Puppy Proofing Your House Essex Junction VT

1. Chewing. During your puppy's first year, teething will occur, causing the pup to chew vigorously on everything possible. This means everything from toilet paper to furniture legs, cords (which can electrocute your dog) and plastic (remote controls, combs). Preventative measures will depend on the size and jumping ability of your puppy, but you must go through every room that your puppy can access, removing anything of value that could be chewed. For furniture that can't be moved, you can also use a chew-repellent spray that isn't toxic to your puppy. Talk to your vet about the use of these sprays, which can be found and purchased online.
   
   
2. Not just chewing, but eating as well! That's right, puppy-proofing a house doesn't stop with just chew-proofing it. Your puppy will explore by sniffing, chewing and eating. You might not care if your puppy chews up a certain rug, but it's possible that the fibers of the rug could cause health and digestive problems and shouldn't be consumed. A houseplant might be dying anyway, but letting your puppy eat it would be irresponsible until you know for a fact that it isn't toxic. You must think not only about physical damage to property when you puppy-proof a house, but also about the puppy's wellbeing. Are there sharp little things like thumbtacks and staples lying around, or even small nails? Any shiny objects like jewelry? Puppies can chew on and eat little pieces of children's toys. They've been known to eat candy wrappers, wood chips, anything children sometimes eat (crayons, glue), and many things even kids probably wouldn't eat (toiletries, money).
   
   When it comes to bad things puppies can ingest, the list is extensive. In order to puppy-proof your house, you must approach every room of your house with a combination of total innocence and curiosity. Lock away all poisons and cleaning agents. Don't leave pills and medication lying around. If it's small enough for a puppy to swallow, consider putting it somewhere safe from the puppy.
   
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Author: Staff Writer