consider the possibility that your dog might take a bite out of it. Anything that is within the dog’s reach may have to moved until s/he is older and more obedient.
As your puppy gets older his or her need to chew, explore or just plain destroy something will dwindle and you will be able to slowly phase out the puppy proofing tools. In the meantime, taking precautions will allow your puppy to explore his or her home in a safe way and protect the puppy from getting hurt.
Article by Kelly Taylor of Oh My Dog Supplies - check the dog steps section for current specials.