Puppy-Proofing and Boundaries
Your puppy is too young to understand that your expensive leather shoes are not for teething, your sofa pillows are not playthings, and your floors are not his personal bathroom. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you puppy-proof your house before your puppy arrives. This point cannot be stressed enough. Like toddlers, puppies are curious and have an abundance of energy. They will want to explore their surroundings and try to put everything in their mouths—whether it fits or not.
Start by getting down on your puppy’s level and taking a look around. What can your puppy get into? What can he eat? What can he climb on? Anything and everything that you think he won't eat or chew—he will! He is not being a naughty puppy; he is simply being a puppy.
Plenty of potential dangers are lurking in your home, so you must look at everything from a puppy’s perspective. What do you see? Shoes, books, magazines lying around? What about a remote control, cell phone, iPad? Pick up or put away anything your puppy is likely to seek out and destroy, including slippers, books, decorative pillows, candy dishes, and so forth. Electrical cords must be safely concealed behind furniture or under rugs or taped to baseboards because they can cause serious injury or death if a puppy chews on them. Prescription drugs, cleaning supplies, detergents, and poisonous houseplants are a disaster waiting to happen if your puppy eats them. Shoelaces, buttons, socks, marbles, thumbtacks, and paper clips, if swallowed, can cause life-threatening intestinal blockages and may require emergency surgery to remove.
Puppy-proof your yard, garden, and outdoor areas, too. Some puppies are climbers, others are diggers, and some are escape artists, eager to muscle their way through the tiniest openings. Make sure your yard is puppy-proofed by securing all fencing and gates and making repairs if needed. Puppies are inquisitive, and if you think he can escape through it, then he will. If your property is not fenced, be sure your puppy is leashed every time he goes outdoors. Puppies are fast and can dart into the road before you finish tying your shoes. Unfortunately, they don't have the mental wherewithal to understand that the street is a dangerous place to be. It is your job to keep your puppy safe.
Pick up hoses, sprinklers, and lawn ornaments that your puppy will likely try to chew. Store containers of poisonous products—antifreeze, fertilizers, herbicides, and the like—on high shelves and out of puppy’s reach. (Consider using nontoxic, animal-friendly products.) Be mindful of products, such as fertilizers, pesticides, rock salt, deicers, or slug bait, that have been applied to your yard or garden area. Many of these products are toxic and can seriously harm your puppy should he ingest them.
African violets, Christmas cactus, and calla lilies are a few of the countless plants that are toxic to dogs. Be sure to keep them far from your puppy’s reach. Check your yard for mushrooms, too, because some of them also can cause your puppy serious harm should he ingest them.
Don't overlook balconies! If your house or apartment has one, be sure that it is puppy-proofed so your puppy cannot squeeze through the railings and escape or, worse yet, tumble over the edge. Inexpensive chicken wire can be used to form a temporary barrier. A baby gate across the doorway will keep your puppy from venturing onto the balcony on his own.
You must carefully consider swimming pools, ponds, waterscapes, streams, and so forth for your puppy’s long-term safety. While many older puppies can swim, your youngster may not be able to find an easy means of escape should he climb or fall into a pool or pond.
While puppy-proofing may seem a bit overwhelming, it is a necessity. Keeping your puppy safe will save you a good deal of money and heartache down the road.
Americans Spend
The American Pet Products Association reports that pet owners spent an estimated $55.72 billion (yes, billion!) dollars on pet supplies in 2013—topping the $53.33 billion spent in 2012.
Start with the Right Stuff
Who doesn’t love to shop? Ornamental beds, designer sweaters, doggie boots, IQ-boosting toys, automatic water dispensers, and custom crates that look like furniture—the list is endless, and with thousands of online vendors, you can shop ’til you drop without ever leaving your house! Basic essentials for your new puppy include a dog bed, collar and leash, crate, exercise pen, food and water bowls, identification, and an assortment of training toys and chew toys. You will also need a brush or two, nail clippers, shampoo, and conditioner; even if you choose to take your dog to a groomer, you should still have the basics on hand.
Food and Water Bowls
Owners often buy bowls that they like rather than what best suits their puppy. After all, who can resist the dog-bone-shaped bowl or the ceramic bowl with the decorative paws? You will need two bowls: one for water and one for food. Depending on the eventual size of the dog you have chosen, you may need to buy several sets of bowls as your puppy grows. What works for a ten-week-old puppy may not work for an 80-pound adult dog. Bowls should be easy to clean and made of material that is not potentially harmful; stainless steel fits these requirements. Ceramic can be toxic, and glass bowls can easily break. Plastic bowls are inexpensive but can harbor bacteria and are not as easily sanitized as stainless steel. Tenacious chewers could easily ingest or choke on shredded pieces from a plastic bowl. Choose bowls with nonslip bases so that they won’t slide across the floor.
Purchase puppy-sized bowls for your large-breed youngster. This Rottie puppy could take a bath in his future water bowl.
Gates
Few dog owners can live without baby (or puppy) gates. They are indispensible and ideal for corralling your puppy and keeping him safe when you cannot give him your undivided attention. Until he is thoroughly house-trained and well through the chewing stage, gates will restrict his access and prevent him from wandering the house, getting himself into trouble, and developing bad habits.
Crates
A crate is an absolute necessity because it serves so many purposes. It's a great house-training tool, the safest place for a dog to be while traveling, and a cozy den for sleeping, retreating, or relaxing. A crate placed in a quiet corner of the kitchen or family room will satisfy a puppy’s natural instinct to seek a safe and secure environment. Your puppy should view the crate as a fun, positive, and inviting place—a quiet place all his own to sleep, eat, and retreat from the demands of being a puppy.
Crates come in different shapes, sizes, and materials, each offering their own advantages. Consider how you will be using the crate and pick the best one for your puppy's needs. For example, folding wire crates provide good air circulation and help keep dogs cool when temperatures are high. A crate cover turns any wire crate into a secure den and provides protection from the elements. Other crate types include heavy-duty, high-impact plastic kennels that meet domestic and international requirements for airline travel.
Purchase a crate that is big enough for your puppy when he is fully grown. Ideally, it should be big enough to allow an adult dog of your breed to stand up, turn around, and stretch out while lying down. If the crate is too big, it defeats the purpose of providing the security of a den. If it is too small, your puppy will be cramped and uncomfortable, and this is neither fair nor humane.
During house-training, a crate that is too large allows a puppy to use one end for sleeping and the other end as a bathroom, which defeats the crate’s purpose as a house-training tool. Some crates come equipped with a divider panel that allows you to adjust the crate space accordingly. This option allows you to block off a portion of the crate for house-training purposes and gradually enlarge the puppy’s area, so the crate can take your four-legged companion from the puppy stage through house-training and into adulthood without the expense of purchasing