Puppy Proofing: What You Need To Do Before Bringing Home A New Puppy

A safety gate is a great way to limit your pup’s access to certain areas of your house.

You can place gates in doorways or near staircases to either keep your puppy in a certain room or to keep her from venturing where you don’t want her to go.

You can also get gates that connect together to form a restricted space that is specifically for your pup.

There a variety of different types of gates, such as ones that you need to step over to others that can open and close so you can easily walk through them.

When selecting a gate, consider your pup’s habits.

For example, if your pup is a strong chewer, you might want to opt for a metal gate as opposed to one with mesh that your dog can chew an escape hole into; and if your pup is a jumper, then select a gate that is tall enough to keep her from leaping over it.

Puppies like to chew; especially when they are teething.

Although you ultimately want to train your pup that chewing on your shoes and furniture is not okay; bitter apple spray is a great temporary solution.

Pups can’t stand the smell (or taste), yet the odor is undetectable to humans.

When you’re house training your pup, accidents are inevitable.

Potty pads shouldn’t necessarily be your go-to since ideally, you want your pup to learn to do her business outside, but training pads have several advantages.

Potty pads are very absorbent, so clean up is simple, plus many include a built-in scent to attract your pup to pee on the pad instead of on your floor.

Speaking of accidents, when they do happen, pet stains and odors can linger if not cleaned properly.

Opt for an enzyme cleaner that is designed to specifically target pesky pet odors and stains, and avoid ones with ammonia.  Ammonia has a scent that resembles urine, making it very confusing for your puppy.

If your pooch sheds, then pick up a lint roller when you’re grabbing your cleaning supplies.

There are several products on the market specifically geared toward tackling pet hair, so it’s a good idea to have one on hand to help keep hair from accumulating on your furniture and clothing.

Again, it bears repeating that puppies love to chew, including on electrical cords.  Keep cords out of reach using ties or covers so that your pup doesn’t chew herself into a very dangerous situation.

A sturdy, appropriately-sized kennel, or crate, can become your puppy’s security blanket.

Find one that is large enough so your pup can stand and turn around comfortably, but not so big that she’s tempted to use it as her bathroom. Also, never use your pup’s crate as punishment.

When you pick out your puppy’s toys, select a variety of items that can encourage your pup to try different things.

She should have toys for cuddling, ones that encourage her to run and play, toys that engage and stimulate, and of course, toys and chews for teething.

Where your pup will sleep is entirely up to you, but it needs to be defined from the beginning.

Get a soft dog bed or warm blanket for your pup and set it up in an area that you have reserved as her`special, safe zone.

You can also include one of your T-shirts, a scrap of a blanket from another dog in the family, or pieces of clothing from other members of the household (basically, anything soft that carries a scent) to help your new arrival feel more comfortable and get used to everyone.