You may have chosen the puppy of your dreams, but first, you need to make sure you’re fully prepared to bring a new family member into the house. For a smooth transition, follow these steps from the pet-lovers at nothing yet before bringing puppy home.
Preparations in the House
Appraise your home from your puppy’s viewpoint. Knowing that anything new will suffer the “chew test,” you can make your home puppy safe.
- Elevate floor plants and put away clothing and shoes. Some plants can be dangerous to pets, and you certainly don’t want your puppy digging in the dirt on its first day. You may not care if your puppy uses your old pair of yard shoes for teething, but you will care when it finds your new pair of shoes. Contrary to what you might think, dogs can’t tell the difference between old and new shoes and clothing.
- Secure hanging materials and decorations. Long table runners with tassels, floor length curtains, or any other decorations that might be tempting for your puppy to investigate should be raised out of its reach.
- Remove valuables. Depending upon the breed of your puppy, your dog may be tall enough to put his clumsy paws on coffee or end tables until they are trained. Not only do you want to protect it from possible broken glass, but you also don’t want to lose your favorite antique vase. Don’t forget: larger breed puppies have long tails that can “wag” devastation across a room in the blink of an eye.
- Secure hazardous materials and wires. Make sure that all low cupboards that contain toxic materials of any nature are locked. Wrap phone lines in plastic sheathing or tubing because puppies are very attracted to them.
- Children’s toys. A good rule of thumb is that if the toy is smaller than your puppy, put it away. Bringing puppy home may even create an incentive for your children to pick up after themselves.
- Don’t forget wood furniture. While not every puppy will find the wooden legs of your dining room chairs “chew worthy,” don’t take a chance during the first couple of weeks. Use plastic or even tape to temporarily make them less attractive to your puppy’s nose inspections.
Preparations in the Yard
Clean up your yard with an eye for the following:
- Store garden hoses, toys, and yard tools. If any item can fit into your puppy’s mouth, put it away.
- Barricade pools or unsafe areas. Fence off all standing water. Use fencing with holes small enough that your puppy can’t squeeze through. Pools are unsafe even for mature dogs that can swim if they don’t know where the steps are to get out.
- Store toxic chemicals. This list includes all fertilizers, insecticides, and paint products. You wouldn’t want your puppy to spend its first day at the vet.
- Perimeter yard fencing. If you already have a fence around your yard, now is the time to check for easy escape routes or any spots where your puppy could get its head stuck.
If you have children, be sure to involve them in the process of bringing puppy home. Then just relax, put some newspaper on the floor, and be ready for a whirlwind of energy to bring joy into your life.
