Once you decide to adopt a puppy, you choose to take on a slew of new responsibilities, one of which is to ensure your house is ready for a baby animal. Young animals need as much tender, love and care as infants, and they can get into just as much trouble.
Certain items around your home may pose a danger to your pet, such as discount shades, open cabinets and exposed chemical products. That being said, it's important to take a proper amount of precaution when allowing your puppy to roam free. Here are a few tips you can use to make your house safer for your pet and keep it looking beautiful.
1. Change your window treatments.
Just as it goes with infants, blinds with cords should be avoided to prevent any accidents and injuries. Cordless shades and blinds are great options for pet parents who want to keep their animals out of trouble and never have to worry about the puppy getting tangled. The window treatments provide similar benefits to families with children. Best of all, cordless blinds and shades can be easily opened to allow natural light into a space and can be closed for privacy.
2. Prepare your flooring.
If your home could use some remodeling and you're bringing home a puppy in the near future, you might want to consider replacing your flooring. While carpet can be plush underfoot, it's difficult to maintain in a household with pets. Animals are prone to soiling and staining carpet, making it tough for homeowners to keep clean. Laminate or vinyl are great alternatives that come in different colors and styles.
3. Hide any dangling string or cords.
As the American Humane Association reports, your pet is likely to try and chew everything in his path. For this reason, it's a good idea to try and keep decorations with dangling tassels or strings out of reach. If you have drapes, wrap them up to ensure they don't drag along the floor. Any cords and wires stemming from electronics should also be gathered and tied up.
While you might start to feel that having a puppy is infringing upon your interior design, keep in mind that you're doing it for the safety of your entire household. Keeping everything from your discount window treatments to decorative accents in order can also eliminate the possibility of clutter and make sure your house always looks beautiful.
