You have made the decision to get a dog and now you are in full-on organizing mode. You have managed to decide which breed to get, you have reserved your dog and it is just a couple of weeks until you get to bring that bundle of fluff home. Now you’re wondering how to prepare your home for a dog, so we will share a few tips here for you today.
Safety first
Your priority is going to be in making your home a safe environment for your dog.
You can start by thinking about where the dog will have access to when it first arrives home. It might be worth restricting his access to the whole house while he gets used to his new environment and works on his toileting. This goes for puppies and rescues, as not all are going to settle in straight away. You might also want to use a crate to keep him safe when you aren’t able to watch him all of the time.
Wherever the dog will go, needs to be a safe area. Remove things that he could chew on, ensure there are no cables he can bite through and dig up poisonous plants and shrubs in your yard. You will also want to make sure that your yard is fully enclosed, with no gaps in the fence as dogs can be clever little escape artists when they want to be!
Make it welcoming
Now that you have ensured that everything is safe for your pet, you can work on making it welcoming for him.
We have already mentioned that you might want to get a crate, so if this is the case, make sure that that crate is a cosy space for pup. This will be his den, so pop a blanket in there with a bed and maybe a soft toy.
Buy a few more toys to scatter around his play area and get him food and water bowls ready.
It doesn’t end there
You have now made a safe environment for your new arrival, but we would like to remind you that it doesn’t end there.
The most obvious ongoing safety issue that you will have is ensuring that your dog doesn’t eat food that he really shouldn’t be eating. You need to make yourself and everyone in your household aware of the foods that are dangerous for your dog and you then need to be vigilant in ensuring that he doesn’t eat them, or you need to act swiftly if he does. This can be a challenge in a household with young children, so do stay on top of it.
You then need to keep your eye on any chewing to ensure he is safe and monitor his toys as some dogs do chew them or tear them apart so ensure you are around when he is playing.
You will then find that you are likely to be cleaning a lot more than you ever did before. There will be mopping, there will be pressure washing, there will be window cleaning (dogs noses love to snuffle a window!) and there will be vacuuming aplenty.
It seems a lot of work doesn’t it? It is, but it will all be absolutely worth it.
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