23 Ways To Dog Proof Your Home

Dog Proofing Your Los Angeles Home

Dog proofing your home is not some elaborate plan that you have to manage every tiny little detail. Dogs are smart, and keep themselves out of trouble more than they throw themselves into it.

Okay, maybe this doesn’t sound like your dog but that’s what we’re here for - some helpful tips, take em’ or leave em’, to dog proof your home.

1. Get down on your hands and knees! I know you will feel ridiculous. It will look ridiculous. But this is how your dog sees the world and you’ll be able to see ‘problem areas,’ much easier if you get down a little. Just a little!

2. Keep your electrical outlets covered. This is just good practice no matter what, but keeping power strips / open outlets covered up ensures safety for your pet.

3. Manage those chords! For you they might just be a hotwire mess of a know that you don’t want to untangle, but for your dog - it’s just another chew toy. If you don’t want to replace your $40 laptop charger (or your dog) do yourself a favor by getting some cable management tools.

4. Get the dog a chewtoy, or a few. The more he’s chewing on his things, the less he’s chewing on yours. Sometimes dog proofing your Los Angeles home is just about giving them alternatives.

5. Child proof your cabinets. If you’ve ever seen the raptor sequence from Jurassic Park you’ll understand the importance of locking out a dedicated dog from your cabinets. Simple locks like these can help keep harmful chemicals away from your dog.

6. Toilet lid. Keep it down. For me, it’s an aesthetic preference. When you have a dog, it’s a sanitary one.

7. Get a dog bed. As with any pet it’s important for them to have ‘their space.’ For a lot of owners just this little favor helps keep the dog off the couch. But if it doesn’t -

8. Cover your couches. Dog fur isn’t a nightmare to deal with but it’s also not fun. Laying a durable blanket over the couch when you’re not in the living room can lower the amount of time you spend lint rolling the thing down.

9. Fireplace cover! Your dog is like a homing missile. When they get excited they’re on a crash course with blinders on and don’t care about what they’ve got to stampede through. A fireplace cover is that extra little bit of safety that can seriously quench your worries.

10. Use all natural cleaners. You’re probably tired of hearing about all the healthy, sustainable, environmentally DECENT ways to save your home from a huge carbon footprint - but please, use natural cleaner. So many cleaners contain chemicals that are harmful to dogs. If you’re going to take one pet safety tip to heart - this one’s it.

11. Rubber bottom bowls. I just recently discovered these and they’re great. My dog hurls his nose into the bowl and then goes on a scrape cruise throughout the house. Really didn’t want unfortunate scratches because of that. These bowls with rubber bottoms eliminate that worry.

12. Food mats. These are mats that go directly under your dog’s bowl in order to catch food that sometimes falls right from it. Super easy to clean.

13. Keeping trash locked. This should be 0% contentious. On top of keeping your dog out from the garbage they 100% should not be eating, a properly closed trash can also keeps out smells you don’t want to be smelling. Win win.

14. Keep the garage clean. Okay, this pet safety tip is going to be very specific. Your car is filled with liters of sweet smelling fluid that dogs can’t keep away from. If they leak, it can be a huge health risk for a pet. Make sure that if you spring a leak, deal with it ASAP.

15. Installing a pet door. There might be some conflicting opinions here but I love the fact that my dog can head out to the yard when he needs to. The more your pet can help themselves, the better. Although I’m never going to teach him how to use the toilet. The line is definitely drawn there. Deeply.

16. Eliminate pesticides. Aside from the damage they do to the health of your soil, pesticides don’t just fight insects. They contain harmful chemicals to your dog. Your pet’s safety is more important than a plant's, but if you really do need to use pesticide -

17. Fence your garden area. A simple barrier does wonders to keep your dog out of places they shouldn’t be. Dog proofing your garden can also keep them away from things they shouldn’t be eating.

18. Do your research on what plants are pet friendly. Every breed is a little different. Talking with your vet, even doing a little google search can inform you on which plants contain chemicals that can harm your dog.

19. Mow your lawn! This. Right here. In the same way you make sure that the puddles in your yard don’t develop into mosquito hives, you have to keep the lawn cut so that ticks and other nasties don’t multiply in the mess. Most of the time, these pet safety tips are all about simple management and cleanliness.

20. Check for breaks in the fence. I don’t know about you but, my dog is an unapologetic escape artist. Doing a little check every so often around a fence’s perimeter can make you aware of their ‘prison spoon,’ escapes. Catch them early.

21. Reinforce your fence. If your dog is an overachiever they will find a way to beat the fence. That’s why reinforcement never hurts. Chicken wire may work on some fences but look a little ‘too much,’ on others. An L footer specifically handles the ground underneath and may be a great alternative.
    
22. Add shade for your dog. Dog proofing your home in Los Angeles is a little different than other places. You wouldn’t leave your dog in a hot car. Don’t leave them in a hot yard.

23. Make sure there is easily accessible water in your yard. Just the same as shade, a nice place for your dog to get a helping of water can keep them healthy on the particularly hot days.

There you have it. 23 small ways to dog proof your home in Los Angeles. Again, this is not a list of things you MUST follow or else something terrible will happen. Take your time. See what you can learn from but overall -

Just take care of your dog in the best way you know how.

I’ve got a more in depth article here on Tips for Keeping a Dog Friendly Yard. It’s a bit more specific and gets into how positive landscaping in Los Angeles can affect both you and your pet.