Pet-Proofing Your First Home Together: A Newlywed Guide to Living With a Dog

Sharing your home with a new spouse can bring many challenges. Each of you may have differing opinions on what is clean, or not. Each of you may not believe in how quickly to clean up a mess. And each of you may not agree with how permissive you are to be with your pet.

To maintain a positive relationship the two of you need to discuss what will be allowed, or not, with your pet’s behavior. For example, one of you may be happy with sharing your couch with your dog, while the other partner prefers the dog to rest on the floor or their own dog bed.

It is important to remain consistent with what you do, or do not allow your dog to do. Dogs can become very frustrated, anxious or belligerent if they do not fully understand the house rules. Pet-proofing your first shared home will be an important part of learning to live and cooperate with each other.

Different pets require different preparations. For this blog, we’ll concentrate on pet proofing your home for dogs. There are several variations of living situations that will require distinct processes. The size and structure of your home directly affect how you dog-proof.

Pet Proofing an Apartment or Condominium

If you bring your dog into a new environment your pet will experience some stress and anxiety. It can take months for dogs to settle into their new homes, but there are ways to aid in the process, thereby making it less stressful for all concerned.

Make a list of the items in your apartment that you wish to keep safe from being chewed, slobbered on or covered in dog hair. Setting up a pet proofing checklist will ensure you protect everything you treasure from possible damage. Even a well-trained dog can accidentally damage something fragile as they play.

Here’s a list of suggestions:

• Clear low tables of breakable items such as glass, wood or valuables.
• Place remotes up high where your dog cannot get their mouths on them, pretending they are bones or to play “keep away.”
• Keep keys up high on a hook where you can remember their location and keep them away from your dog.
• Never leave any food on low tables, counters or shelves.
• If you have any valuable collections place them in secure areas where your dog cannot access them.

When your dog first arrives at your apartment, allow them access to only one room. As your dog proves to be reliable and non-destructive, you can add access to more areas of the apartment. Dogs tend to feel more secure when they are slowly introduced to the full size of the area instead of suddenly being thrust into a wide-open setting.

Pet Proofing a Home and Yard

Dog proofing your home is not much different from doing so with an apartment or condominium. You should create a similar pet proofing checklist, but as homes are larger and sometimes come with a yard, you will need to consider more areas in which to make safe space for your dog and belongings.

You should close the doors to bedrooms and bathrooms when your dog first moves into your home. This will reduce their space to get in trouble. If you can set up gates across open doorways to further reduce their space for a short time, it will enhance their safety and reduce your dog’s ability to get into mischief.

As with an apartment, keep small items and valuables out of reach and never leave food of any kind on tables, counters or other furniture. Once your dog learns that they get a great reward of food for jumping on a counter you have a dog with a bad habit that is challenging to overcome.

Yards also need to be dog proofed or landscaping can be destroyed, along with holes along fence lines. Dog proofing a yard may entail setting up a separate area specifically for the dog, saving the landscaping in other areas. You can also go outside with your dog to direct them to a specified relief area and redirect them if they attempt to dig under bushes or along fences.

One of the best means of keeping dogs busy are interactive toys. They can be hidden around the house or yard, giving your dog something to remain occupied. On hot days, you can set out a baby pool filled with water to prevent your dog from digging under bushes to keep cool.

As dogs love to dig, set up a place for your dog to engage in this natural behavior. Digging alleviates anxiety and boredom. You can use your baby pool or a sandbox and fill it with sand or many plastic balls. Hide treat filled toys within the digging area to enhance your dog’s engagement.

Open Floorplans

Homes that have open floor plans can be very challenging to dog-proof as there is no means of gating off rooms to reduce your dog’s free movement. Dogs who are not fully housetrained, or of the mind to mark territory in your new home, take the opportunity to relieve themselves in a less utilized area of the home.

For example, the dog will go behind furniture, into a guest room or bathroom to relieve themselves. Some dogs may delineate territory by urinating on furniture, walls or cabinetry.

Should this occur, revert to your dog’s housetraining routines. You must also reduce the indoor area, so your dog does not have access to the areas of the house where they relieved themselves.

There are extra-long baby gates available that can cordon off those areas of the house where your dog didn’t mind their house manners. This will keep your dog in an area where they can be observed and redirected if showing behavior prior to messing indoors.

Here are a few behaviors to look for that occur prior to your dog relieving themselves:

• The dog will leave your sight, heading for less used areas of the home.
• The dog will turn in circles, sniffing.
• The dog will become restless, moving around, sniffing at the door or windows.

As you should also return to the early days of house training, take your dog to their relief area every two hours, observe them while indoors and reward them every time they do their business in the correct location.

Keeping your dog busy will also prevent accidents indoors and help them settle into their new home faster. Go for walks, play together and enhance your relationship through training time, too.

Keeping your dog out of trouble will remove stress from everyone, which is important as you begin a new life together.

FAQS

How to dog proof an apartment

Only allow your dog to be in the same area as you, never in other areas unobserved. Take them to their relief area frequently. Keep them contained when you cannot observe them. Never leave food items within reach.

How to dog proof a house

Close bedroom and bathroom doors, use baby gates to cordon off rooms, remove items from tables, counters and low shelves. Never leave food items within reach.

How to dog proof a yard

Fence off landscape you don’t want disturbed or fence in an area specifically for your dog to use. Set out a baby pool so your dog can cool off in hot weather and an area where they can dig safely. Be sure to pick up dog feces daily.

How to recognize when a dog needs to relieve itself

Your dog will turn in tight circles, pace near a door, whine, or possibly jump around and bark. These are visual cues saying, “I need to go now!”

Products that will help you dog-proof your home:

Baby gates

To cordon off areas where you don’t want your dog to go. It aids in keeping your dog nearby and out of trouble.

Exercise Pens

A place to briefly place your dog so they remain contained when you cannot observe them.

Crates

A place to put your dog at night to keep them contained and therefore prevent accidents as well as chewing destruction.

Interactive Toys

Dog Puzzles and food toys will keep your dog busy and therefore out of trouble.

Pet Cameras

A great option for pet parents who cannot remain home to observe their dog. You can check in from time to time and reward your dog when you see them behaving appropriately.