Do I need a dog gate for a new puppy?

Stairs are a common source of falls for young puppies with limited coordination, and a kitchen with a bin, cables and cleaning products benefits from restricted access until the puppy has learned the household rules.

A gate that comfortably stops an 8 week old puppy may not hold back a bouncy 6 month old of a larger breed. Checking the gate height against your breed's likely adult size avoids replacing it partway through the first year.

Pressure fit gates work well for most doorways and the bottom of stairs, but avoid using them at the top of stairs, since a determined lean or push can dislodge one that is not properly screwed into the frame. A hardware mounted gate, fixed with screws into the wall or banister, is the safer choice for any drop where a fall would be dangerous.

Look for a gate with a walk through door built in once the household is using it several times a day, since climbing over a solid gate repeatedly gets old fast and increases the temptation to just leave it open. A one handed latch also matters if you are often carrying something, a laundry basket or a coffee cup, while moving between rooms.

Two gates rather than one is a common setup: one permanently at a dangerous spot like the stairs, and a second, more portable one that moves between rooms as the puppy's access to different parts of the house expands during training.