Puppy proofing your home

Puppies explore with their mouths, and they’re faster than you think. Spend half an hour at puppy height before they arrive, and you’ll prevent most accidents.

Everywhere

• Cables tucked away or covered
• Shoes, socks, hair ties and toys off the floor
• Bins with lids, or behind cupboard doors
• Small objects that could be swallowed picked up
• A safe space: crate or pen with water, bed and chews

Kitchen

• Food off counters and tables, especially chocolate, grapes, raisins, onions, garlic and anything with xylitol. See foods toxic to dogs.
• Cleaning products in a closed cupboard
• Child locks on low cupboards for determined puppies

Living room and bedroom

• Medicines, vitamins and handbags out of reach
• Houseplants checked for toxicity, or moved up high
• Blind cords tied up
• Remote controls and batteries put away

Bathroom and laundry

• Toilet lid down, bin closed
• Medicines, razors, dental floss and cosmetics away
• Laundry off the floor

Garage and yard

• Antifreeze, slug pellets, rat bait and fertilizers locked away
• Fences and gates checked for gaps
• Pools and ponds covered or fenced
• Toxic garden plants identified

Set up a safe zone

Even with a puppy proofed home, you can’t watch every second. A crate or puppy pen with bedding, water, chews and toys gives your puppy a safe place when you can’t supervise, and helps with potty training. See crate training.

Check again as your puppy grows

Puppies grow quickly. A shelf that was out of reach at 10 weeks may not be at 5 months. Walk round at puppy height every few weeks and move things higher.