For making your home safe for the puppy and protecting the home from your puppy it’s best to prepare in advance before the pick-up day. We summed up a short check-list for you to go through step by step:
Flooring, especially the slippery areas, should be better covered to create a safer environment for the puppy's musculoskeletal system development. It's better to cover even a non-slippery wooden parquet while the puppy is not yet pot-trained and mature. It's much easier to throw out and replace inexpensive carpeting than the entire parquet. Expensive and valuable carpets are better to put away till pot training is completed.
Wires should be completely removed from the puppy's access: lifted, hidden, or moved somewhere. It's extremely natural for a curious puppy to try to chew them or play with them, and this can be very dangerous.
Shoes should also be removed from the puppy's access, so as not to be surprised or stressed that he constantly drags them around or tries to chew them. Shoes are a source of many smells, and the puppy will find them worthy of attention, so a passion for shoes is pretty much expected.
Valuable things such as favorite carpets or antique furniture should also be kept away from the puppy for a while, at least until the puppy has completely changed teeth. Puppies love to chew, and your decor may seem like a great way to scratch their gums. To avoid causing unnecessary stress, it's better to put valuable things away or fence them off for a while.
Children's stuff should also be lifted if they are within the puppy's reach. Socks and other clothes can easily turn into toys, and the dog can accidentally swallow them. The same goes for toys. If the child is older and does not mind sharing, that's good, but the toys will most likely be chewed, and the puppy can also swallow some smaller parts.
A fence should be prepared in any case, even if you do not plan to lock the puppy in for a long time. It's much safer for the puppy to be in there if you need to go out for a while or get busy, and there is no one to look after him. Small SBTs are like playful monkeys, and they will definitely find something to entertain themselves with. Do not leave toys or small/short chew treats inside the fence to avoid accidental choking. For example, a large black Kong could be a good thing to leave in. We discussed more on toys and their functions here.
Houseplants shouldn't be in the puppy's access too, especially toxic ones like most of the house plants are. Even if the plant is non-toxic, the puppy can still dig around in the pot or help you to re-plant a couple of flowers.
Household chemicals should be kept away from both children and dogs. Make sure that the puppy cannot get nearby and try to chew on or play with them.
Be sure to check out the garden for potential risks, especially places where the puppy could potentially fall or get stuck. Toxic plants should be better removed or fenced off. Also, be sure to check the integrity of the fence: if the puppy's head can fit through some gap, then he could easily squeeze his entire body through it, get stuck, or get loose and lost.
Prepare the car for safe car rides with your puppy. You can place a hammock on the back seat to keep the car cleaner after walks, but it's also necessary to prepare a seat belt or a transporting cage. We discussed more about safety at car rides in more detail here.
