How do I puppy proof my living room?

Standing height hides a lot of what a puppy actually sees: dangling phone chargers, the corner of a rug that can be tugged, low bookshelves within easy reach. Crouching down for a five minute walk through the room usually reveals several things worth moving.

Cable management boxes, cord covers, or simply running cables along skirting boards out of reach solve most electrical risks. Small decorative objects, coins, and anything with small parts should come off low tables entirely rather than just being pushed back a little.

Houseplants on low side tables, tassels on cushions or throws, and the underside of a reclining sofa or footstool, which a curious puppy can sometimes get a paw or head caught in while it is mid motion, are easy to overlook during a standing walkthrough. Recliners and adjustable sofas in particular are worth keeping closed or supervised until a puppy has learned to stay clear of moving parts.

Bookshelves and media units often have loose cables running behind them that are invisible from the front of the room but fully accessible from behind or the side, so check the room from more than one angle rather than a single sweep from the doorway.

Once the room is set up, spend a supervised ten or fifteen minutes actually watching what your specific puppy investigates first, since individual curiosity varies a lot, and the items your puppy heads straight for are the ones most worth double checking or removing entirely. Repeat this short check every few weeks, since a puppy's height and reach both change quickly during the first year.