The proof is in the puppy

Anything that can hurt a human baby can hurt your puppy, too. Puppies don’t have hands, so yours is going to explore his new world with his mouth. Anything he can sink his teeth into is fair game, and it’s your job to be sure he stays safe. That means puppy-proofing your home.
                                                                   -Your Labrador Retriever Puppy, Month by Month

As soon as she was able, Gracie went for the books on the bookcase. I lost more than a handful of paperbacks, before it dawned on me to box up the surviving books and store them until this phase of puppyhood passed.

Gracie found a better use for the bookcase after that.

Instead of fighting the losing battle against my Lab’s need to explore her world with her mouth, I adapted. I closed bedroom and bathroom doors. I crated trained for the times when I couldn’t watch her. I put away favorite knick-knacks. I cleared off my kitchen counters. I taught Gracie important commands like “leave it” and “spit it.” And I kept an endless supply of toys on hand, rotating them every few weeks so it appeared they were new.

Sure, my house looked pretty bare for about a year, but as a result, I lost only one TV remote and suffered only minor damage to the corner of the coffee table. Eventually, I was able to have nice things again.

I’m a proponent of puppy-proofing. I want to spend my time with my puppy playing and having fun. Plus, life goes on in spite of the puppy and I don’t have time to be constantly chaperoning his escapades.

When Gus arrives in 10 days, the house and yard will be ready for his puppy explorations. I’m sure he’ll throw some new tricks at me. So I’ll need to stay sharp.