Just because your home is kid-friendly does not mean it is puppy friendly. Before you bring your puppy home, get down on your hands and knees and look around for things your puppy might get into (we know this sounds weird, but trust us on this one). When you bring your puppy home for the first time, he will want to explore his new surroundings. Try taking your puppy on a tour of his new home. At first, you will want to restrict your puppy to certain areas of your home, and make sure your puppy is supervised. This will allow you to correct undesired negative behaviors, and will prevent your puppy from getting into unnecessary trouble. Although you want your puppy to feel at home, it is important to teach him the rules of the house. If you don’t teach him the house rules, he will make up his own. Here are six simple ways to puppy-proof your house.
1. Keep electrical wires out of reach- It is natural for your teething puppy to want to chew on anything he can get his mouth on. Keeping electrical wires out of his reach will prevent him from getting shocked and will prevent you from having to replace expensive electronics. Also, puppies love things they’re not supposed to have like television remotes and expensive shoes. Keep these out of reach of your puppy.
2. Make sure kitchen cabinets and trash cans are secure- Weimaraners are notorious for counter surfing and garbage diving. If you have food in low cabinets, you may want to put a lock on those cabinets. Make sure trash cans are out of reach. At our house, all trash cans are tucked away into a closet. The main garbage in our kitchen is underneath our kitchen sink on a roll-out track.
3. Keep soaps, medicines, and household cleaners locked away- You don’t want your puppy to ingest any harmful substances. Keep these in a locked cabinet out of reach.
4. Keep all outside doors closed- Because of their curiosity, Weimaraners are natural explorers. They can “sneak out” of easy to open doors. Keeping all outside doors locked will prevent your Weim from escaping. We have deadbolts on all of our doors because our dogs know how to open door knobs.
5. Make sure your puppy cannot fall between balcony railings- Make sure any balconies or second story spaces have secure railings. Weimaraners can slink their way through even the tiniest of spaces, so make sure you have spacers between balcony railings. Keep this in mind with fences, too. Always go outside with your new puppy- don’t assume a fence will keep them in the yard. When we first got Scout, she slinked her way out of the fence, and came around to the front door. Weims are notorious for their Houdini-like escape abilities!
6. Keep poisonous plants away from your puppy- Make sure any plants (both inside and outside) are not harmful to your dog. If you have potted plants on the floors or other dog-level surfaces (tables, countertops, nightstands, etc.) throughout your home, you may want to move them. If you have hanging plants, make sure there isn’t something underneath, i.e. a chair, that your Weim could stand on to reach the plant. Some plants that are helpful to humans, such as aloe, can be dangerous for your pet.
