How to pet proof your home

Welcoming a furry friend into your home and heart is new and exciting but knowing exactly what environment is needed for a new pup is hard to pinpoint, especially for first-time dog owners. With almost 4.2 million pet dogs in Australia, there’s no doubt we love our four-legged friends and whether it’s your first dog or another furry addition, here are some simple ways to make your home dog friendly.

1. Let ’em run free!

An outdoor space is essential to cater for energetic dogs. While it can depend on the breed – a German Shepherd will require more space to run free than a Dachshund – a back or front yard will be loved by all dogs. An outdoor space will also help with the potty training.

While you want them to get plenty of exercise, you’ll also need to make sure your fences are up to scratch.

The best way to avoid your pet getting out of your garden and onto the main road, or into someone else’s space and causing a mess, is to ensure that your fences and gates are high enough for them not to be able to jump or climb over.

If you have hedgerows, it’s also a good idea to put some metal netting along the hedging, so they can’t burrow their way through the hedge and into your neighbour’s garden too.

2. Harder the floor, the better

The harder the floor of your home, the better it is for your dog. 

After a daily walk, your pet’s paws are going to accumulate germs and not to mention a buildup of grass and dirt from a visit to the park. Let them have their fun without harbouring the hair, bacteria and lovely smell of an afternoon walk. If you live with a carpeted floor, keep your family away from unwanted germs with the right carpet cleaner near you.

Better yet, convert to tiles or hardwood flooring to keep your floor scratch-free, and provide a cool place for your dog to nap on warmer days.

3. Lock it up

Some people tend to underestimate the brain power of a pet, but it’s not at all out of their reach to be able to open a door and find their way out! Animals are clever! For this reason, whenever possible, keep your doors locked, or at least the ones they have access to. It’s not difficult for someone to pop around to your house and open the door, and not realise they’ve not closed it properly, which gives your pet an excellent opportunity to go outside.

Similarly, gates should always be kept locked. The reason for this is that they aren’t as secure as doors are, and can quickly flip open or not be closed properly when someone goes outside. This means that the slightest impact against them, e.g. your pet jumping up at the gate, can cause the latch to open, and your pet can easily get outside. Keeping both options locked will ensure that your pet can’t escape out onto a busy main road, or explore the local area where there might be cars or other animals around.

3. Protect your furniture

You should also consider the types of couches and chairs you already have. A faux leather couch is your best bet because it won’t absorb odours and it’s easy to wipe clean from shedding of hair. Don’t forget that couch slip-overs are also an option as they are easily machine washable.

The best way to keep your furniture stink-free is to groom your dog from time to time.

4. Secure your bin lids

Regular flip bins are very easy for pets to get inside, where there is all manner of delicious leftovers for them to munch away on. Of course, this issue has two sides to it, because leftovers could be entirely unsuitable for your pet’s stomach and cause illness, and it will undoubtedly leave a mess on your floor at the very least.

It ultimately depends on how eager your pet is to get inside your bin. Some pets will never even try it, but some might be very determined! On the whole, regular swing bins aren’t a great idea, and a bin which pulls out of a cupboard (with a lock on the cupboard door) is an excellent way to go. This means your household garbage is contained and can’t be reached, and you don’t have to worry about cleaning up a mess or your pet becoming ill.

Of course, you should take your trash outside regularly, but what if your pet likes to rummage through your outdoor bins? This is more of an issue, but it is possible to make sure these are less accessible. If you have a large free-standing wheelie-bin, prop it against a wall and put a heavy weight on top of the lid, which can’t be tipped over. Make sure you put this centrally, so your pet can’t jump up and knock it over, which could cause injury. Alternatively, a better option could be to invest in clips which fit on your bin lids and keep them closed.

If you can keep your outdoor bins in a section of the garden or yard where your pet can’t access, even better!

5. Keep anything harmful well out of reach

When it comes to pet proofing, think like you would when proofing a home for a child. A lot of this is common sense, and being one step ahead. That means that anything potentially harmful, such as medications, chemical cleaning products, wash powders, etc., should always be kept out of reach.

It’s easy to put washing powders on lower levels or the floor, near to the washing machine, but a very inquisitive pet could get into this and perhaps eat it, which would cause illness. The same can be said for any medications or cleaning products.

Keep items such as high on higher levels, perhaps a shelf which is way above any height they could reach. This means you can gain the access you need, but your pet can’t. While cats are agile and can climb, they’re unlikely to climb up high to items such as this, and it’s mainly dogs which are more likely to do so. Also, always make sure that you place medications in containers which have tight lids on them (plastic boxes are ideal), that you keep the lids screwed on tightly on any chemical cleaning products. If you can put wash powders into a plastic box with a lid, even better as an extra precaution.

Consider things like stair gates, and cupboard and draw locks to keep your pet getting into anything they shouldn’t.

6. Build a doggy door

A doggy door is a small frame with a flap that is installed into a door so that your dog can enter and exit your home whenever they choose, reducing the need for you to have to let them in. Doggy doors are available in a variety of sizes and can be installed on all types of doors and in some cases, even a wall. When you are done using the doggy door for the day, there is a security panel that you can latch into place, securing your house from other animals. 

Installing a doggy door is an easy DIY job, however there a few instance where it’s best to leave it a professional:

• Installing onto a glass door
• Onto a wall – as you may disrupt the wiring or structural integrity

To install the door yourself, you will need to measure your pet to ensure your doggy door will be big enough. Using the doggy door as a guide, mark each corner then drill a hole in each corner and use a jigsaw to begin cutting out the space where the door will go. Sand evenly around the edges, then screw the doggy door into place.