A Puppy-Proof Home

Before bringing your puppy home, there are some precautions you should take to help protect him/her from possible injury. Puppies tend to be very curious, and they can get themselves into trouble in no time at all. However making minor adjustments around the house can help avoid major catastrophes. One of the easiest ways to determine what changes need to be made is to crawl around on all fours to get a dog's eye view of the place. Particularly look for things that a puppy could chew on or get tangled in, and small spaces he could squeeze through.

The following list includes some suggestions of ways to puppy-proof your home, but it is not exhaustive:

• Do not leave electrical cords exposed.
• Block off stairs with a baby gate.
• Avoid feeding certain human foods to your dog, including chocolate, onions, grapes, and macadamia nuts and make sure he cannot reach them easily.
• Keep all trash cans behind closed doors.
• Keep all medications in a safe place, out of the dog's reach.
• Fence your yard.