Creating a Puppy-Friendly Home: A Guide to a Happy and Safe Environment
Are you worried about how to make your home safe and comfortable for your pets?
Make sure your home is secure for your new dog before bringing them home.
By doing this, you can stop your dog from getting into trouble.
Walk around your house and yard and think about what a puppy might be able to eat, climb on, squeeze through, get into, or pull down. This is a good way to begin a pet-friendly home.
You might even want to bend down to observe your house from your puppy’s vantage point of view and identify any hidden hazards.
You should keep everything that you wouldn’t give to a toddler out of your puppy’s reach as well.
Here’s a complete checklist on how to create a pet-friendly home.
1. Cover the Trash Cans
Trash cans should be kept in closets, or they should have childproof hooks or tightly closing lids. Dogs may become poisoned from raisins, grapes, onions, garlic, chocolate, and other things they find in the trash. Food scraps and high-fat foods can trigger pancreatitis even if they are not harmful.
Keep an eye out for any recyclables or rubbish that may be lying about the house, such as plastic wrap, aluminum foil and sharp-edged cans, which might grab a puppy’s head.
Consumption of these products might develop intestinal obstructions in dogs.
2. Study Your Houseplants
Although having some greenery in your house is usually a good thing, think carefully about whether these plants are appropriate for puppies. Certain plants are poisonous to dogs and can cause major health problems.
Keep all plants out of your puppy’s reach to pet-proof your house, regardless of the type you select. This will stop them from digging in the soil or chewing on the plant itself.
3. Remove Small or Sharp Items
Any open storage containers, such as toy bins, coins, baskets holding art supplies, or shoes, should be transferred to a higher shelf or a locked closet.
Just like babies, puppies will investigate everything. They most frequently use their tongues for this. Anything that the inquisitive dog shouldn’t be able to chew on should be kept out of reach. Keep floors free of small objects, and avoid putting things on countertops and tables that are prone to falling.
4. Keep Doors and Windows Safe
For puppies, windows and doors can provide serious risks. Most importantly, the front doors lead to the street, which is possibly the riskiest location for a dog. Since many dogs are capable of learning how to open doors, ensure that your dog stays safe by putting childproofing in place.
5. Risky Areas
Puppies can get into much trouble because of their playful nature.
Your puppy may be at risk from sharp items, unlocked trash cans, and open toilets.
Additionally, puppies that have not yet mastered the art of carefully navigating stairs may find them challenging. Consider setting up baby gates to restrict access to your home’s stairs until your dog is at ease using them. Your puppy may also be at risk from open windows.
Puppies are susceptible to severe injuries or even death when they fall out of open windows. Ensure all the windows are firmly closed, making it hard for your puppy to open them.
6. Develop a Drug-free Area.
As the most frequent cause of pet poisoning each year is human medication, be sure that any vitamins and prescription drugs that may be left on nightstands are securely kept in cupboards or drawers. Additionally, it’s a good idea to keep your pet’s medications out of your own .
7. Create Ample Space for Your Dog.
Your dog needs a “safe space” to which they can run to .It can be a crate or just a cozy corner on the basement sofa. This becomes helpful when you travel or when they need to spend a few hours at the vet.
8. Keep the Floor Neat and Tidy.
Once you get your dog home, pay close attention to what ends up on the floor. Picking up little objects from the floor to protect your dog should be done a regular basis. Your enthusiastic friend could just as easily choke on little objects or consume something that messes with their digestive system. To avoid any of these terrifying problems, regularly vacuum or clean your floors.
9. Safeguard Your Items
You should safeguard your possessions from your puppy in addition to keeping them safe. When someone arrives home, they don’t want to see a torn couch, a damaged door, or a broken priceless memento. Preventive measures are the initial step. Take this into consideration for any valuables that are easily broken or chewed up.Move anything that you don’t want damaged or destroyed for the time being. To avoid staining your couch from spills, use washable covers. You may also use puppy-safe bitter sprays to prevent thems from chewing on exposed wood. This is essential to create a safe home for your pets.
10. Practice Patience with Your Dog
Even with the best dog training and pet-proofing methods, your furry family member will probably still manage to get into mischief. However, exercise patience with them; a puppy must learn appropriate conduct.
It doesn’t understand until you tell them that your old home slippers aren’t chew toys. Avoid becoming overwhelmed by this possibility; most circumstances may be handled as they arise. To ensure that your dog understands what they can and cannot play with, practice your dog training methods.
11. Exercise Caution When Using Essential Oils
You might assume that using essential oils around your pet is safe because they are natural. Some, especially in their pure form, can be quite toxic. Prior to using any essential oils on your dog’s skin, always go over the advantages and disadvantages with your veterinarian. Direct application of essential oils yield the highest concentration . It might not be a smart idea to diffuse as well.
12. Establish a Quiet Area
Dogs want a safe haven where they may go when things become too much for them. It also serves as a location for placing them when you need to keep them out of the way when you have guests who are allergic to or terrified of dogs. A dog crate in a peaceful area of the house, a snuggling zone on the landing, or a warm spot beneath the stairs are all excellent options. Your dog should feel comfortable entering this area and know that they won’t be disturbed there.
13. Remove all Strings and Cords.
Laptop cords, or even a pair of shoelaces could constitute a choking threat to dogs. To reduce the chance of getting an electrical shock, keep strings out of reach and unhook electrical cords when not in use or while left alone.
14. Keep Burning Objects Under Close Supervision
If your dog is overly curious, lit candles or a fire in the hearth can be deadly. Although it is unlikely that your dog will leap into the flames on purpose, you still need to make sure that they won’t have any accidents. You do need to keep an eye on them next to an open flame if they are small puppies to make sure they don’t get too close. In a same vein, only set candles on sturdy, elevated surfaces so they cannot topple. The best thing to do is install safety gates across a fireplace.
3 Things to Keep in Mind
- You can find dangerous items that might catch your dog’s attention by evaluating your house from their height. Little things that are easily accessible should be taken out and stored in secure places where your dog cannot get to them.
- If your dog is a good climber and can jump up on things quickly, you might want to remove any potentially dangerous furnishings.
- Never put blankets or rugs next to heaters, fireplaces, fans, or electrical cords since they can easily become harmful. Creating a pet-friendly home requires careful thought of their placement.
What Should be Done?
- Crate training serves as a safe home and offers a place to unwind for dogs.
- You can use baby gates to keep your puppy out of rooms or harmful sections of the house.
- To keep low cabinets securely closed, it’s better to get childproof locks if your puppy is very inquisitive.
- A camera may be installed to monitor your new puppy. When you’re gone from home or in another room, these can help you keep an eye on your dog.
Conclusion
Your newly adopted friend’s years with you will probably be some of the most memorable of your life. Adopting a dog-friendly lifestyle could seem intimidating at first, but as you grow more aware of potential risks, these actions will quickly become second nature to you.
Even if you’ve had dogs for a long time, it’s still a good idea to become familiar with common dangerous substances because new products are always coming onto the market and many everyday home objects have the potential to become your dog’s worst nightmare.
You may be able to save your dog’s life by mastering the skill of making your house dog-friendly, and it will also likely ease your own stress levels.
