In the popular movie The secret life of Pets, things quickly go out of hand once the pet owners leave their apartments. Dogs escape through the windows, the plates crash on the floor, and the wall art falls. So, if you witnessed some home destruction once you came back home from work, it’s possible your dog had its fair share in it. So, naturally, you want to keep your dog from destroying your home when you aren’t around. And fortunately, there are practical ways you can dog-proof your home and make your pet adjust better to living in an apartment.
In this article, we share with you many pet-proofing tips and tricks to help you make your home safe for your dog (and vice versa).
Ways to Dog-Proof Your Home
Creating a dog-friendly space will require time, effort, and preparation on your side. So, first of all, let’s make sure you know where to begin. The general rule is to look at the place through your dog’s eyes. That means you will need to get down to their level and observe the opportunities for pet injuries or damage they might cause.
After inspecting your place from their perspective, it would be wise to think of ways to organize the area to suit you and your pet. For instance, you might want to consider renting long-term storage to make your living space more breathable, and therefore, safe. This way, you will be able to keep your belongings there permanently. At the same time, you will ensure your pet has enough space to let out its energy while being free from harm.
Create a Dog-Friendly Kitchen
The first stop you want to dog-proof is your kitchen. But, first, it’s vital to remove all the potential threats or access to them. This is how to do it.
Clear Your Counters
Make sure your counters are food-free. This means you will need to clean up after any food prep. Dogs naturally follow their nose for any possible snacks and will most likely get to your counters to try out the crumbs or leftovers.
Furthermore, pay attention that your supplements, vitamins, or medications are not visible on your counters. Instead, try ensuring they are out of reach by putting them into higher cabinets.
Protect the Food
You want to make sure you store your food in closed drawers, cupboards, or in a closed pantry. The reason for this is to prevent the scenario of your dog potentially ingesting toxic foods. The most common unhealthy foods for dogs people tend to have in their homes are chocolate, onions, and grapes.
In addition, foods in bags are also something you want to think about. Make sure you cut your bag of chips on both sides so it folds out flat. This way, you will prevent it from becoming a choking hazard. It would be best to serve your snacks in a bowl rather than eat from a bag. Moreover, please don’t leave your dog’s treat bags lying around where they can get them.
Make Trash Unreachable
An open trash can mean a box full of delicacies to your dog. Apart from the nasty factor, an available trash can is a severe danger to your pet. For example, your dog can swallow something toxic or choke on a sharp bone.
Dog-proof your home by keeping your trash cans secured and closed.
The easier way to avoid your dog’s temptation is to keep the trash can closed. You can even use magnetic child-proofing items to make sure you are the only one who can open them.
Keep the Cleaning Products Way Out of Reach
A child-proof cap is not a good option here since it won’t resist the dog’s chewing. Either go for magnetic ones or make sure these items are stored out of reach.
Install Barriers if Needed
If you are an owner of an energetic and curious dog, consider installing barriers to the places you don’t want your dog at. Baby gates are a great option if you’re not always around to supervise your furry friend.
The Living Room and Bedroom Are Essential If You Want to Dog-Proof Your Home
These are the rooms you will probably spend most of your time playing and cuddling with your pet. However, just one moment of distraction can lead to an injured pet or a damaged piece of furniture. Implement the following hacks to ensure peace of mind while your dog is playing in the living room.
Cover Electrical Cords
Puppies love to chew on different things, but even adult dogs sometimes cannot resist this temptation. The best thing to prevent this from happening is to bundle the cords and cables together and cover them with strong tape. Also, don’t forget to put away the charges of your phones and laptops when you’re not using them.
Failing to do so might result in electrical shock with breathing difficulties or burns if your pets chew on them.
Get Rid of Toxic Plants
If you want to successfully dog-proof your home, you should get educated on which plants are safe to have around the house. Some of the most common house plants can be poisonous to dogs, such as Autumn Crocus, Sago Palms, or Cyclamen.
Be careful which plants you choose to brighten up your living space, as some can be toxic for pets.
Remove Costly and Breakable Items
To avoid being heartbroken over damaged valuable things you own, you should make sure they are well out of reach for your dog.
Be Sure to Tidy Up
After a game of Monopoly with friends and a few glasses of wine, be sure to put away all the tiny pieces back into place and away from your pooch.
Be Cautious with Candles and Oil Diffusers
Another scenario you will want to prevent is your dog knocking a lit candle over and starting a fire or indigestion of some of the essential oils you use in your diffuser. So again, it would be good to pay attention to the oils you pick and ensure they aren’t harmful or irritating to your pup.
Keep Your Cosmetics Tucked Away
Finally, make sure your makeup products, perfumes, hair products, and lotions are out of sight. Having a makeup bag or a basket kept on a high shelf or in a drawer would be the best option.
Cosmetics and hair products should also be securely tucked away.
How Do You Dog-Proof Your Bathroom
Keep Medicine Away
Human medications are not equivalent to dog medications and can be fatal for them. This is why it’s vital to keep your medication bottles adequately closed in the cabinet. Preferably, the cabinet should also be out of reach. So above the sink is what the majority of people opt for. Also, don’t forget, if you happen to drop a pill, make sure you dispose of it immediately.
Creating these changes to your house organization and habits will make your apartment safe for your furry friend.
Put Down the Toilet Lid
It’s worth creating a habit of putting the toilet lid down for many reasons. Preventing your pup from ingesting harsh cleaning chemicals is one of them.
Caption: Some dogs might want to drink water from the toilet bowl, so make sure your lid is down.
Alt tag: dog-proof your home by putting down the toilet lid
Make Harsh Chemicals Inaccessible
This step is so crucial it’s worth repeating. Ensure your detergents, fabric softeners, bleach, and other cleaners are not accessible to your doggy. Dogs explore the world through their mouths, so you want to prevent their possible intoxication.
Or, keep the bathroom door closed
By keeping the bathroom door closed at all times, you will prevent multiple unpleasant scenarios from happening. They range from the most dangerous ones, such as possible intoxication, to the hilarious ones, like your dog pulling out all the tissues and toilet paper.
A Dog-Proofed Garage
This is the place where you might also store dangerous chemicals and tools. That’s why you shouldn’t neglect your garage organization when wanting to pet-proof your home.
Store Your Tools Safely
Heavy and sharp tools should also be kept out of your pet’s reach. For example, having a storage board on the wall could be a good solution. This rule also counts for tiny tools that can also be a choking hazard, like nails, bolts, and screws.
Having an organizational board will make the search for your tools a lot easier while keeping your pet safe at the same time.
Rat Poison
Having rodents in your home is an unwanted scenario. Therefore, it’s expected you want to use poison to get rid of them. However, make sure you pour it in places that are not easily accessible by your dog. Furthermore, start searching for dead rodents and dispose of them before your dog does.
Other Chemicals
Finally, be sure to keep things like gasoline, antifreeze, and pesticides way up on high shelves. Also, make sure you clean any spills immediately to keep your dog safe.
Conclusion
Making your home a pet-friendly place can be time-consuming. However, it is worth every effort. So, make sure you follow our guide on how to dog-proof your home to ensure you have a happy and healthy pup thriving in a lovely, pet-friendly environment.
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