Puppy Proofing Your Home Checklist

Have you decided to give a pup a forever home? Congrats! To make that forever as long as humanely possible, a great start is a puppy proofing your home checklist. For that, it helps to hear about the occasional mishaps of those who’ve successfully made it through the puppy-training phase (in our case, Staffies, but these tips also apply to breeds with similar traits of Staffordshire Bull Terriers.

Potential Indoor Hazards to Guard Against

Heavy Furniture: Anchor It Down

Bookshelves, TVs, cabinets… anything tall and wobbly? Secure it. Staffy pups are famous for their zoomies. One minute they’re snoozing, the next they’re tearing through the living room like a little tank with rocket boosters.

Before they grow into those solid units we all know and love, they’ve got speed, but not much steering.

Speaking from experience… One of ours got a paw caught in a Smart TV cable (yep, still plugged in, just moved it for dusting). The whole thing toppled. You’d think I’d leap into action. Nope…just stood there, horrified, as hundreds of £’s worth of tech hit the floor.

Lesson learned: secure cables, anchor furniture, and don’t leave anything valuable dangling on the edge.

These days, if we’re shifting furniture, the dogs are out. First it was a safety gate, now it’s a closed door. Because once zoomies kick in, your house turns into a Staffy racetrack.

Watch them for long enough and you’ll spot the invisible circuit they’ve plotted. They know where to leap, when to duck, and when and how to slide sideways on their back legs like tiny drift racers. It’s impressive… and terrifying when breakables are nearby. 

Cleaning Supplies & Sharp Stuff: Lock It Up

Puppies are basically four-legged detectives, with zero sense of self-preservation. Bleach, scissors, dishwasher tabs? Keep it all up high or behind child-proof locks. And don’t count on them ignoring your toolbox, either.

Case in point: One of ours thought a rubber-handled screwdriver was a chew toy. Thankfully, he dropped it on command before a game of “Catch Me If You Can” broke out. The hammer? Not so lucky. Its wooden handle got shredded. Though, no splinters swallowed, thankfully!

Instances are like that are reminders of why “drop it” and “leave it” are among 11 of the most essential commands to teach your dog.

Tiny Things, Big Trouble

Loose coins, rubber bands, earbuds (been there), paperclips… your Staffy sees treasure. Your wallet sees a vet bill. Keep the small stuff stored away.

We learned this one the hard way with a paintbrush… brand new, washed, hung out to dry. The wind knocked it down. Pup snatched it. That comfy rubber grip? Absolutely destroyed. I had to paint the fence with a brush with a mangled handle. Sore on the hands.

Cords & Sockets: Not Chew Toys

Ever bought a new phone charger, only to find it mysteriously shorter the next morning? Staffy pups seem to think anything rope-shaped is made for tug-of-war. Especially if there are two of them.

Ours turned a braided charging cable into a full-blown contest. One grabbed one end, the other grabbed the other. Seconds later? Cable destroyed in a game of tug-of-war with makeshift rope toys. 

Cord concealers help, but it’s safer to keep cables well out of reach when you’re not around. And when you are there, use it as a training opportunity:

• Leave it unplugged, and let it dangle where they can see it.
• The second they show interest, step in with a calm but clear “No” or “Leave it.”

It takes some repetition, but it’s worth it… for your gear and your wallet.

Stairs: Cute… Until There’s a Slip

Watching your pup climb stairs for the first time is adorable… until they miss a step and go tumbling.

If your home has stairs, install baby gates. Top and bottom. Don’t wait for a scare to realise you needed them. 

Outdoor Safety Checklist: Puppy-Proofing Your Garden

A garden is a puppy’s dream… and sometimes a bit of a disaster waiting to happen.

Fencing: Mind the Gaps

Got a fence? Great. But check those gaps.

We have with a wooden post and rail setup… It looked solid, until our pups proved they could slip right through. A bit of chicken wire or mesh are temporary fixes until they outgrow their “great escape” phase. Use what you have available, or the cheapest you can find that’s still sturdy enough. 

Plants: Pretty, But Potentially Dangerous

Some plants are totally safe. Others? Not even close.

If you’re not sure what’s growing in your garden (or even inside the house), use Google Lens or a similar image search tool. Snap a pic, find out the name, then search “[plant name] + toxic to dogs” or “dog safe.”

Why not just look up safe plant lists? Honestly, there are way more that aren’t safe. It’s easier to check what you’ve got than to sift through overlapping lists.

Deliveries: Barking at the Postie

Deliveries are part of life, but not every driver loves dogs.

We’re lucky: when my other half orders from Temu, our delivery guy basically lets himself in, says hi to the dogs, drops the parcel, and leaves with a smile.

But don’t expect that from everyone.

If your garden gate opens to the street, make sure your dog’s secure before it opens. Ideally, your back garden should be fully enclosed. It keeps your pup in, and spares the postie from a barking barrage.

If this is a problem for you, the Blue Cross offer a free 1-hour webinar called “Protecting your Postie”.

Tools & Equipment

We learned this fast: lock up everything.

Screwdrivers, garden tools, paintbrushes, even shoes left out for “just a few minutes”, can all become chew toys.

Staffy pups need to chew. If you’ve been training them to go for rubbery toys, don’t be surprised when they test anything with a similar feel.

I once left my gardening trainers on the step during a break. Came back to find one pup halfway across the garden with the shoe, the other dragging it by the lace like it was a rope toy.

Redirection is key.

We kept a toy basket nearby and got into the habit of swapping out the “bad” chew with a toy they were allowed to destroy. And, for those power chewers, it helps to have at least 1 of these 3 best durable dog toys for aggressive chewers.

Eventually, they got it. Not 100%, but enough to save the footwear.

Safety and Comfort: General Puppy-Proofing Tips

It’s not just about avoiding disasters… it’s about creating a calm, comfy space your pup can feel safe in.

Window Safety: A Curious Pup’s Exit Strategy

Not every pup will try launching themselves through a window, but if there’s furniture nearby, consider it a launchpad.

Back when we had the flat, we had a coffee table in front of a low window. One of our nosier pups used it as a lookout post. That window opened from the top, thankfully. But if it had swung open? Could’ve been a totally different story.

Whatever style of windows you have – swing, slide, or tilt – keep them locked or fitted with secure screens. Puppies don’t need much of an opening to get into trouble.

Crate Time: A Safe Zone for Everyone

A safe space isn’t just for your puppy… it’s for your peace of mind, too.

Whether it’s a crate, a playpen, or a gated-off room, having a dedicated area helps keep your pup calm and protects your furniture, floors, and fragile electronics.

At one point, we discovered chewed skirting boards. To this day, we still don’t know which of the 2 pups did it, just that it earned both a few extra months of nighttime crate training. It helped.

One of the biggest crate training benefits? It keeps your pup safe when you can’t be watching their every move.

First Aid Kits & “Drop It” Drills

We didn’t start out with a proper dog first aid kit. Then our senior Staffy developed hind leg paralysis and started dragging his paws…

Now we’ve got a growing box filled with:

• Bandages
• Ointments
• Cod liver oil capsules
• Antiseptic wipes
• Vet-approved Manuka honey
• Tea tree oil 

We didn’t buy it all at once. It just built up over time. Once you’re in the mindset, it’s easy to spot handy extras on sale or during pharmacy runs.

You don’t need to go full paramedic… just stock enough to clean, cover, and call the vet when needed.

Training, though? That’s your real first line of defence.

The Puppy-Proofing Journey

Looking back, there were moments where it felt like we were one step away from a visit from the RSPCA (don’t worry… our neighbours know us and the pups well).

Still, when things go sideways, it’s easy to see how someone else might raise an eyebrow. Like the time our pups squeezed through the fence gap… we knew exactly where they were… but from the outside? Yeah, not a great look.

That’s why keeping an eye on them is so important.

Puppy-proofing isn’t a one-and-done job. As your Staffy grows, so does their talent for getting into mischief.

Keep checking your setup. Learn from the chaos. And don’t be too hard on yourself.

You’re definitely not alone in this. We’ve all been there. Dustpan in one hand, half-chewed paintbrush in the other.

Got your own puppy-proofing wins (or fails)?

Share them in the comments below, or over on TheStaffyClub.com’s Facebook page. We’re all just trying to raise happy, safe, well-behaved dogs who (usually) know how to stay out of trouble.