Life at home
How do I dog proof my house before bringing home a new dog?
Last updated 23 September 2026 · How we write and check this
Short answer
Walk through every room at floor level, securing trailing cables, blind cords, and accessible cupboards containing cleaning products or medication, and remove or elevate anything chewable and valuable within easy reach. Check the garden fence line thoroughly and identify any existing toxic plants before your new dog ever has unsupervised access outdoors.
Thinking at your dog's level
Get down to roughly your future dog's eye level, or crouch if you are unsure of exact size, and look at each room from that perspective, since hazards that are invisible from standing height, low cables, reachable bin edges, unstable furniture, become obvious once you are looking from where your dog will actually be. This simple exercise catches far more than a standing walkthrough alone.
Securing the obvious indoor hazards
Tuck away or cover trailing cables and blind cords, move cleaning products and medication to genuinely inaccessible cupboards rather than just closed ones a paw or nose could nudge open, and store any small chewable valuables, like remote controls or reading glasses, somewhere consistently out of reach rather than wherever they happen to land.
Checking the garden thoroughly
Walk the entire fence line for gaps a new dog might test before you know its jumping or squeezing capability, and identify what is already growing in the garden against a reliable toxic plant list, fencing off or removing anything uncertain before allowing unsupervised outdoor access. This matters even more for a rescue dog whose specific tendencies around fences and digging are not yet known to you.
Setting up designated spaces before arrival
Have a bed, water and food bowls, and a few appropriate chew toys already set up in a chosen spot before your new dog arrives, so its first experience of the house includes clear, calm, designated areas rather than an entirely undefined space to figure out on its own during an already overwhelming first day.
Key takeaways
- Checking each room from a dog's eye level reveals hazards a standing walkthrough easily misses.
- Cables, cleaning products, and small valuables all need genuinely inaccessible storage, not just closed doors.
- A thorough fence check and plant audit should happen before any unsupervised garden access begins.
- Setting up designated bed, food, and chew areas before arrival gives a new dog immediate clarity.