Puppy proofing is mostly common sense, but you might not think of some details….

Here’s a quick video I made about it:

And here are the tips:

• Pick up trash containers that might contain anything harmful to the puppy.
• Put safety latches on cabinets that have poisonous items — often under the kitchen and bathroom sinks. Ask for these latches at your hardware store.
• If the puppy will have access to a garage, be sure there is no anti-freeze within reach. It has an attractive smell and taste to dogs and cats but it can kill them.
• Check for electrical cords, such as a dangling one between the wall and a lamp on a table. What about a rats’ nest of wires near your computer? You can puppy proof them with rubber bands so they mostly stay on the back of your desk. Duct tape can attach tapes to walls.
• Crawl everywhere in your home, on your hands and knees, and see what you notice! Don’t crawl on that thumbtack that’s been under the desk for years…
• If you have a fenced yard, terrific! Walk around your fencing and look for any place that your puppy might be able to squeeze through it. See if anything else in the yard needs puppy proofing.
• One way or another, you need to be able to confine your puppy to a more securely puppy-proofed part of the house when you are out. See my crate-training page for how (and whether) to crate train, and a section on alternatives to crate training.
• Plan your potty-training arrangements. Where do you want the puppy to do its stuff? How will you clean it up?