How do I dog proof my house during a home makeover?

Before work begins, decide which parts of the house your dog will have access to throughout the project and set up gates or closed doors accordingly, communicating this boundary clearly to anyone working in the space. Consistent separation from day one is far easier to maintain than trying to introduce restrictions partway through an already underway project.

Paint, adhesives, solvents, and small hardware like screws and nails should be stored in a locked or fully closed space at the end of each working day, rather than left accessible overnight or during breaks when your dog might have unsupervised access to the area. This matters particularly for any product containing chemicals that could be seriously harmful if chewed or ingested.

Before allowing your dog back into a completed or partially completed area, walk through specifically looking for stray nails or screws on the floor, wet paint or finish that has not fully cured, and any exposed wiring or sharp edges left from the work. A dedicated check with this purpose in mind catches hazards that a general tidy-up glance can easily miss.

For a renovation spanning several weeks or months, repeat safety checks periodically rather than assuming the initial setup remains adequate throughout, since work areas, material storage, and access points can all shift as different phases of the project progress. A quick weekly walk-through with your dog's specific hazards in mind catches most of these shifts before they become a problem.