Contain

That Pup

 

Making the pup's world smaller and safer is your key to sanity. Be ready with fencing, crates, pens and gates. (Click on anything underlined for a link.)

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Fence

A good old fashioned fence is a godsend for puppyhood. Don't put it off! (Read this for inspiration.) You will be taking a new puppy out every half hour at first, and I cannot overstate how much easier that is with a fence instead of a leash. If a permanent fence is not in the cards, do yourself a giant favor and put up a temporary fence to get you through puppyhood. Lowe's has plenty of options — from pretty ones to plastic roll-out fencing that does the trick. 

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Crate

My favorite crate is the easy-to-collapse-and-store wire version. I choose the one with doors on two sides, which dramatically increases flexibility in placement as your needs change over time. I toss a covering over it for pups who like a more den-like feel. I'm a big fan of slow acclimation rather than shut-them-in-and-let-them-cry, because I want this to be their comfy safe space. Keep in mind that you can often borrow these from neighbors! Get a second so you can have one in the kitchen and one in the bedroom!

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X-Pens

You need to create a "puppy apartment" within your home for the first weeks. My first choice is to gate off a room like the kitchen, and hang out in there a lot. But if that doesn't work for you, use an x-pen attached to a crate somewhere in the main part of the house. That way pup has a little home base that's safe for when nobody can actively supervise -- but there's no need to close that crate door when pup isn't ready for it. The endlessly versatile x-pen can also be used to block rooms, steps, bookcases, or anything else pup shouldn't have access to. Easy to move around as needs change.

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Gates

Setting pups up for success means limiting their access. I have pressure-mounted gates for our kitchen which often has puppies, and I have quick accordion fold gates for when we decide to bring pups in the TV room but don't want them in the dining room. I highly recommend you invest in or borrow a bunch of these. I find them at Home Goods, I order them from Orvis, I grab them at Petco. 

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