Have You Dog-Proofed Your Home?

So you’re preparing for a new puppy or dog to come live with you.

You’ve bought the best quality dog food, mental stimulation dog toys, delicious chews, food and water bowls, cushy bed, fleshy collar, and armed yourself with an arsenal of dog care books and tips. You’re as ready as you can be. But is your house ready for your new furry occupant?

Bringing a dog into the household requires safety precautions somewhat like those you would take for toddlers. But unlike toddlers, puppy can climb, jump, and run brilliantly from a very early age. Even if you adopt an adult dog from the shelter, you don’t really know the dog’s habits. Many of the shelter and rescue dogs are turned in because of behavior problems; such as destructive chewing, scavenging, and digging to name a few. As I said before, these behavioral problems are usually not the faults of the dogs rather it is the owner’s lack of diligence. For whatever other reasons they concocted, these owners couldn’t be bothered with retraining the dog.

Dog-proofing Is Not Just For Beginner Dog Owners

All dog owners, especially first-timers, must scrutinize the home and dog-proof it. For those of you who have an existing older and mature dog may not see a need to re-evaluate your home as you think you’ve all corners of the home fully covered. Let me tell you this, your home is not 100% dog-proofed let alone puppy-proofed. I say this because your current dog really knows the house rules. He probably had investigated all the areas, is less likely to be mischievous as when he was just a pup; thus he might not get into any trouble at all. Whereas a newcomer doesn’t know your house rules and he needs to be trained so that you can prevent any hazard from happening.

Where and How Should You Dog-Proof Your Home

Dog-proofing a home is no easy task and it’s certainly not an hour event. It might be if you live in a studio apartment with zero clutter and all the appliances hid inside built-in walls and cabinets. For majority of us, our homes are mainly contemporary setting and have an average of five rooms to dog-proof them. And that (inside the home) is only one portion of total area of your house or apartment. The areas outside or around the house that need to dog-proof are the garage, garden, balcony, driveway, swimming pool, and basement.

Of course, you don’t have to dog-proof all these areas at one go, just do those areas of your home that your new pup will be allowed in. It is a good idea to start a few rooms and gradually allow the dog in other rooms in the house. This will give you time to see what the dog will actually get into before allowing him into other rooms in the house.

Below is a list of areas and things you need to take care of when dog-proofing your home. I know it may seem overwhelming to many. It’s always wise to over prepare yourself than feeling sorry when mishaps happened. An emergency visit to veterinarian hospital is never a pleasant experience for both you and your dog, and not to mention you will be slapped with a hefty medical bill afterwards. Secondly, we live in many different types of homes and some owners feel that their dogs deserve the same amount of rights and access to all areas in and around the home. That may seem like a noble thought, but for your dog’s safety and your peace of mind, it is neither practical nor perspicacious. There are some areas that are too difficult to dog-proof properly, such as garage, basement, or storeroom. In this case, you will have to declare them off-limits to your dog and make sure that he can’t get to them. This is not to say that you don’t have to dog-proof these areas and leave all those dangerous items lying around as they are now.

Areas Inside and Outside the House That Need To Dog-proof

• Living room
• Kitchen
• Bathroom
• Bedroom (kids, adult and guest)
• Dining room or family area
• Study room or Home Office
• Laundry room
• Attic or Basement
• Garage
• Backyard or Garden

Partial List Of Things That Need To Dog-proof

• Appliances
• Furnishing
• Gadgets
• Household chemicals
• Plants (indoor and outdoor)
• Fountain (indoor and outdoor)
• Wall paint

Now you have a bigger picture of the areas that need to dog-proof and things to keep them out of reach, your next mission is to follow my step-by-step tips on how to make your home comfortable and safe for your new puppy. Please do not skip any of the dog-proofing series even if you know what are the hazardous items lying around the house. There are things we never expect would be fun to chew—DVDs, panties, scented candles, photos—can be highly inviting to those busy little paws and inquisitive mouths.