Puppy proofing your apartment is one of the best ways to keep your puppy safe. These steps will help you make a safe apartment space for your pup.
You’ve made the decision, selected your pup and at last are bringing them home! The first day at home with a new puppy is as joyful as it is anxiety provoking. Puppies have a remarkable ability to do the polar opposite of what you want them to. Puppies getting into trouble sometimes means putting themselves at risk.
Apartments come with their own set of hazards to a young pup. Many of the risks to puppies in your apartment may not be immediately obvious. This post will highlight the key changes you need to make to create a safe apartment space for your puppy.
Puppy proofing a home is an absolute requirement to any new dog owner. Puppy proofing should be done in the weeks leading up to the pup arriving home, not after. Here are some tips for the new puppy owners that will help you puppy proof your apartment.
The Things that Zap
To humans, electricity is well-contained within cords and sockets and poses no real hazard. To a puppy, with razor sharp teeth and very little real world experience, electricity in the house can pose a hazard. A young puppy can easily chew their way into an electrical cord and receive a nasty zap.
One of the first steps in puppy proofing is to lift all electrical cords off the ground. Since most electrical sockets are within a foot of the ground, you’ll need to do something about those that are within reach of your pup. Puppies are attracted to dangly things that move. Jewelry, clothing, furniture tassels and unfortunately electrical cords all make an attractive chew toy. Electrical cords secured to a wall become stationary and therefore uninteresting to a puppy.
Hardware stores sell electrical cord brackets, straps and conduit that will securely fashion cords out of reach of your pup.
Some cords and cables simply cannot be removed from the interest of your pup. In this case, it is up to you to be vigilant of the puppy and make sure she isn’t chewing into something she’s not supposed to.
The Things That Tip
The flat screen TV on your entertainment center may seem secure. A puppy can find 101 ways to tip that thing over. Similarly, the glass vase on top of the end table might be well out of a puppy’s reach. Turn your attention elsewhere and your pup will have that thing shattered on the ground in no time. Obviously, falling objects are a huge hazard to a little pup. It is up to you to think a few steps ahead to protect your pup.
Apartments, with their limited space, usually force people to own taller and narrower furniture. How you decorate your apartment may be hazardous to a young pup. Even shelves and dressers can be unstable enough to tip if a puppy finds a way to tug on them.
Walk through your house and imagine any appliance, piece of furniture or trinket as something that can fall. If you can even remotely imagine an item being tipped, you best start securing, moving or replacing it now.
The Things They Chew
Puppies chew, there’s no getting around it. It is up to you to decide what they chew. All household items are vulnerable to a young puppy’s teeth. Very young puppies are inhibition-free little drones. They have the attention span of a fly. Puppies will bounce between table legs, shoes, utensils or anything else that they can get their mouths on.
Teething pups find chewing not only enjoyable, but necessary. A big part of avoiding damage to your apartment is chew training. For very young pups, this simply involves not giving them the opportunity to chew household items.
Take some time prior to your puppy’s arrival and crawl throughout your apartment. Drop your head low to the ground and see what you can find from a puppy’s perspective. You might discover a lotion bottle that had fallen under a couch. Had you not known it was there, it may have ended up all over your pup, and all over your apartment in no time.
Don’t spare the bathroom, closets or kitchen. Move any items that you don’t want chewed well out of reach of a pup.
The best way to avoid a puppy failing is to not create a situation where they can fail.
The Things They Eat
What a puppy chews, it often eats. What a puppy eats can at best nourish them and at worse poison them. Pay close attention to things like household cleaners, chemicals or even food products that may be within reach. There is a lengthy list of foods and chemicals that smell or even taste appealing to dogs. Many of these can be harmful if not lethal to your pup.
Common Household Items That are Hazardous to Puppies:
- Pens and markers
- Makeup
- Household cleaners
- Alcohol
When it comes to food, don’t assume a box or thick bag will deter a pup. Those sharp little puppy teeth can find their way into cardboard boxes, plastic bottles, and bags. Secure your food in thick plastic tubs, or better yet stashed away in a cupboard. Make sure your cleaners and chemicals are out of sight and out of reach.
Things They Fall Off Of
This is an important topic, especially for puppies in apartments. Many apartments come equipped with stairs, lofts and balconies that all pose a fall hazard for the pup. Young dogs don’t really have an understanding of heights or the repercussions of a fall. It is up to you to protect them.
It is a good idea to have a gate up to stop puppies from heading up or down the stairs. Those adorable uncoordinated little legs can easily trip, sending little pup into a nasty tumble.
The best way to avoid a puppy failing is to not create a situation where they can fail
Balconies are another hazard, even with built in guard rails. Many rails that line balconies and lofts are sufficient to stop a full-sized dog. However, a skinny little puppy might easily slip between the bars or through holes in them. We have already established that puppies have neither inhibition nor much sense. A distraction could send them through a guard rail and careening of the edge of a balcony.
The next time you have your puppy nearby, wrap your hands around their body, their shoulders and their hips. You
You’ll find that your furry little friend has a body that is far skinnier than it looks. Dogs can squeeze through some pretty tight spots when they want to.
Bulk mesh wiring, chicken wire or plastic barricades are a great way to reinforce balcony or patio guardrails. Most hardware or home goods stores sell these items cheap. They can be easily cut to custom sizes that fit your particular guard rail. Make sure you secure these areas at least two feet off the ground.
Puppy proofing is and will always be a work in progress. There are a lot of things to do before bringing home a puppy. Puppy proofing your home is one of the most important. These few steps, taken in advance of your puppy’s arrival to your apartment will lessen your stress and create a safe environment for your young dog to grow up and thrive.