Puppy care guide
Puppy Proofing Your Home and Yard
How to make a home and yard safer for a puppy: control where your puppy can go, secure cords, small objects, foods, medications, chemicals and plants, and supervise. A practical guide for new puppy owners.
Short answer
Puppy-proofing means getting hazards out of your puppy’s reach, controlling which parts of the home and yard your puppy can get to, and supervising, because your puppy will find something you missed.[1][2]
This guide fits you if you are bringing home a puppy, or already have one, and want to make your home and yard safer.
Look elsewhere if your puppy may already have swallowed or touched something harmful, is choking, or has chewed a live cord: contact your veterinarian or ASPCA Poison Control now.[3] Chewing, potty training, crate use and feeding have their own guides: Biting & Chewing, Potty Training, Crate Training and Feeding Schedule.
What puppy-proofing means
AKC describes puppy-proofing as keeping a puppy safe and preventing access to anything dangerous.[2] In practice that comes down to two things: access control, meaning what your puppy can reach and where it can go, and supervision for everything you could not control.
AAHA suggests getting down to your pet’s level and asking what you would notice there, which of those things could be harmful, and which valuable items could be damaged.[1]
Walk through your home
Look from your puppy’s level
AAHA suggests getting down to your puppy’s level and looking for what is within reach, interesting to chew or swallow, or harmful.[1]
Remove or lock away hazards in those areas
Once you have decided where your puppy is allowed, AAHA suggests removing hazards and securing valuables there.[1] The sections below cover the main categories.
Supervise and keep checking
AAHA warns that however well you have proofed, your puppy will find something you missed, so watch your puppy, and put it somewhere proofed when you cannot.[1]
Example You block off the living room with a gate, then notice your puppy heading for a charger cord, so you move the cord out of reach.
Control where your puppy can go
Gates and closed doors are the simplest tools. AAHA suggests baby-proofing latches for drawers and cabinets, since some pets learn to open them.[1] AKC advises keeping doors and windows closed so your puppy cannot escape or fall out, and keeping toilet lids closed so the puppy cannot drink from the toilet or fall in.[2] VCA adds that doors and windows should latch properly so a puppy cannot push them open.[6]
AAHA notes that a crate gives your puppy a safe place to stay out of trouble at night and while you are away.[1] The Puppy Crate Training guide covers how to introduce one.
Cords and electrical hazards
Chewing on electrical cords can cause an electric shock, and AKC adds burns to the mouth.[2][6] Unplug loose cords and move them out of reach or out of sight,[2][6] or, as AKC suggests, run them through cord concealers.[2] AAHA also warns of fire and suggests commercial cord protectors, or keeping cords hidden behind or under furniture.[1] AKC also suggests securing the cords that raise blinds, so they cannot get caught around your puppy’s neck.[2]
Small objects, trash and things that can be swallowed
AKC suggests putting away small items that are choking hazards, such as coins, paper clips, rubber bands and jewelry, and keeping all sharp objects out of reach.[2] AAHA warns that shoes, socks and other small clothing tempt many dogs to chew, and that swallowing them could cause an intestinal obstruction. Anything left on the floor or on low shelves is fair game, so keep clutter down.[1]
Trash is another draw. Secure the trash can: keep it inside a cabinet, or use one with a locking lid.[1][2] AKC warns that garbage can upset a puppy’s stomach or even be poisonous, and VCA that it can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, intestinal blockages or toxin exposure.[2][6] If your puppy keeps chewing things within reach, the Puppy Biting & Chewing guide covers redirecting it.
Foods, medications and household chemicals
This section is about keeping things out of reach, not about what to feed your puppy.
Foods. AKC advises against feeding from the table and names xylitol gum, chocolate and raisins among the foods especially poisonous to dogs.[2] ASPCA Poison Control keeps a list of common people foods to avoid feeding pets.[5] VCA suggests not leaving food on counters or tables, since pets reach surprising heights, and not leaving gum, mints or sweets where they can fall to the floor from a purse or pocket.[7]
Medications. AKC advises putting all medications away, even in pill bottles or dispensers, and keep them off low tables, bathroom counters and night tables.[2] Childproof lids do not stop a dog from chewing,[6] so VCA advises keeping all human and pet medications up high in closed cupboards.[7] ASPCA Poison Control’s list of the most dangerous toxins includes several human medications, and ASPCA advises keeping everything on that list locked in cabinets or out of reach.[8]
Chemicals. AKC advises keeping cleaning supplies in high cabinets or behind doors with childproof latches, and keep your puppy out of the area while you use them so it is not affected by the fumes.[2] VCA advises locking away all cleaning, automotive and garden chemicals and never using mouse or rat poison in or around the house, because pets can sniff these out wherever they are hidden.[7] ASPCA also lists metaldehyde, found in some slug and snail baits, among the toxins more likely to cause serious signs.[8] ASPCA’s household-products guide is general information and is not meant for assessing an exposure.[9]
Out of reach is not always out of reach. VCA says it is amazing what supposedly unreachable heights pets will reach for food,[7] and childproof lids do not stop a puppy from chewing.[6] Store medications, cleaning, automotive and garden chemicals and baits in closed, latched cabinets or locked away, and keep your puppy out of any room where you are using them.[2][7]
Plants
AKC advises moving poisonous houseplants where your puppy cannot eat them.[2] AAHA suggests checking the ASPCA list of toxic and non-toxic plants to make sure none of the plants in your home are dangerous,[1] and VCA suggests checking it before bringing a new plant into your home or garden.[7] ASPCA says that eating any plant material may cause vomiting and stomach upset, and that you should check the exact plant name.[4] VCA warns that for toxic plants, even the mulch or potting soil around them can be dangerous, so restrict access or always supervise your puppy.[6]
The yard
AKC suggests fencing the yard if possible, with a fence high enough that your puppy cannot jump over it and with no holes to crawl through.[2] VCA suggests checking for holes under the fence.[6] AKC also suggests a fence around in-ground pools and removing toxic plants from the yard, and keeping your puppy away from a yard that has recently been treated with fertilizers, pesticides or insecticides; it advises avoiding insecticides where you can.[2] In hot weather, AKC advises always providing shade and cool water, and not keeping your puppy outside when it is hot.[2]
Young puppies should not be left outside alone. AKC lists predators, heatstroke and other hazards.[2]
Supervise instead of punishing
AAHA says to expect some speed bumps when your puppy first comes home, and never to punish a puppy for taking or damaging household items. Focus on prevention by supervising and redirecting instead.[1] VCA suggests keeping a list of emergency numbers: your veterinarian, the nearest emergency veterinary hospital and a pet poison helpline.[6]
When it is not working
- Your puppy keeps getting into the trash
Check Whether the can is within reach or easy to open.[1]
Try Use a can with a locking lid or keep it inside a closed cabinet, and do not forget bathroom bins.[1][7]
- Your puppy opens cabinets or reaches counters
Check Whether the latches hold, and whether food or medications are within reach on counters, tables or low surfaces.[1][2][7]
Try Add childproof latches, keep food in drawers, cupboards or pantries, and move medications up high.[1][7]
If you think your puppy has swallowed or been exposed to something harmful, call your veterinarian or ASPCA Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 immediately; a consultation fee may apply.[3] For foods on its list, ASPCA advises noting the amount ingested when you contact your veterinarian or poison control.[5] For choking, a shock from a cord, or any other emergency, contact your veterinarian or an emergency veterinary hospital right away. This guide cannot assess an exposure and gives no diagnosis, first aid or home remedies; follow the instructions of your veterinarian or poison control.[9]
Sources
- Essential Tips for Pet-Proofing Your Home (opens another site)
- Puppy-Proofing Tips for Your Home And Yard (opens another site)
- ASPCA Poison Control (opens another site)
- Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants List (opens another site)
- People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets (opens another site)
- Puppy-proofing 101 (opens another site)
- Prevent at-home pet poisoning (opens another site)
- The Top 10 Deadliest Pet Toxins (opens another site)
- Poisonous Household Products (opens another site)