Puppy Proofing Made Simple

So you all know how much I love sharing what I've learned through trial and error in short, simple tips. As we're going into our second round of fostering puppies, (remember these guys?) I've gathered what we learned from the first litter (and Dozer) in another "Just Five".

You saw our last group of foster puppies, and here are the little guys who are staying at our home right now. Only five weeks old! Meet Jingles and Bosco (aka happy and grumpy)

We learned a ton about scheduling, pain free potty breaks, nap times, and others. First off though comes puppy proofing the house. Puppies, and people, do best when you set them up for success. Just if you were going on a diet or moving to a healthy lifestyle, you wouldn't want to load your countertops with oreos and those twinkies you stocked up on, life with a puppy is so much easier when you set them up for success and puppy proof the house. 

1. Contain cords:

You know those cords that run from the tv, fridge, microwave, and anything that's charging to the wall? Electricity runs through those, and puppies like to chew on them. In case your wondering, the vet bill for an electrocuted dog is very expensive (experience of a friend, not my own). 

2. Put away shoes: 

And anything else that looks fun to chew on. Until he/she knows better, everything is a toy. Eliminating temptation will help with training, headaches, and your shoe bill. P.s. keep remotes on a shelf

3. Dealing with another dog: 

If you already have a dog in the home, take away any high value toys when bringing home a new puppy. Dozer's favorites go in a box he can't see whenever puppies come around to avoid any toy aggression.

4. Get the right toys:

When you're starting out, get toys of different textures. (stuffed, rubber, bones, etc). If  the puppy starts chewing on something, replace it with the toy of the same texture. Most often, the puppy is chewing to make their gums and new teeth feel better. If the table leg makes his teeth feel better, replacing this habit with that cute stuffed bear you got him won't help the problem. 

5. Prevent further accidents: 

Little puppies have accidents. Notice their having accidents in the same spot? Sometimes a scent is left over even after cleaning, which shows them this is their spot. We use an empty spray bottle with a home cleaner to remove any scent: 

Empty spray bottle (normal cleaner size)

water (almost all the way full)

white vinegar (about a 1/4 cup)

peppermint dr. bronners soap (about 6 drops) *you need this, it's awesome

lemon essential oil (about 5 drops)

Shake before use. 

Also gets rid of ants.