🛋️ How to Puppy-Proof Your Home

Paws Off Series – Part 1

Prepare your space for safety, structure, and a smooth transition home

Published by Mini Aussie Collective

Bringing a new puppy home is exciting—but it can quickly turn into chaos if you’re not prepared. Mini Aussies are smart, curious, and full of energy. They’ll find every sock, loose cord, and dropped snack before you can blink.

Setting up your home ahead of time keeps your puppy safe, makes your life easier, and sets the tone for calm, structured behavior from day one. Here’s how to get it done, room by room.

🏠 Start with a Puppy Zone

Your puppy doesn’t need full access to the house—and shouldn’t have it, at least at first. Create a “puppy zone” where they can safely explore, play, nap, and begin learning boundaries.

This area should:

• Be easily supervised (kitchen or family room are great)

• Have hard, easy-to-clean floors

• Be gated or enclosed with a puppy pen

• Include a crate, food/water bowls, and a few chew-safe toys

A designated puppy zone provides structure, comfort, and helps avoid accidents.

🔌 Living Room

This room is often filled with cords, pillows, and things that are fun to chew—but not safe. Take a few minutes to scan the room from your puppy’s eye level.

Checklist:

• Tuck away or cover electrical cords and chargers

• Store remotes, glasses, and small items out of reach

• Block access under furniture if there are wires or tight crawl spaces

• Remove rugs temporarily (for potty training success)

If it dangles, glows, or squeaks —they’ll chew it. Hide cords and stow away loose items.

🍽️ Kitchen & Dining Area

Food smells are irresistible to puppies. So is the trash. Before your pup arrives, do a full sweep of your kitchen and eating areas.

Checklist:

• Use a trash can with a secure lid or store it inside a cabinet

• Lock away cleaners, dish pods, and sponges

• Keep countertops and dining tables clear

• Watch for dropped food—especially grapes, chocolate, garlic, or cooked bones

Puppies treat the kitchen trash like a treasure chest. Secure it before they go digging.

🧺 Bedroom

Puppies love socks and underwear—two things you don’t want them chewing or swallowing.

Checklist:

• Keep laundry off the floor

• Close closet doors and drawers

• Store jewelry, chargers, and hair ties out of reach

• If possible, block access under the bed (many puppies treat it as a hiding spot)

Laundry and cords may not look like toys to you—but your puppy has other ideas.

🚽 Bathroom

The bathroom might seem harmless, but many small items in here are dangerous.

Checklist:

• Close the toilet lid (puppies have fallen in before!)

• Store razors, floss, and medications in closed cabinets

• Remove bath toys, soaps, and scrunchies

• Keep trash behind a closed door or use a bin with a locking lid

Curious mouths + small, sharp objects = trouble. Lock the bathroom down early.

🪴 Check Your Houseplants

Some of the most common indoor plants are toxic to dogs. Puppies may chew leaves out of boredom, or dig in the soil just for fun.

Unsafe plants include:

• Pothos

• Aloe vera

• Snake plant

• ZZ plant

• Philodendron

• Sago palm

We’ll cover these in more detail in Part 2 of this series.👉 Toxic Indoor Plants to Avoid →

If you’d panic watching them chew it—move it up or move it out.

🚪 Entryways & Exits

Front doors, garage entries, and sliding back doors are all high-risk zones for escapes and chewing.

Checklist:

• Use baby gates to block off doors when unsupervised

• Hang leashes and harnesses out of reach

• Store shoes and bags off the ground

• Place a towel or mat to catch muddy paws

Front door zoomies? Block access and keep your gear up high.

🧠 MAC Pro Tips

• Get down on the floor and look around from your puppy’s perspective

• If it crinkles, dangles, or smells like food—they’ll go for it

• Start slow—less freedom = fewer accidents and more trust over time

• Supervise closely, especially in the first few days

✅ Before Pickup Day, Double-Check:

• ☐ Puppy zone is set up and enclosed

• ☐ Cords and chargers are hidden

• ☐ Trash bins are secured or relocated

• ☐ Toxic food and plants are removed or out of reach

• ☐ Laundry, shoes, and valuables are off the floor

• ☐ Bathroom and entryways are closed or gated

🖨️ Want a printable checklist? Drop a 🐾 in the MAC Parent Group and we’ll send it your way!

Next in the Paws Off Series:

👉 🌿 Toxic Indoor Plants to Avoid