Two Groodle - Golden Doodle dogs sitting on green grass
If you have decided now is the perfect time for your family to adopt a new puppy, you have just ensured you will have a four-legged friend for many years to come. Yet before bringing home your new puppy, you want to make sure there are no hazards you may have overlooked, especially when it comes to your backyard. Since you expect your puppy to spend lots of hours running around in the yard, it’s important to make this area as safe as possible. To ensure your backyard is a safe place for your puppy, here are some steps you can take from the very beginning.
Declutter the Yard
When puppies are busy running around and playing in a backyard, they usually do so at top speed and don’t spend much time looking around to see if there are any hazards nearby. Because of this, it will be a good idea to declutter your backyard as much as possible. For example, make it a priority to put away rakes, shovels, lawn mowers, and anything else that may be sharp or something your puppy could accidentally run into while playing.
Install a Fence
To make sure your puppy stays close by and that other animals or people cannot get close enough to hurt it, install chain link fencing before you ever turn your puppy loose in the yard. Before doing so, take into consideration just how large you expect your dog to be once they grow up. If you have a small dog, a four-foot-high chain link fence should work fine. However, if your puppy will grow up to be quite large, you may want to consider a chain link fence that is six feet tall.
Provide Shelter
Since it’s likely your puppy will be spending time outside during all seasons of the year, give them adequate shelter such as a nice, roomy doghouse. When deciding where to put your puppy’s new digs, try to do so in an area that is shaded. Otherwise, their doghouse may get very hot on the inside.
Beware of Toxic Plants
Finally, be sure you don’t have any flowers planted in your backyard that could be toxic to your puppy if eaten. Unbeknownst to many new dog owners, plants such as azaleas and some lilies are harmful to dogs, along with various types of mushrooms. To avoid an emergency trip to the vet or an unexpected tragedy, keep only puppy-friendly plants in your backyard.
Once you have peace of mind that your backyard is a puppy-safe zone, you and your new canine friend can spend many hours enjoying each other’s company.
