Now that your puppy is safely in your families’ embrace and the needs are taken care of inside your house, it is time to begin your puppy proofing outside the house. Whether you have a small or large yard, it is essential that the time is taken to walk around the yard to assure the safety of your little puppy.
It is important to look for any small openings or spaces that a puppy could squeeze through such as in the fence or even in the ground; if it is there, the clever puppy will find it and test it out. Even if the opening is as small that only a nose will fit into it, the puppy will be able to push that nose through and wiggle like a snake until the entire body has been through the hole; otherwise getting caught in the meantime. If unsure about the safety of the yard, take the puppy out on a lease and being supervised; it is not suggested to chain a puppy out on a lease unsupervised. Tip: Try purchasing a large puppy pen to place in the yard while you are working if there is no fence in the yard. Puppy pens resemble child play pens that are used inside the house and can be purchased in a pet store. Be sure the puppy pen is large enough for the breed of the puppy, some canines are rather good climbers and can surprise even the most novice breeders on climbing expertise.
Are you are gardener or have fresh turned up soil? If so, it is like an invitation waiting to be sent out to the new adventurous puppy. Turned up soil or newly planted are fair game for a puppy in the new yard, it is a good idea to fence off these areas with puppy safe fencing to assure safety for your plants lifespan. Eating most plants is not as dangerous as an opening in a fence however can cause a bad stomach ache and a good long trip to the bathtub for an unscheduled bath. It is important that all other gardening or auto chemicals such as pesticide and antifreeze are removed from the yard. Tip: If you find that you do have a “digger” at heart, there are tricks that can be done to teach your canine it is not okay to dig in the yard. Basically, dip a hole, place some puppy feces (poop) in the hole, and then cover it up with some luring fresh soil. The puppy will learn very fast that overturned soil does not mean “presents”.
Bodies of water are also a gem in puppy eyes however not in owners. Swimming pools, homemade ponds, ponds, and lakes can cause a treat to a puppy. Even if the puppy in the house hates baths, the same puppy will be seduced into investigating. It is good to introduce the puppy to the water if in the backyard to assure safety. Make sure to include an evacuation route to teach to the puppy; to make sure the puppy knows how to exit the water if fallen in. It is also important to note that a puppy can fall into a pool with a cover on it, especially during the cooler months. Numerous accidents have been caused because a puppy has tried to walk across a pool cover and fallen in, fall under the pool cover (usually made of plastic), and get trapped under it. It is important to make sure a puppy is always given a bath after entering a pool since the chemicals are harmful to the puppy’s hair and skin. In addition, a homemade pond is also made of plastic which is very slippery to a puppy trying to scratch to get out of the pond. All these bodies of water should be taken into your planning phrase before allowing the puppy into the yard. Tip: Introduce the puppy to the water before allowing the puppy to investigate it.
If the puppy will be brought home in the summer months, make sure a flea control plan has been taken into effect before the puppy comes to the new house. It is suggested the yard be sprayed with flea and tick control a few weeks before the puppy enters the house. It is important this is not a few weeks before the puppy enters the yard since the chemicals will have controlled the fleas and also have subsided. If other pets are in the house, assure that precautions are taken to rid those animals of fleas also before the new puppy meets the new friends. Tip: Some puppies are allergic to flea bites; therefore it is always a good idea to take precautions. Make a plan a few weeks and assure safety has been done.
Once the puppy is allowed into the yard, there is one less attractive hazard that should be taken into the precautionary plan to assure safety- feces (poop). It is a known fact that puppies eat feces, even its own. Although nauseating to the owner, it is a good old pastime for the canine. It is important that all feces are picked up after the canine “deposits” it into the yard. Tip: Take plastic garbage bags (the ones that groceries are brought home from the grocery store) and pick up after each “deposit”. In addition, most pet stores have “poop picker uppers” if plastic bags are not your ideal solution to this hazard.
With the proper procedures taken into account, the puppy will be safe under adult supervision. Puppies are rather curious creatures with different personalities each day, therefore, have fun with the new family addition and have some fun outside together!
