​Get your home ready for your new family member with these tried and true essentials (we wouldn't recommend items we haven't personally used ourselves). We want shopping for your puppy to not only be exciting but also have your best interest at heart.

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Life will be far easier if you puppy proof the house before your curious newcomer sets a paw inside your home. Like human toddlers, puppies will put anything into their mouths that will fit, and sometimes things you’d swear couldn’t fit. Here are a few puppy proofing tips to help keep your pup safe in their new home.

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What To Add

A crate is a big safety boon during this stage of life. It’s best not to leave your puppy unsupervised while they’re still trying to explore the whole world with their jaws. Crate training can benefit any dog by keeping them safe and giving them a place to retreat and relax.

Baby gates can also help you block off dangerous areas of the home or rooms you don’t want your puppy to enter.

If your puppy is especially curious, you may also want to invest in some childproof locks to keep low cabinets safely closed.

Finally, some pet parents enjoy the peace of mind they get from having a pet monitor camera in their homes. These can help you keep an eye on your dog when you’re in another room or away from home.

What To Remove

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First, take care of the easy stuff: lie down on the floor and look around for nails, decorative items, buttons, needles, socks, craft items, and anything else that a puppy might swallow or chew. Put all of these items someplace they can’t reach.

Next, tackle the bigger issues:

• Electrical cords are one of the top dangers to puppies. Pups love to sink their teeth into them, which is a bad idea for a number of reasons, including the risk of electrocution, burns, and fire. Wrap exposed cords in spiral cable wrap, cord concealers, or PVC pipe. Unplug cords when not in use.

• Tie up drapery cords to get them out of the way.

• Place in a high spot or locked area anything that holds chemicals or toxins, such as medication, household cleaners, antifreeze, rat poison, insecticides, toilet bowl cleaner (keep your toilet lid down if you use automatic bowl cleaners), mothballs, and so on. 

• Certain houseplants are toxic, including the azalea, calla lily, dieffenbachia, poinsettia, and philodendron. Outside, some dangerous plants to ingest include belladonna, buttercups, creeping Charlie, elderberry, daffodils, poison ivy, poison oak, rhubarb, stinging nettle, white clover, and yew.

• Certain common foods are harmful, including chocolate, onions, alcohol, raisins, grapes, coffee, tea, and foods high in fat, sugar, or salt. 

• Kitchen and bathroom trash is seen as nirvana. Put it up high or enclose it where the puppy can’t reach it.

• Keep clothing put away, particularly items such as socks, nylons, and underwear. Make laundry baskets inaccessible.

• Any tobacco product is toxic, including gum and nicotine patches.

Places To Keep Off-Limits

Consider using safety gates and/or childproof latches to prevent access to:

• Stairwells

• Open balconies

• Open upper-story windows

• Upper decks

• Pools, diving boards, and hot tubs

• Medication cabinets

• Kitchen sink cabinets

• Compost bins

• Space heaters

• Fireplaces, fire rings, and wood stoves

• Litter boxes (litter can cause an obstruction)

• Garages or sheds where toxic materials such as charcoal lighter, gasoline, motor oil, paint and paint thinner, fishing hooks and lines, and pesticides are stored. Antifreeze and rat poison are particularly deadly.

Sure, it can feel overwhelming to look around and notice all the potential hazards, but with a little foresight on your part, and judicious use of a crate and safety gates, your puppy should make it to adulthood without any frightening or expensive incidents.