Puppies, like toddlers, can get themselves into a whole lot of trouble. They can also wreak havoc, chewing and destroying things, and piddling and pooping all over the house until they are house trained.
The answer is to puppy proof your home to keep them safe, and to protect your home from baby-canine damage. This will also give you the opportunity to do some serious house training in an area where clean-up won’t be an issue.
Gates to Puppy Proof Your Home
Just about any Cardinal Gates’ gate intended for young children will enable you to puppy proof your home, depending of course on the layout and design of your house. But of course, we also offer gates that are made just for your pets! These gates can be used to contain puppies in specific areas, to stop them accessing stairs – either from the bottom or to stop them falling from the top, and to keep them from wandering off and getting into trouble. Pens may also be used if you want to contain the puppy in a small space.
There are several factors to consider when choosing a gate that will enable you to embark on puppy proofing your home:
- Whether you are blocking off space in a room or from a passage or blocking the top or bottom of stairs, the dimensions of the gate need to work, particularly the width. Some have an adjustable width which is very useful and makes the gate extra versatile.
- Any gate, fence, or pen must be high enough to stop a puppy from jumping over it. A height that is generally acceptable is 29½ inches, which is even suitable for large-breed puppies and full-sized dogs. Lower puppy-specific gates might be as low as 20 inches. Just be aware that as they grow and learn to jump they might be able to scale the obstacle. For this reason, Cardinal Gates offer height extensions for many of its designs. Width extensions are also available for some models.
- Bar spacing. For a gate to be puppy proof it is essential that the animal can’t get through the bars. Clearly, if the bars are spaced every 2.25 inches not even the smallest breed pup will get through. But be sure to check.
- Gates suitable for puppy proofing homes are made of several different materials including:
- Solid wood. This includes different types of wood including oak and walnut, as well as wood that has been coated. While solid and longlasting, the uncoated versions might appeal to puppy teeth though it will take a very long time for a pup to chew through the bars.
- Wrought iron and powder-coated aluminum or mild steel are great materials for puppy proofing homes. Stainless steel is another excellent option.
- Installation methods. You can puppy proof a home with freestanding gates, fences, or pens, or with gates that are hardware mounted or pressure mounted.
- Freestanding gates. These are supported in various ways and are stable. Some have simple rubber feet, while others have special stabilizing feet that may be used, and some simply sit flat on the floor.
- Hardware mounted gates. These include special stairway pet gates that are great for puppy proofing.
- Pressure mounted gates. Installed without screws, these gates are higher than most and very easy to fit.
If you want to puppy proof your home, contact Cardinal Gates today to find out which pet product will work best for you.
