The date’s set for the arrival of your new canine furbaby.
Congratulations!
But with that said, despite how cute puppies are, they can also be a handful, so be prepared! And just like welcoming a baby into your home, there are steps you need to take to get your living space ready before your puppy arrives.
Here are 5 things you need to considering doing before welcoming your new family member home:
1. Prepare a special spot for your dog to sleep
If you have a spacious yard, you may want to let your puppy spend most of its time outside, including nap times. To make this arrangement work, try getting a weather-resistant dog house like this one from Boomer & George to keep your puppy safe and dry when it’s outside.
If you plan to keep your pup indoors, try getting a comfortable dog bed where it can sleep peacefully.
When trained to recognise that it has its own sleeping spot, your puppy will be less likely to try and climb on your sofa and bed to nap, and damaging them in the process.
2. Buy chewy dog toys – lots of them
Puppies can get pretty destructive, especially once they start teething — chewing is their way of dealing with the pain of growing teeth (it’s also how they exploring their world!).
To lessen the chances of your coffee table or shoes being gnawed on, give your dog several chewy toys to choose from, and place them near their sleeping spots to encourage them to stay there.
A good chew toy should be made of safe, durable ingredients and last way past your pup’s destructive phase. Consider getting a flavoured chew toy to keep your pup interested in it.
3. Invest in play pens and pet gates
There are certain rooms at home where your puppy can cause more destruction than others.
Make your life easier by getting your space kitted up with a pet gate that’ll keep your puppy out of places where you don’t want it to go, such as your kitchen, bedrooms and library where you keep valuable memorabilia or other easily damaged items.
With a pet gate, you can also keep pet fur out of these spaces, and your cleaning time to a minimum.
A play pen makes a handy tool for when you are cooking or cleaning up, and need to make sure your puppy is not up to mischief.
One great way to get your pup used to it is to place the play pen around its bed together with its toys and treats. Using a play pen only as and when you need to keep your pup in one place may seem like a good idea at first, but may encourage it to jailbreak its way out as a result of boredom or anxiety.
4. Use scent to keep your pup off your furniture
Can’t seem to keep your puppy away from your furniture? Let scents come to your rescue.
Most chew-deterrent sprays are often spicy or bitter, which your puppy’s incredibly sensitive nose isn’t fond of. Spraying such scents on your sofa, couch, coffee table and other spots around the house can keep your puppy away from venturing there.
Thinking of making your own deterrent formula? Try spraying vinegar on your furniture, or placing cut-up citrus fruit around off-limits spots where your dog can’t reach but can smell.
5. Use pet-resistant fabric on your furniture
Here’s a thought: By bringing a new puppy into your home, it may also be time to give your sofas and chairs a makeover to make them pet-friendly and easier to clean.
You can do this in just minutes with a removable slipcover that you can throw into the wash for a quick clean. To decide which slipcover fabric is right for you, take ours for a test run by ordering fabric samples here: