Puppy-Proof Home: Everything You Need Before Getting A Dog
Is Your Home Puppy-Proof? Everything You Need To Do Before Getting A New Dog
When you decide to get a new puppy, one of the first things you need to do is look at your home. After all, there might be a few things you need to change to ensure your new dog is happy and safe in their new haunts. Some people might even decide to move to a bigger place if they want to get a new dog! The pooch needs plenty of space to move around and play in a property. Therefore, here are some things you need to do before getting your new dog to ensure your home is puppy-proof!
Invest in a Baby Gate
In some ways, getting a puppy is the same as preparing for a new baby. After all, you want it to be safe in your home and not at risk of dangers. But unlike a baby, a new puppy can move around straight away. That means they might end up heading into the kitchen and getting themselves stuck in an appliance. After all, open washing machine is an instant draw to a mischievous puppy. Therefore, you should consider getting a baby gate which is useful for keeping your pet out of no-go areas! They will struggle to get over the gate, and it will block them from causing havoc in rooms they aren’t allowed in. You should sit down with your other half and work out zones in which the puppy will not be allowed to go in. That way, you know how many baby gates to buy before you bring home your new puppy.
Get Stocked Up On Puppy Pads
Ask any pet-parent, and they will tell you how challenging puppies are when it comes to training them to go to the toilet outside. It can take a while for them to learn where they are and are not meant to urinate. Therefore, they might end up going to the toilet in areas in your home which might be a nightmare to clean! To prevent items in your home getting ruined, you need to get stocked up on puppy pads. They are an ideal way to prevent your pooch from destroying items of furniture and clothes. They generally come with a scent which will encourage your pet to head for that area. They are ideal until your pets fully learn to go outside to the toilet!
Choose A Great Area for the Bed
It’s so important that you choose a good area in your home to place the bed for your pooch. After all, they need somewhere they feel comfortable to sleep during the day and night. And if you start with the bedroom, you are going to end up with them sleeping in the bed for the rest of their life! When looking for an area to place the dog bed, you don’t want to choose an area which is too noisy as they won’t settle when you head to bed at night. Also, don’t pick an area which is often occupied with children and guests. They might be nervous to begin with so will be unhappy if surrounded by lots of people. Often, owners start with a crate so that it gets their dog used to the area they are meant to sleep in. And then as described here, you can change it to a dog bed once they understand it’s where they are expected to sleep!
Get Rid of Any Dangerous Clutter
Before you bring your beautiful new fluffy friend home, you need to make sure you clean the house top to bottom. Of course, it will end up messy once the pooch has arrived. But it needs to be cleaned so that you can get rid of any dangerous clutter which might be lying around. After all, any old bits of rubbish might be swallowed by your dog and could end up causing him to have a bad stomach. Therefore, throw away anything which could easily be nibbled by your dogs so that they stay safe and healthy in your home.
Hide All Wires in Safe Places
Wires are very appealing to new little puppies. They think of them like a bone that they can’t wait to chew on. But as you know, wires which are connected to electrical devices could end up causing your pooch a nasty electrical shock if they do chew on it. As well as causing harm to your new pet, it might cause expensive devices like computers and television to stop working correctly. Therefore, before you go and get your pooch, you need to make sure all wires are hidden away in safe places. You can get some covers which can go over your wires and stop your pooch being able to get to them. Also, there are boxes available in which you can keep your wires so they are safe from naughty paws!
Get a Good Vacuum for the Flooring
As much as we love our new furry friend, their pet hair can get everywhere! It makes it harder to ensure our carpet stays looking clean. Therefore, you should get hold of a good vacuum cleaner which will help you to clean that pet hair. You can look online to check out reviews of the top 5 best vacuums for pet hair. It saves you having to get on your hands and knees with rubber gloves and pick them up one by one! To help stop your lovely new pooch shedding so much, you need some grooming equipment. As we said before, a dog comb or brush is essential when you get a new pooch!
Purchase Lots of Toys for the Home
You should make sure that you buy your pooch enough toys to play with in the home. That way, it will stop them eating all your things in the house such as slippers and socks! It can be very frustrating when you find holes in your favorite shoes, although you will often forgive them easily; just look at their cute eyes! Of course, you don’t need to go overboard and buy lots of things. But a few toys will keep him out of mischief!
Remember that some plants are hazardous to dogs (check them out in this video). So remove these plants before you bring your new pooch home.