Creating a Living Space for Your Poodle Puppy
Some dogs are content to live outside, removed from the ebb and flow of daily family life. This living arrangement would make a poodle puppy miserable. Poodles are people dogs, and they need close contact with their humans.
Of course the poodle will accompany you outside on walks, and it will quickly learn the spot in the yard where it is supposed to relieve itself, but beyond that, expect your poodle to spend most of the time in your house.
There will be probably be three types of spaces in your house: your puppy’s “den,” places in the house where your poodle puppy is welcome to go, and places in the house where you don’t want your poodle to go.
The Den
Every poodle needs a large crate or carrier where it can sleep or wind down after becoming over stimulated. People who are unfamiliar with dogs might think it sounds cruel to put a poodle puppy in a crate and close the door. On the contrary, the poodle, like its ancestor the wolf, craves the safety of a “den.” Being left in open, unprotected spaces when it is nervous or scared feels terrifying to the poodle puppy–indeed, to any dog.
Once your poodle puppy is used to the crate, it will probably go there voluntarily when upset or tired.
One word of caution: Don’t leave the puppy locked in the crate for days on end. Even if you provide food and water, this sort of sensory deprivation is cruel.
Poodle Proofing
Your poodle pup will probably be welcome in most of the house. In order to create a safe space, you need to “poodle proof” your home. Get down on the floor and look at the world from your poodle’s level. You’ll probably see a whole array of dangers that would never have crossed your mind. It’s important to remember, too, that poodles are smart, inquisitive dogs, and therefore are somewhat more likely to get themselves in trouble than are more placid species.
Things you might want to consider include places where the puppy could fall (e.g., down a staircase), places where the puppy could get stuck (e.g., behind the refrigerator), heavy things that the puppy could knock over and injure itself (e.g., a pile of books), poisonous items (e.g., plants, cleansers), and choking hazards (e.g., small children’s toys).
Take a good look at the cabinets in your kitchen and bathroom to make sure they are latched firmly. If they don’t latch firmly, your poodle puppy will probably find its way inside. Store harsh chemicals out of the poodle’s reach.
Off Limits
You may decide that some areas of your home are going to be off-limits to your poodle puppy. While your puppy is learning the rules, it’s smart to erect some kind of barrier, like a door or a child-proof gait to block off the forbidden areas. Later, when the puppy has been trained to stay away from these areas, the barriers can come down.
A Word about the Elimination Spot Outdoors
The elimination spot is a place that you pick for your puppy to urinate and defecate. This should always feel like a safe place to the puppy. Before designating the spot, take a quick look around and make sure there isn’t anything that could startle a small dog, such as a bigger dog barking next door or pods falling from a tree.
Now that you’ve learned how to bring a poodle safely into your home, it’s time to look at poodle puppy supplies.
