Good news!! You got a new puppy! Bad news. You got a new puppy. As someone who has raised several puppies, I understand the joy and the laughter they bring. I also understand that raising a puppy involves both puppy training and management.
One item left sitting around can be destroyed in a second by a curious puppy.
Let me give you a couple of examples. I was cleaning in the kitchen one day and left a couple of paper towel rolls on the table. Within minutes of me exiting the kitchen, it looked like it had snowed. Paper towel shredded all over the floor with puppy looking at me and thinking, “look what I just did, isn’t it great.”
On another occasion, I left a black ink pen on the kitchen counter. Yep, you guessed it. Black ink all over the vinyl floor, and the yellow lab was now yellow and black. Thank God for Dawn detergent for the dog and Goof Off for the floor.
The two incidents created laughter and heartache, and there have been other slips in judgment that have caused anguish and less laughter. Like the $400 pair of glasses, the puppy chewed up.
So, how do we puppy proof the house? It is twofold. First, you need to avoid letting your puppy wander unsupervised, and secondly, prepare your home for when they do.
Even if you are taking your pup to puppy training, they are still a puppy (a baby).
To start, get down on the floor and look for anything you can see that is chewable and either move it out of reach or, if it is a table leg, you can spray Bitter Spray, which you can buy at a pet store.
Here is a list of floor level items to move or keep away from your puppy.
1. Electrical Cords
2. Blind cord and blinds that hang close to the floor.
3. Electrical outlets. (put covers on them as you do for an infant)
4. Rugs
5. Articles of clothing, including shoes and socks.
6. Bathroom towels
7. House plants. These can be dangerous for a new puppy’s health.
8. Anything made of wood.
9. Remove any ant or rodent traps.
Let us now move up a level to the coffee table, end tables, chairs, and couches.
1. Keep magazines and any papers you do not want destroyed put away.
2. Put the remote control in a drawer. It is an easy target.
3. Do not leave your cell phone lying around or earbuds or headphones.
4. Articles of clothing, pillows, throws or blankets on chairs or couches.
5. Eye wear
6. Never take your eye off the puppy, especially when they are lying on the floor near furniture.
Now let us move on to different rooms in the house.
1. Bathroom : To be safe, keep the bathroom door shut all the time. That roll of toilet paper is so tempting for a puppy and drinking out of the toilet is a possibility. Dogs of all ages are drawn to used sanitary products.
2. Bedroom : It is probably a good idea to keep these doors shut also. There are way too many tempting items for a puppy to chew. There are shoes and socks and, of course, items in the laundry basket that I will not mention.
3. Kitchen : As your puppy gets a little older, he will probably want to find out what is on the counter that has been smelling so good and start counter surfing. To avoid his counter surfing, start early and keep items on the counter pushed to the back of the counter and out of reach. If you have a strong, curious dog, cabinet locks may be needed.
The garbage can is also very tempting to a puppy. Make sure it has a cover or is somewhere the pup cannot get to it. And keep the cupboard doors closed. Especially the ones that have household cleaning items in them.
Keep doggy treats up high, or he will learn to open that cabinet door and help himself.
Now let us talk about the children. As we all know, children leave toys lying around. Some are small items that can be hazardous to a puppy and can lead to expensive vet bills.
Help your children understand that if they do not want their toys destroyed, to put them away. Let them know that a puppy chews to learn and if the puppy gets ahold of a toy. It is not the puppy’s fault. They are the ones who left the toy lying around.
Also, suggest they keep their bedroom doors closed when they are not in their room. It will eliminate a lot of tears.
Now let us move outside. Items that need to be protected include garden hoses, spray nozzles, garden tools, and plants.
Please do not leave your dog outside by itself for long periods because they will find something you had no idea you had or forgot about and destroy it.
They also like to chew sticks and rocks. If they swallow any of these, it could lead to an expensive vet bill. Dogs are also social animals and want to be around their owners.
You will also want to remove any screens near the door. They can be destroyed by a pup who wants to come into the house and scratches the screen to let you know.
If you follow these tips and suggestions, you will reduce much of the frustration a new puppy causes. Not to mention the money you will save.
I hope you enjoy your new pup!!! The better prepared you are the more fun you will have.