Puppies are sweet and charming. Puppies are loving, they smell nice and make you laugh all the time. A puppy is entertaining and fun - but there is a "down side" to all this.

Puppies are inquisitive and love to investigate their world. Puppies have sharp little teeth. Puppies do not come when called and they do not do as they are told.

Puppies love licking - living and non living objects. Puppies love chewing - Puppies love pulling on things - Puppies love taking things apart. In short: Puppies can be a right menace at times.

This is why you need to prepare your home for the arrival of your sweet little puppy!

When it comes to preparing the house your first aim is to create a safe environment for the new baby dog.

Make sure that the youngster can not get at any:

• wires
• technical or electrical instruments
• hose pipes
• curtains
• loose fittings

You may want to put away any expensive or otherwise valuable carpets, rugs or blankets in order to protect them from sharp puppy teeth.

Don't forget your table and chair legs since they make wonderful gnawing opportunities.

Put away all vases and flower pots which you keep on the floor - a puppy running around is very likely to break things without meaning to.

It is a good idea to get some form of children's door gates so you can block off certain rooms and the stairs.

If you have small kids you need to make sure your puppy can not get into their rooms and they don't leave their toys around for a while because the puppy does swallow things easily which may make him very seriously ill.

Make sure your garden is puppy safe by fencing off any poisonous plants.

If your garden has access to a street or road make sure the puppy can't get out. This may mean making the fences stronger at the bottom so a puppy will not be successful at digging his way out.

You may think "oh, why make such a fuss of all this - it will be alright on the day", but let me assure you that a healthy bountiful puppy is full of mischief and will turn your place upside down in no time!

By preparing your house and making it puppy safe you minimize stress and maximize happiness and pleasure for all of you.

Creating safety both for your puppy and your furniture is fairly easy if you take a close look around. The changes you make now can be undone when the puppy is a bit older and has gone through his teething stages.

As a loving and dedicated dog owner you aspire to do what ever you can to make your four legged friend happy. Protecting him from harm, providing the best possible nourishment and life style as well as educating him well are important for his overall well being.

But most important of all is the relationship you offer him or her.