Date Archives: March 21st, 2022

Getting a new puppy is exciting for everyone in the family, but it's also a big responsibility everyone needs to tackle. To celebrate National Puppy Day on March 23rd, let's talk about how to puppy-proof your house from your newest addition to the family! Here are a few tips from our REALTORS® for keeping your puppy safe and your home chaos-free.

• Keep your trash secured. Trash is one of the number one puppy magnets in your house. Not only does it smell good (to your pup), but it's like a huge toy box full of things to explore and smell and eat! Trash cans that tuck away into drawers are popular in Nassau County homes for sale, but if you don't have one, you can invest in a heavy-duty trash can with a lid. Smaller trash cans with lids and foot pedals can also be purchased for bathrooms and bedrooms.
  
  
• Tape up or cover up your cords. Cords are perfect for chewing, or at least so thinks a teething puppy! You can prevent your pup from a dangerous situation by making electrical cords inaccessible. While it's not possible to put most cords out of your puppy's reach, you can cover them with heavy-duty cord protectors or tape them to the baseboards.
  
  
• Store drugs and chemicals out of reach. Unless you have small children (the two-legged variety) and still have child locks installed on the cupboard doors, your best bet for keeping your pup safe is to store medications and dangerous chemicals up high. Utilize upper cupboards and medicine cabinets, even if it's something you'd normally keep under the sink. Don't keep hazardous drugs and chemicals on top of countertops, even if that seems high enough to keep out of the puppy's reach, as bottles can get knocked over and roll onto the floor where the puppy would have access.
  
  
• Keep things off the floor and out of reach. It's time to start training everyone in the house not to keep anything on the floor, as anything within the puppy's reach could quickly be carried off or chewed up. This includes shoes, laundry, and even kids' toys. Many Suffolk County homes for sale have plenty of cupboards and closet space for organizing things that shouldn't be on the floor, but be sure to discuss with your children how important it is to put things away properly after using them.
  
  
• Use baby gates to limit movement. It's difficult to puppy-proof the entire house, but fortunately, you can utilize baby gates to keep the pup confined to a safe area when you're too busy or distracted to supervise. For instance, if the kids' bedrooms aren't puppy-proofed, a baby gate on the stairs can keep pup downstairs with you during the day. A puppy playpen is also great for keeping the pup on hard floor for easy cleanup or to keep him away from hazards elsewhere in the room.
  
  
• Provide plenty of toys. Puppies have a legitimate need to chew as their adult teeth come in, so providing dedicated dog toys can protect your possessions from damage by giving your pup something he's allowed to chew. If you catch him chewing something he shouldn't be, firmly tell him "no," and then give him one of his own toys to chew on instead.

Like with raising kids, puppies need lots of space to burn off excess energy. Has your little family outgrown your current home? Contact us today to start searching for your (and your pup's) dream home.