By: Kelly Marshall
Submitted: 2011-10-09 20:58:02 | Word Count: 543
Getting a new puppy is exciting, but it is not all fun and games. The truth is that puppies can take a lot of work. One of the biggest things that you need to worry about is whether or not your home is puppy proof. Puppies are a lot like babies, and that means that they get into absolutely anything and everything. To combat this you must take the time to safeguard your house for your new addition otherwise you may be posing an unnecessary risk to your puppy's health and well being.
Prior to getting a puppy you need to take a look at your home. Do you have a lot of clutter lying about? If so you might have a problem. Puppies are notorious for chewing things to pieces. This includes, shoes, clothes, furniture, paper, basically anything. The first thing that you need to do is change your lifestyle a bit. If you were previously a very cluttery person now you need to turn over a new leaf and start to keep that clutter at bay. One of the best things that you can do for your new puppy is to keep your floors clean and clutter free.
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Additionally, you are going to want to check out your lower cabinets. Often cabinets like those under the sink are used to house your cleaning chemicals. Those chemicals can be terribly dangerous for a small puppy. You may want to look into some locking mechanisms for those cabinets to ensure that those doors stay shut. Puppies can be very mischievous, and if you don't watch them you may find open cabinets and the contents within disturbed.
So, have you picked up on the fact that puppies like to chew yet? That is a fact of life when it comes to a puppy's development. As their teeth come in they are going to chew, and the best way to ensure that your puppy does not chew your favorite shoes is to have chew toys on hand. There are a variety of toys on the market, but one tried and true option for a puppy who chews a lot is a rawhide bone. These are generally inexpensive, and very popular with puppies. However, you must take care not to choose one that is too small for your dog. You do not want to risk them accidentally swallowing and choking on it. Instead, choose a bone that is large enough that it doesn't pose a choking hazard.
Additionally, you must take a look at any food that you are keeping down low in reach of a puppy. There are certain things that can be very dangerous to a puppy, like chocolate. Be sure that you have these completely secured so that there is no risk of your little guy getting into something that he shouldn't.
Perhaps the biggest part of puppy proofing your home has to do with puppy proofing your schedule. A brand new puppy requires a lot of attention and if you hope to house train them you need to have them on a regular bathroom schedule. Be aware that you need to also have standing feeding times. This will help set your puppy's internal clock so that they can get in a routine.
