Making Your Home Safe for a New Dog

If you’re going to be bringing a new canine friend home to live with you soon, you need to prep your house first to make sure that there is nothing hazardous to the dog—and also that the dog isn’t going to be a hazard to your possessions.  Here are some steps to take to make sure that you’re ready for your new furry friend to live with you safely and harmoniously.

Look for things which could injure your dog or even cause death, things like objects your dog could choke on or become strangled by.  If you see tiny objects lying around on your carpet like rubber bands or paper clips, you need to pick these up and vacuum your carpet.  Dogs will ingest just about anything, so don’t leave anything lying around that could hurt your dog.  Other hazards take the form of wires or cords from curtains; anything of this nature can potentially strangle your dog, so tape down wires and remove cords out of reach of your new pet.  Electrical cords pose a further hazard since they have current flowing through them.  If your pet doesn’t get strangled by a cord, he may try to eat it, which can cause electrocution.  Tape down the cords thoroughly so that nothing is exposed which could look chewable.

Lots of things can look like a chew toy to a dog.  If you have important possessions that might look tempting to your dog, you need to move them out of reach.  This includes plush toys and sometimes pillows and cushions.  Rubber items also can look like chew toys, so keep that in mind as you search your house.  Also look for things that a dog might consider as an interesting dietary addition but which would in fact pose a health hazard.  Put poisons out of reach along with hygiene products.  If it would cause harm to a baby or toddler, it can do likewise to a dog.  Put your garbage out of reach as well since dogs love to dig through the trash.  Just as you wouldn’t want to eat out of the trash can, however, you don’t want your dog to do it either.  Eating rotten food can cause digestive illness in canines, just like it does in humans.

Dogs of different breeds have different persuasions when it comes to chewing and exploring their environments, and every dog has a unique personality as well.  So when you bring home your new pet, keep an eye on him until you learn his habits.  During housetraining you will need to teach your dog which items in your house to respect and to avoid.  Some dogs will be much easier than others to deal with in this respect; when your dog moves in there will be an adjustment period for both of you.  Once you manage to lay down the rules and your dog gets used to his new environment, it should be a happy, welcoming place for both of you.