Getting a new puppy can be exciting, but it can also be a bit of a shock. Puppies are notorious for being able to get into things, chew up favorite items, and wiggling their way into surprisingly awkward situations. You may have laughed at pictures of dogs getting stuck in sweater sleeves, but when the real thing happens to your puppy it can be a scary experience for everyone.

Puppy proofing your home is a lot like child proofing. While you may not be able to think of every possible situation a small, inquisitive puppy can get himself into, by eliminating as many potential problems as possible you can make things safer for everyone. Here are a few tips on how to do that.

Confine your pet when not at home

A kennel or Ex-Pen is the best place to keep your puppy when you’re not at home to supervise. While it might seem cruel to confine your pet, it’s the safest thing to do, especially when they are still young. By keeping them confined in a safe place, you can keep them from getting into situations where they need rescue—and no one is home to help.

Kennels and Ex-pens are also helpful potty training tools, so make getting one your first step to making your house safe.

Cover electrical wires

Where ever possible, put wires up out of reach, and when not possible cover them with wire covers so that your new puppy can’t chew on them. Electrical wiring is a tempting chew toy for puppies, who don’t know the difference between appropriate and inappropriate items yet.

This also goes for unplugged items. Your puppy doesn’t know the difference between the chew rope you gave him and a delicious laptop charger, so keep these out of reach.

Buy bitter apple spray

Some chewable items are just too tempting for your pet, but for various reasons they can’t be put out of reach. These include things like your walls, doors, and furniture. A kennel will help keep your pet from destroying furniture while you are away, but when you’re home some puppies still like to sneak a little chew of these items. Bitter apple spray can help deter them from these items, so they’re less likely to destroy your stuff.

Put Your Food Away

Dogs can suffocate in empty potato chip bags, and can hurt themselves attempting to jump on tables and counters to get at food. If they are successful, they can end up eating things that are poisonous or harmful in other ways.

The safest thing to do is to make sure there is nothing tempting for your puppy to try for, and not to leave food unattended around your puppy. Even if you don’t think your puppy will like something, such as an alcoholic beverage, you may be surprised to discover an empty cup and a drunk puppy.

No matter how careful you are, your puppy will likely find a way to get into something. The goal of puppy proofing is to limit these opportunities so your pup can have a safe, happy adjustment to your home.