You’ve heard of childproofing your home, but did you think about puppy-proofing before bringing your new puppy home? Puppies are inquisitive and rambunctious, which means they’re also good at getting into trouble. Follow these tips to puppy-proof your home and yard to keep your puppy safe from accident and injury.
- Provide your puppy with a safe space to decompress that’s not easily accessible to children or other pets.
- Put chewable household items like shoes somewhere that your puppy cannot reach them.
- Allocate a space for your puppy’s food storage. Consider latching bins so that the new puppy doesn’t get into the food and overeat.
- Make sure the doors and windows to your home properly latch so that your puppy can’t push them open and escape outside, where they could potentially get injured.
- Swap your trash cans for ones with latching lids or place trash cans out of reach. There are too many things in the garbage that smell good to puppies, which can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, intestinal blockages or toxin exposure.
- Unplug loose electrical cords or tuck cords out of sight. These are chewing hazards which could cause an electric shock.
- Make sure cleaning supplies are in a safe location inaccessible to pets or children, such as a cabinet that’s elevated high off the ground or a high shelf in the garage.
- Many human medications are toxic to dogs. Unfortunately, childproof lids don’t stop a dog from chewing! Make sure your medication bottles can’t be reached by a curious puppy.
- If you have a yard, check for holes under the fence or areas where a puppy could escape.
- Ensure plants in your yard and home are puppy safe. Some plants are toxic or irritating to puppies, while others can cause physical injury if the puppy gets too rowdy around them. Thorns can cause injury to pouncing or chewing puppies. For toxic plants, even the mulch or potting soil around the plants can be dangerous for a puppy. Restrict access to dangerous plants or make sure your puppy will always be monitored.
- Develop a list of emergency resources. You’ll want to include the number for your VCA Animal Hospital, the nearest emergency veterinary hospital and pet poison helplines. Options include the Pet Poison Helpline (855-764-7661) or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888-426-4435).
Place these numbers in an easily accessible location, such as on your refrigerator, or save these numbers in your phone. We also recommend downloading the myVCATM app, which gives you access to 24/7 Live Chat where our licensed veterinary professionals are always ready to answer your questions.
As part of puppy-proofing your home, you’ll want to ensure your puppy doesn’t have access to any toxic substances. Here are some of the items to keep out of reach of your new puppy:
- Chocolate
- Xylitol, a sugar substitute common in sugar-free gums and other sugar-free foods
- Grapes and raisins
- Onions, garlic, chives, leeks, scallions, shallots
- Caffeine
- Alcohol
- Macadamia nuts
- Raw yeast dough
- Rodenticides
- Insecticides or pesticides
- Fertilizers and weed killers
- Cleaning supplies, including bleach
- Antifreeze
- Marijuana
- Illicit substances
- Medications, including multivitamins and supplements
- Specific plants, like azaleas or daffodils. Check out the top 10 toxic household plants to ensure the plants in your home and yard are pet-safe.
Not sure if your home is safe for your pet? Access free 24/7 Live Chat*, where our licensed veterinary professionals are always ready to answer your questions.
Download the myVCA App Now.
*Live Chat with a licensed veterinary professional is free for VCA clients through the myVCA mobile app, available at Apple’s App Store and Google Play.
