11 Sneaky Household Dangers Your Puppy Can’t Resist (+ How to Puppy Proof Your Apartment Like a Pro)
Almost all puppies share the same passion: a love for exploring. As we all know, our little furry friends enjoy nothing more than getting their mouths on anything within their reach. Unfortunately, this natural curiosity can lead to your puppy ingesting hazardous objects or accessing areas in the house where hidden dangers lie. This is where puppy-proofing your home comes in.
A puppy owner on TikTok has shared ways to pet-proof your house that have worked for her, and we’re pretty sure you’ll find these tips helpful. As revealed in the video posted by the puppy owner on TikTok account @nalae.co, her main areas of focus were puppy-proofing her indoor plants, electrical wires, and staircase.
“Puppy proofing my home for Dubu! He’s definitely going through the rebellious puppy stage, and this was my solution to his naughtiness. He was constantly trying to get into the soil of my plants, so I used this acrylic foldable gate to keep him out. It’s been working really well, and he soon lost interest,” reads part of the video’s caption.
Dubu’s owner also shared she used custom plastic pieces to cover the small spaces between the stair rails to prevent Dubu from passing through. In addition, she hid all exposed electrical wires using a cable concealer.
Watch the video below:
@nalae.co Puppy-proofing my home for Dubu! He’s definitely going though the rebellious puppy stage and this was my solution to his naughty-ness 😮💨 He was constantly trying to get into the soil of my plants, so I used these acrylic foldable gate to keep him out. It’s been working really well and he soon lost interest! The apartment came with these baby gates and I’m assuming they were to keep babies away from the stairs but I think the bigger middle hole was possibly for a cat. Dubu’s really small so I was worried he would try to get through and hurt himself. I got these custom plastic pieces to prevent that! #newpuppy #newdog #adopteddog #puppyproofing #puppytraining #dogsoftiktok ♬ Monsters, Inc – Gustav Lundgren & Unit
Puppy-Proofing Checklist: How to Puppy-Proof a Home
Before bringing home your new puppy, you should ensure your entire house is puppy-proofed for the sake of their safety and well-being. Every room in your home likely has potential dangers that could earn your curious puppy a free trip to the vet. For this reason, it’s important to take the necessary measures to ensure you have a puppy-proof apartment.
“Puppies are extremely energetic and curious, so when puppy-proofing your home, you must be thorough,” the pet care expert team at VPlus Veterinary Hospital advised in an Instagram post.
Now, if you’re clueless about how to puppy-proof your house, here’s a checklist to help you get started:
1. Have a Designated Safe Space for Your Puppy
It’s a good idea to ensure your puppy has a pet-safe, comfortable area to call their own. By creating a designated cozy space where they can chill and retreat when they need to rest, you’ll reduce the possibility of your pup wandering in different areas of your house and coming into contact with hazardous items.
It’s best if this space has their crate or bed, bedding, and favorite chew toys to make it more enticing for your puppy to spend more time there.
2. Decide Which Rooms Your Puppy Won’t Have Free Roam
Before your puppy comes home, decide which rooms you’d want off-limits for them. Be sure to inform the rest of your family members so that you’re all on the same page.
3. Puppy Proof Cords
Puppies are notorious for chewing electrical wires without a care in the world. Unfortunately, this reckless chewing behavior puts them at risk of choking or, worse, electric shock. For this reason, keeping all your electrical cords out of sight is necessary.
Consider mounting any electrical wires lying around on the wall with cord clips and using cable concealers to bundle up any dangling wires and extensions out of plain sight.
4. Puppy Proof Drawers
To prevent your puppy from accessing the items in your home drawers, consider fitting childproof latches on these drawers. In doing so, you won’t have to worry about them mischievously opening the drawers and getting their mouths on whatever they find.
5. Puppy Proof Staircase
Given that puppies can be quite clumsy while going up and down the stairs, they have a higher chance of falling or slipping and hurting their fragile joints. It’s important to keep your staircase out of bounds until they are grown enough to navigate safely.
Consider blocking access to the stairs by installing a baby gate to keep your puppy away. If your staircase has a slippery surface, add non-slip carpet runners along the stairs. Plus, don’t forget to cover the spaces between the stair railing with a mesh to prevent your puppy from squeezing themselves between these spaces.
6. Puppy-Proof Indoor Plants
You may be surprised to learn that there’s a wide variety of indoor plants that are toxic to dogs. To prevent your puppy from ruining your precious houseplants and putting their health at risk while at it, you can block access to these plants using a dog exercise pen.
“Exercise pen all the way. I have all my plants blocked off in my house and outside using exercise pen, and they work wonderfully,” commented user @oklmagination4404 in a Reddit discussion on puppy-proofing houseplants.
7. Puppy Proof Balcony
To make your balcony pet-friendly enough for your puppy, be sure to implement railing safety. The American Kennel Club recommends fitting a mesh net in the small spaces between the rail bars to prevent your puppy from squeezing through. Plus, remember to hide any electrical cords on your balcony with a cord concealer and hang any houseplants out of reach.
8. Puppy Proof Christmas Tree
It’s no secret that Christmas trees — especially live trees — pose a hazard to puppies. The protruding pine needles can put your dog at risk of mouth irritation and digestive issues if chewed, so it’s advisable to keep your tree out of reach. Not to mention, your puppy may be tempted to explore the decorative ornaments and electrical lights on your tree and destroy everything in sight. To avoid the possibility of your puppy chewing up your tree and messing with the decorations, consider blocking access to the tree using a playpen.
“I ordered a playpen and positioned the pen to fence in the tree to a corner of the house. The tree is having a lot of fun in the playpen, and puppy doesn’t seem to care about the tree’s fun anymore,” shared one user in a Reddit discussion on puppy-proofing a Christmas tree.
9. Puppy Proof Dog Bed
It’s not uncommon for puppies to turn their beds into a snack, chewing their bed’s fabric and mattress like there’s no tomorrow. This may put your puppy at risk of choking and intestinal blockage, among other digestive complications. For this reason, consider getting them a chew-resistant dog bed.
These beds are designed to withstand a puppy’s sharp teeth as they’re made with durable material that can’t be easily shredded.
“K9 Ballistics has some chew-proof elevated beds and crate pads. I have both that my Malinois duo have not destroyed yet. I’ve had these beds for 7 years now. Look for the chew-proof armored line. They also have a warranty on their products….,” wrote user @viromedragon in a Reddit discussion on indestructible dog beds.
10. Puppy Proof Your Bathroom
Always keep your toilet lid closed when not in use to prevent your puppy from drinking the bowl water. Also, be sure to keep all cleaning supplies and medication out of reach and use a childproof latch on the cabinets where you choose to store these items.
11. Puppy Proofing Your Kitchen
Consider purchasing a dog-proof garbage can to prevent your pup from ingesting potentially dangerous discarded items. Remember to store all human foods that aren’t dog-safe away from your pup’s reach. Also, don’t leave grocery bags lying around; store them securely in higher cupboards.
Puppy Proofing Your Home FAQs
How do you puppy-proof your house?
Puppy-proofing your house involves taking several safety measures, such as blocking access to the stairs, hiding electrical wires, adding mesh nets between the staircase rails, and blocking your pup’s access to your indoor plants.
How to puppy-proof cords
To puppy-proof cables, consider getting puppy-proof cord covers and cord concealers to hide the electrical wires from plain sight.
How to puppy-proof your apartment?
This involves several puppy-proofing tasks, among them keeping electrical wires out of reach, investing in stair railing safety, and blocking access to indoor plants.
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