Preparing your home for pup

Preparing your home for SALE… PUP!

It was 2004 when we last introduced a puppy to our home, and not this home.

As I write this, we are 18 days away (but who’s counting) from collecting our new pup from Brisbane Airport when he flies in from Melbourne. I suspect he will be the only member of this house to be on a plane this year!

All this means that we have less than three weeks to prepare. We have the crate, safety gates, the bed, blankets, old towels and sheets, puppy mat, bowls, food, grooming tools, puppy collar and lead, toys… and more toys. Now our attention turns to puppy-proofing. Accepting that our memories may have faded, I turned my attention to experts, and asked the breeder for recommendations.

Here is a summary if you find yourself in the same wonderful predicament:

First, a few things to understand.

• It is a completely new environment for pup. • Being naturally curious and inquisitive, pup can and will get into trouble - they WILL find, and they

WILL chew. • With puppy-proofing, do it

BEFORE they arrive.

KEEP OUT OF REACH

• Remove or secure chemicals, anything medical, cleaning products and automatic toilet bowl cleaners. • Address electric plugs, outlets and wires. Plug sockets. Unplug appliances. • Put away any small or sharp objects, like elastic bands, drawing pins etc. • Be wary of burn hazards. • Secure windows, balconies and stairs to avoid pup getting stuck or falling. • Some houseplants are poisonous to pets – most common are lilies, aloe vera, pothos and cyclamen. It’s best to keep all plants well away. • No pool access until pup learns to swim. Watch ponds, bathtubs and open toilets. • Secure fencing and gates before pup arrives - no gaps, no digging or climbing spots.

TIP Get down on your hands and knees for a dog’s-eye view of your home TIP Buy non-hazardous cleaning materials that don’t have a strong scent to avoid your puppy associating the smell with toilet accidents.

• Check garden plants. Remove, if necessary, plants like ficus, azalea, rhododendron, oleander, poinsettia, sweet pea, lilies and aloe. Also, rhubarb, spinach, garlic, macadamia nuts, avocados and apricots. • Store away your garden tools. • Fertilisers, herbicides and insecticides should be way out of reach. I’ve made a start. I bought new table-runners without tassels that hang down and have removed or repositioned what I can, both indoors and out.

We’ll be feeding pup the same food he has been used to with the breeder and have stainless steel bowls as they are easy to clean, don’t rust, chip or break, and can’t be chewed (by a puppy at least – our adult Airedale Terrier made short work of them!)

Fortunately, we have no garden lighting or automatic sprinklers in pup’s part of the garden. I know things like mats and the bbq cover are still at risk, but we are as ready as we can be for the start of what we hope is another very long and rewarding journey of dog ownership.