Puppy-Proofing Your Home, Room by Room

A puppy's first instinct with almost anything new is to chew it, which makes the usual list of household dangers, cords, small objects, certain plants, considerably more urgent than it would be for an adult dog who's already learned better. A single afternoon spent room by room heads off most of the common emergency vet visits.

What you'll need

An hour or two, outlet covers, cord organizers, and a trash can with a secure lid if you don't already have one.

Steps

1. Kitchen

   Move cleaning supplies, medications, and human food, especially chocolate, grapes, and anything containing xylitol, up and out of reach. A secure lid on the trash can prevents one of the most common sources of emergency vet visits.

2. Living room

   Tape or route cords along baseboards rather than leaving them dangling, and remove small remote-control batteries or coins from low tables. Check for any houseplants within reach, since several common varieties are toxic if chewed.

3. Bathroom

   Keep the toilet lid down and medications in a cabinet rather than on a counter. Bath products and razors are easy for a curious puppy to knock down and investigate.

4. Bedroom

   Shoes, socks, and small clothing items are frequent swallowing hazards, more so than most owners expect. A closed closet door solves most of this problem on its own.

5. Garage and outdoor areas

   Antifreeze is highly toxic and, unfortunately, appealing to pets due to its sweet taste, so it needs to be stored well out of reach with no drip risk. Fertilizers and certain garden mulches carry similar risks.

6. Do a floor-level walkthrough

   Get down to puppy height in each room before letting them loose. Things invisible from standing height, a stray charging cable, a dropped pill, are often exactly what catches a puppy's attention first.

Frequently asked questions