Properly preparing for a new addition to your family is essential for keeping them safe, happy, and healthy. This is just as true when you add an animal baby to your household as a human one! Making sure your house is danger-free and clean and ready for the new arrival helps everyone adjust quickly and happily. See below for our simple steps to puppy proof your home and help keep your new furry friend safe, and at the same time protect your house – including your carpets!
1. Remove Choking Hazards
Puppies are curious and love to chew and explore the world with their mouths and teeth, so choking is a real danger to be taken very seriously. Go through your home and try to see it through the eyes of a puppy and put away anything that looks hazardous to a chewy, curious baby. Consider small children’s toys, and side table trinkets and décor, for example. Keep any small objects or precious mementos safely stored away and out of reach so that you prevent any accidentally swallowing or choking by your furry friend, or upsetting damage to your belongings. Make sure you provide your puppy with his own toys and snacks that are safe for him to chew on, which will also make your things less appealing too.
2. Latch Your Cabinets and Cupboards
You may be surprised by just how curious that cute new puppy can be. Latching your cabinet doors will keep your pet away from harmful chemicals, choking hazards, garbage, and human food items that can all be very dangerous. Basic baby latches can be purchased inexpensively in most grocery stores.
3. Lid Your Trash Cans
If your indoor or outdoor trash cans don’t have lids, consider swapping them out for the lidded type to prevent your new pet from getting into something they shouldn’t. Think about what kind of garbage containers you have in your bathroom, kitchen, garage, and on the side of your house. If any of them seem easily accessible by a nosey puppy, switch them with something more secure. And remember, if you provide your puppy with lots of enrichment activities, you will prevent boredom that can lead to destructive behaviour, like rooting around in garbage bins.
4. Put Your Cords Away
If left to their own devices, puppies love to play with electrical cords. This is obviously extremely dangerous, and you should go out of your way to make sure they are absolutely not accessible to your new puppy. If you have a lot of stray cords, bundle them up and secure them out of sight. Try hiding them behind baseboards (or at least behind furniture), or pin them up out of reach of your puppy.
5. Use Baby Gates
Just like human babies, sometimes you have to keep your puppy out of certain areas of your house for their own safety, or to protect your home and belongings from certain destruction! When puppy-proofing, always think about how your pet could get into trouble. Start by putting gates at the top or bottom of stairways, since puppies could otherwise be at risk for taking a little tumble down the stairs. Gates are also a good way to start training your puppy to stay out of places you would rather he not be (like the pantry, or your bedroom). If you have a particularly difficult place to puppy-proof, like a home office or child’s playroom, consider gating it off until your dog is older and less likely to chew and get into mischief.
6. Clear Your Air
Your home is about to become a whole lot furrier, so it really is best to start with a clean slate. By replacing your furnace filter (and cleaning it more often thereafter), you will ensure that your air filtration system is able to handle all the higher demands of the circulating pet hair. Even better – have your air ducts and furnace cleaned in order to lessen the stress on your home system. Consider also investing in an air purifier, which will help further reduce pet hair in the air, and cut down on all those smells associated with a new pet! And of course, regular vacuuming keeps your air (and carpets!) cleaner and fresher too.
7. Spot-Clean Accidents
Sometimes, accidents happen, and if you can get to them right away you have the best chance of cleaning them up properly. The most important thing to remember here is NOT to use bleach. Bleach will react with the urine to cause even bigger odor and toxicity problems. Blot with a white towel to remove as much of the urine as possible, then neutralize with a white vinegar solution (1 part vinegar, 2 parts water). Saturate the spot with the vinegar solution using a spray bottle, and blot to remove excess moisture. Then, apply a small quantity of detergent solution (1/4 tsp of bleach-free dish soap, 2 cups water) to the spot. Use a blotting motion to work the detergent into the affected area. Continue blotting and applying until the spot is removed. Rinse with tap water using a spray bottle, then blot to remove excess moisture. Spray lightly with water, but do not blot this time: apply a pad of paper towels and a stack of books. Leave to dry. Finish with an enzyme cleaner spray, if you wish.
Click here for a FREE printable spot and stain guide.
8. Deep Clean Regularly
Keeping your carpet clean with puppies around can be a challenge! We recommend you bring in the professionals at least once a year, preferably twice, to keep the risk to your carpet at a minimum. Dogs bring with them hair, dirt, and urine and fecal spills, and while it is possible to clean up much of this with the above-mentioned tricks, regular vacuuming and spot-cleaning can only take you so far. Soap residue from home-attempts to clean up any kind of liquid contaminants act as a magnet for dirt, dust, and dust mites, and provides a food source for harmful bacteria. And of course there is the urine itself; a professional clean will reach deeper into the carpet and be more likely to remove it completely. Think of the 80/20 rule: about 80% of what is making your carpet dirty can be managed with regular vacuuming and spot-cleaning. The other 20% is made up of deep-seated, hard to reach material that can only be removed by a professional.
AmSteam provides affordable, effective carpet cleaning services to Edmonton and the surrounding area. connect with our team to get a quote today! Our professional and experienced technicians can ensure a deep, thorough clean of your rugs and carpets so that they’re fresh for you, and safe for your puppy.
More Helpful Articles for Pet Lovers
3 Avoidable Mistakes Pet Owners Make When Carpet Cleaning
Pin it!
