Poodle-Proof Your Home: 14 Essential Tips

Are you ready to bring a new Poodle puppy into your home? Before you do, make sure you’re prepared to keep your furry friend safe and healthy. Poodle puppies love to chew on everything and can get into danger if they find toxic items or hazardous objects. Poodle-proof your home by sealing dustbins, covering electrical cords, storing drugs and chemicals out of reach, and restricting access to potential hazards. Don’t wait any longer, start Poodle-proofing your home now to create a happy and safe environment for your new Poodle puppy to thrive.

Inside

Before you bring a Poodle puppy home, you’ll want to ensure every room is safe for them. After all, Poodle puppies are like babies, they love to put everything in their mouths to chew on, and it’s often not always the best for them. Similarly, it can make your bank balance expensive to replace certain furniture. Therefore to ensure the inside of your home is Poodle puppy proofed, you’ll want to do the following:

Keep your dustbins sealed

Any dustbin you have in your home, whether it’s in the bathroom, kitchen, or anywhere else indoors, you’ll want to keep sealed. After all, Poodle puppies have strong noses, around 100,000 times better than you and I.

Thus any leftover food lingering around in your bin might attract them to explore more. This could be really dangerous if you’re not around, as your Poodle could eat something toxic. For instance, if there’s any chocolate or food containing xylitol or an object which can splinter inside their body, i.e., a bone, or even trap their head in a bag, putting them at risk of suffocating.

Place electrical cords out of reach or cover them

Electrical cords are a great threat to the safety of your Poodle. If your Poodle was to chew on them, they could face a potential burn, accidental shock, or even burns to their mouth. Accordingly try and place them above where they can’t reach them and if you can’t cover them.

You can tuck them behind furniture or place them underneath the carpets if on the floor. Moreover, if you have several cords, you might want to put them through a PVC pipe, making it difficult for your puppy’s teeth to pierce through. On top of the pipe, you can even spray deterrent sprays to discourage your Poodle from chewing on them.

Note: It is not guaranteed to prevent your Poodle from biting through cords. Therefore always supervise them when they’re around electrical items.

Store drugs in cupboards

You’ll want to make your home a drug free zone and to do this, all medication and supplements should be kept high up and out of reach. This means removing any medications from countertops or nightstands and storing them safely in drawers or cabinets. You’ll also want to do the same with your Poodles medication storing them out of reach and ideally separate from your medicine.

Be mindful of your houseplants

If you have any plants in your home, you’ll want to rethink what is in reach of your Poodle. While they may seem harmless to you, some plants can be poisonous to Poodles causing significant problems like digestive upset, organ failure, and in the worst case, death. Therefore you’ll want to either remove them or put them out of reach of your Poodle. To know what house plants and flowers might be poisonous, check out ASPCA’s guidelines. 

Store devices with batteries far away

Any devices that contain batteries, like key fobs, electronic toys, remote controls, cameras, and more, should be kept out of reach. If a Poodle swallows a battery, it can be extremely dangerous, causing the soft tissue in the esophagus to burn.

Put chemical detergents in a cupboard

If you have any household cleaners, glue, detergents or chemicals, rat poisons, or anything else, lock them up. Even if your Poodle puppy chews on a safety cap, it can be quite hazardous.

Cover fireplaces, sharp and heavy objects

If you have any furniture like sharp tables or lamps, you should anchor them down or protect them with a fence or baby gate. Moreover, if you have any furniture that could easily fall onto your Poodle if they run into it, you’ll want to ensure it’s secured in place. Similarly, you might want to restrict access with a gate if you have a fireplace.

Stay clear of landings, stairs, and balconies.

If you have any of the following in your home, make sure your Poodle can’t get its head stuck between them. While most building regulations make it mandatory to have gaps small enough to protect infants, Poodle puppies are much smaller.

Therefore to ensure they’re safe, cover the railings with fabric mesh or wire and watch over them. Moreover, if you have a Toy or Miniature Poodle, you’ll want to make these coverings permanent.

Store away rugs with fringed edges

If you have rugs with fringed edges, you’ll want to ensure they’re stored out of sight until your Poodle turns into a fully grown adult once they’ve ended their chewing stage.

Outside

To ensure your Poodle puppy is safe outside exploring, you should do the following:

Add a fence to your yard

If you don’t have a fence around the perimeter of your yard, you’ll need it. After all, the last thing you want is for your Poodle to escape or another animal to come into your yard. If you require a fence, the following are effective and safe materials to use:

• Wire: This is an extremely sturdy material to chain links and can withstand different weather. The downside of this is that many gaps in the fence prevent you and your family from privacy. Similarly, if you have any neighbors with a dog, your Poodle may be able to easily see triggering barking.

Note: If you use a wire fence, plant shrubs and bushes around it to add more privacy to your yard.

• Solid fence: If you want to limit distractions and barking, you should opt for a solid fence made of wood. These fences are inexpensive; however, they must be painted and stained regularly. There’s also the option of PVC fencing, which requires a bit more maintenance.

Examine your existing fence

On the contrary, if you already have a fence, you’ll want to ensure it’s good for your Poodle. If you have a fence, you’ll want to do the following:

• Check for holes or gaps: You’ll want to ensure no holes or gaps are in your fence, so your Poodle can’t wiggle through it. If there are holes, you can place fencing over the hole or a block in front of it. Another option is to place the edges together and seal it closed, but simultaneously make sure no sharp bits are sticking out.
• Make sure the fence is tall enough: Your fence should be high enough for your Poodle to stay enclosed in the yard. Ideally, it would help if you had a five feet fence to keep them safe.

Consider your landscaping

Your garden’s landscape plays an essential role in Poodle proofing your home. You’ll want to ensure the plants in your yard are safe for your Poodle if they end up chewing on them. Similarly, try not to have long grass, as it can encourage ticks, which are dangerous for both you and your Poodle.

Have an area for shade and shelter

If you live in a hot climate, you’ll want to ensure your yard has suitable space for shade and shelter from the sun. The same applies if you’re prone to rain or thunderstorms, you’ll want an area where your Poodle can stay safe outdoors.

Note: Shade changes throughout the day, so you might want multiple areas of coverage.

Pick up potential hazards

If you have any berries, seeds, nuts, or rocks on your lawn or yard, you’ll want to pick them up. You should remove any dangerous items that your Poodle could potentially choke on.