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Permalink Reply by Allie May Thitte on May 7, 2012 at 2:13pm

I think the biggest issue for us has been keeping cords out of reach. They are puppy magnets. And after two ruined MacBook charger cords, I sure have learned my lesson! We have a three yr old child as well so we have to be diligent about keeping his toys out of reach. I think the key to puppy proofing is really just a willingness to be on your pups tail all the time watching her to make sure she doesn't chew things she shouldn't. Thankfully our Effie girl isn't really into chewing stuff up too much (unless it's a cord)

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Permalink Reply by Brittany,Chancey,&Copper on May 7, 2012 at 2:20pm

Protect your phone chargers!! These are the only cords my puppies go for haha. As for creating a safe environment just make sure cords are hidden as well as possible and there are no bags laying around they can get their heads in. A corgis main property rule: if it hits the ground, its mine! So be careful what little things or non chewable things are laying around, because they will find it and chew it! Also, here are your four new best friends: a gallon of a good oxy cleaner (I use natures miracle), bitter Apple spray (for anything you don't want chewed), plenty (and I do mean plenty!) Of old rags to clean up accidents with, and a laser pointer (3$ in the cat department of petsmart or petco) its an easy way for you to tire them out with out tiring yourself out! These four items saved me. from insanity and allow me to enjoy the puppy stage :) also make sure you have a crate too so when your busy they can be in their crate safe and with a bone :) enjoy your puppy they grow so fast!

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Permalink Reply by Julia Kirby on May 7, 2012 at 2:35pm

Ive heard keeping them in a plat pen or on the leash when you are around is good I thought the pen was a good idea but keeping them on a leash seemed weird to me

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Permalink Reply by Kaitlyn & Chase on May 7, 2012 at 3:53pm

As others have said, KEEP CORDS OUT OF REACH. My fiance was so mad when Chase chewed through his phone charger cords, and his electronic cigarette cords. My shoes have also been a victim of Chase's chewing habits, so put them up in the closet or behind closed doors. Also baby gates are really good for keeping them out of certain areas of the house or certain rooms. We use them for the garage, upstairs, and dining room.
Since you haven't gotten your new pup yet, I will let you in on a little secret.. Corgis are aggressive chewers. If you buy stuffed toys, don't pay more than $1 for them, because they wont last very long at all. Even the rubber toys get chewed up at my house and then I had to pick up all the little pieces. After these toys get a hole in them, throw them away because ingested stuffing and rubber WILL cause intestinal problems. I bought Chase plenty of chew toys especially for teething puppies and when I caught him chewing on something he wasn't supposed to, I corrected him and replaced the item with one of his toys. "This is not for you to chew on. Here is your chew toy"
Good Luck preparing for your little one. This is a great site for ANY of your questions!! I post on here all the time with questions and advice.

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Permalink Reply by Kaitlyn & Chase on May 7, 2012 at 3:58pm

Also, my mother would like me to add that if you try the baby gates, don't buy the plastic ones. Buy the metal baby gates, ours have doors so you don't have to step over them.
My mom also suggested that you get down on your hands and knees in each room of your home and look for things that you could chew on, or would chew on if you were a puppy. :)
This is also good advice.

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Permalink Reply by Chris, Kadi & Brodie on May 7, 2012 at 4:39pm

Basically if you don't want it chewed on, put it behind a closed door somewhere. Anything is fair game to chew on as a puppy, until you have time to set the boundaries. Puppies are just like babies and they explore with their mouths, so it all looks great to chew on. I once knew someone who confined their new dachsund puppy to the bathroom while they were gone and they came home to find all the baseboard eaten off their walls of a brand new house. Moral of the story: ANYTHING they can reach they will chew on! (And our Newfie puppy pulled up the linoleum in the basement!)

ETA:

The reason to use a leash in the house is 1)it helps teach the puppy that a leash is OK and nothing to fear and 2)it teaches the puppy to stay near you and watch you for signals as to what is going on, rather than going off exploring on its own, and 3)it puts you in control instead of the puppy.

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Permalink Reply by Melissa and Franklin! on May 7, 2012 at 4:44pm

Keep puppy in an ex-pen on linoleum or a non-carpeted surface, never allow him/her out of your site and/or keep it leashed to you at all times when not in the pen. Keep the pen away from walls and firmly locked. Keep ALL garbage cans behind locked doors and out of reach. Many corgis on this forum have died from getting into bags left in garbage cans. You can have a fairly messy house and have no issues as long as puppy is always kept under close supervision. Franklin was never much of an issue for me as he was crate trained and I kept a close eye on him, Kirby is a terror and has forced me to put ALL of my stuff (books/chargers/chords/etc) about 3+ feet off the ground and even that hasn't helped much as he climbs and escapes. I think a young pup who has been trained to stay in a crate or pen will be much easier to keep confined though. Oh, and toys toys toys to keep puppy busy!

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