Before bringing a dog home, it is important to ensure that your house will be a safe place for your canine friend. It is also crucial to ensure that your dog has limited access to fragile items or other possessions he can mess up.
For this reason, dog-proofing is one of the most important things to do before and even after you’ve added a family member in your home. In other words, dog-proofing isn’t only necessary when bringing in a new dog. As your dog grows the places they can access also increase so it is important to implement pet-friendly solutions to keep your dog safe and out of places they should not be.
This having been said, here are 5 easy tips to dog-proofing your home:
1. Store Your Trash Well
Dogs love to rummage through the trash looking for remnants of yummy treats. But then again, food isn’t the only thing found in the trash bin. Dogs can come into contact with dangerous chemicals, spoiled food, or discarded medicine that can make them seriously ill or poisoned.
To save yourself the trouble of having to clean up strewn garbage or worse diarrhea and vomit, invest in a trash can that your dog cannot open. Alternatively, place your trash can inside a cabinet to deter your dog from digging through it.
2. Close Your Doors
This is an easy and effective way to dog-proof your home. Unfortunately, it is often overlooked. Giving your dog full access to all the rooms in your house increases the chances of them making a huge mess or touching things they shouldn’t. Limit the number of rooms your dog can enter in order to centralize their escapades. Bedrooms and bathrooms where you keep personal things should generally be out of bounds for your dog unless you are in there with them.
3. Install a Gate
For areas of the house that do not have doors, installing a gate can be a great solution. This is perfect for staircases to keep puppies from tumbling down the steps. Gates are ideal for keeping dogs out of the kitchen when you are cooking and do not want them around sharp objects and potentially toxic kitchen stuff. They are also great for keeping your dog out of certain areas when you are out of the house and can’t monitor their movements.
4. Make the Outdoors Dog-friendly
The backyard can be a perfect little haven for your dog. More often than not, however, quite a number of dangers may be lurking there. Before setting your dog free outdoors, ensure that there are no dangerous plants in the garden. Do a little research on plants to keep away from pets. Also, ensure that garden chemicals like pesticides and fertilizers are far out of your pup’s reach. Lastly, ensure that your fence does not have any openings where your dog can get stuck or disappear through.
5. Crate-Train Your Dog
Keeping your dog confined in a crate when you are not home can be a perfect way to combat potential mischiefs. Dogs can cause a lot of havoc when left alone in the house, so having a space where they are restricted is essential. Crate-training involves making your dog feel safe and comfortable in this space so they do not act out when left alone.
Bonus Tip – Know how to handle pet hair
One of the biggest challenges pet owners often face is when it comes to dealing with pet hair. Pet dander can be a huge menace to get rid of, especially for feline and canine friends that shed a lot of far. The best way to handle it is to invest in a good vacuum. In this case, you might want to look at the TopTenVacuums guide to the best vacuum for pet hair.
Being a dog owner requires a lot of vigilance as dogs are naturally curious and active creatures. Dog-proofing your house will help keep them out of danger and keep your belongings safe from being chewed or peed on. Dog-proofing may be a time-consuming and sometimes expensive affair but it is worthwhile. It helps keep your dog safe and your home intact so you can truly relish in the joys of having a dog.
