How to Puppy Proof Your Home: A First-Time Dog Owner’s Guide to Keeping Your Puppy Safe

Bringing home a new puppy is a joyful experience, but before we do that, we need to prepare ourselves and our home for a new family member. If you're a first-time dog owner, you may want to learn more about puppy proofing your home and how protect your new furry friend from common household hazards.

Puppies are curious, energetic, and love to explore with their mouths, so a dog-friendly home is a must.

I've prepared a list of things you have to prepare before your new dog arrives home. Even if you're adopting an older dog, you might want to read it and make sure that entire process goes smoothly.

Here’s my guide on how to puppy-proof your home, room by room:

General Puppy-Proofing Tips for Every Room

• Get on their level: Crawling on the floor helps you spot potential dangers your puppy might encounter: dangling cords, small objects, or choking hazards. If you are able to do it, please check every corner. You can also ask other people for help with it.
• Secure electrical cords: Puppies love to chew and exposed cords can lead to burns or electric shock. Use cord covers or hide them out of reach of your dog. We learned it the hard way when our puppy chewed on a fan cord in the middle of the summer. Luckily he wasn't harmed!
• Remove small and sharp objects: Items like coins, batteries, paper clips, or jewelry can pose serious risks if swallowed. By securing them you potentially save your dog's life.
• Install baby gates: Use them to keep your puppy out of unsafe areas like staircases, garages or rooms they shouldn't enter. There are many kinds available on the market, including ones that don't require drilling. We use a baby gate to keep our dogs out of a hallway in case we expect visitors.

Living Room Puppy Safety Tips

• Anchor unstable furniture: Prevent injuries by securing bookshelves, floor lamps, and TVs from falling.
• Keep houseplants out of reach: Many common indoor plants are toxic to dogs. Research pet safe plants and if you have plants that are toxic for dogs, place them in inaccessible areas or consider rehoming them to a pet-free environment.
• Cover or remove trash cans: Food scraps, packaging and other items from a trash can might be toxic or dangerous for your pup.

Kitchen: High Risk Area for Puppy Hazards

• Keep food stored securely: Puppies can’t eat everything humans can. Toxic foods like chocolate, grapes, onions, and anything with xylitol should be kept out of reach.
• Use cabinet locks: Store cleaning supplies, knives, and plastic bags behind latched doors to prevent access.
• Secure the trash bin: Consider a dog-proof trash can with a locking lid to avoid messes and ingestion of dangerous items.

Bathroom: Dog Proofing for Common Hazards

• Close toilet lids: dog might try to drink from the toilet, which can expose them to harmful chemicals.
• Store medicines safely: painkillers, vitamins and other medications must be kept in high cabinets or behind locked doors.
• Remove access to razors and toiletries: items like soap, floss, and toothpaste are unsafe if ingested and should be kept out of reach.

Bedroom Puppy-Proofing Tips

• Tuck away cords and chargers: as I mentioned before, electrical cords can be tempting chew toys.
• Keep small personal items off the floor: Hair ties, rings, and socks are common swallowing hazards for puppies. By keeping them out of reach of your dog, you potentially avoid an expensive vet visit.
• Block access under the bed: this hiding spot can be hard to reach in emergencies. If you are able to, block access under the bed. In case of emergency you don't want to waste time with looking for your pup or trying to convince them to get out, especially if they are experiencing a huge amount of stress.

Garage and Laundry Room Safety 

• Store chemicals and tools out of reach: Antifreeze, detergents, and sharp tools are dangerous and should be locked away.
• Keep laundry off the ground: Puppies (and older dogs) love to chew socks and underwear, which can lead to intestinal blockages.
• Check machines before use: Always check washers and dryers - some puppies may try to curl up inside.

Backyard and Outdoor Puppy Safety

• Inspect fences and gates regularly: Make sure there are no gaps or weak spots where your puppy could escape and get into trouble.
• Remove or avoid toxic plants: they can be harmful if ingested.
• Secure lawn tools and chemicals: Keep fertilizers, pesticides, and gardening tools stored safely.

Create a Puppy-Safe Home for Peace of Mind

Puppy proofing your home is one of the most important steps a first-time dog owner should think about. A dog safe home is not only about physical protection but also about reducing stress for both you and your puppy as they explore their new environment.

I hope that this guide helped you with your preparation for a new dog. There are many more things you need to think about before your dog arrives home. You can check out our New Dog Checklist here for more useful information.