Puppy Proofing Your Home

Help keep your dog safe and yourself sane while you teach him how to behave by picking up, putting away, blocking and “bittering”. I’ve outlines some typical areas to puppy-proof below.

(Hint: Puppy-proofing is very similar to child-proofing)

• Close the bathroom door and prevent access to rooms which are out of your sight.
• Secure trash bins and cabinets. Keep food and cleaning items out of reach.
• Move plants and knick-knacks out of reach.
• Apply a taste deterrent to electrical cords or move them out of reach.
• Apply a taste deterrent to wood furniture and upholstery (if needed).
• Consider taking up area rugs until your dog has learned to chew only what he is allowed to chew and is fully house trained. The earliest I would trust a puppy as reliably chew and house-trained would be 10 months old.
• Consider covering furniture with a blanket until he is chew trained and house trained (see point above).
• Check outdoor fencing for holes and gaps.