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Preparing Your Home for a Puppy

Are you almost ready to bring home an adorable new puppy? A few days before his arrival, start making sure your home itself is ready. Learn how below from a Marietta veterinarian.

Check Each Room

Go through your house or apartment, room to room. Check for electrical cords or other wiring that a puppy could get into, and elevate them or tape them down securely. Do what you can to secure small, tight spots that a pup could get stuck in, and look out for any household toxins like open cleaning solutions, pest poisons, chocolate, grapes, candy, gum, alcoholic beverages, or other harmful human food.

Block Off Rooms

You may consider using baby gates to block off certain rooms in the house, confining your puppy to a specific area. This will make it easier to prepare those rooms for your puppy’s arrival and keep a close eye on him. Make sure the gates are sturdy and safe—you can even check with your veterinarian to make sure they’ll work well.

Remove Valuables

A puppy can all too easily knock valuable items off of counters or tables, and will chew anything in its path. Make sure all the rooms your puppy will be spending time in are cleared of valuable objects, and remove all glass jars or candles from tables. Keep your purse, shoes, grocery bags, backpacks, or other everyday items off the floor—it will save them from being chewed to shreds and allow your puppy to redirect his chewing to an appropriate item, like a chew toy.

Reduce Stress

For your puppy, coming to a new home with new people is a rather stressful time. Do your part to reduce his stress by making sure your home is quiet, without a lot of human traffic passing through. Confine other house pets to their own areas until you’re ready to introduce them. Set up your new puppy’s bed with a few soft blankets to give him a safe haven.

Ask your Marietta veterinarian for more helpful tips on preparing your home for your puppy’s arrival—by being ready ahead of time, your puppy will acclimate to his new home and family in no time!

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