stair gate

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katieb
Puppy
Posts: 20
Joined: 03 Aug 2021, 20:45
First Name: Kathy
Dog #1: Gracie
is a: B/S Mini Bitch
Born: 16 Jun 2021

stair gate

Post by katieb »

Hi again - just reading up on MS & there is mention of using baby gates as they are v inquisitive :-) Must admit this had come to mind already just not sure if it would be a good idea & which one would be the best. I'm thinking for kitchen / bottom of stairs so Gracie can have a bit of freedom but I can see what she is up to. ASny suggestions / recommendations would be greatly appreciated :-) :-) .

Many thanks yet again , Kathy
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zeta1454
Moderator
Posts: 5136
Joined: 19 May 2011, 16:58
First Name: Leigh
Dog #1: Magic
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Born: 20 Apr 2010
Dog #2: Trilby
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Born: 15 Mar 2012
Dog #3: Pip
Born: 21 Feb 2014
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Location: North Yorkshire
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Re: stair gate

Post by zeta1454 »

Hi Kathy, it probably depends to some extent on the layout of your home. If it is all open plan then a stair gate to prevent Gracie going upstairs would be a good idea although you will need one with narrow gaps as puppies can squeeze through very small spaces.
With our puppies, in the first month we would always have them in a playpen or sectioned off area of the room if the puppy is not being supervised. It only takes a moment for them to get up to mischief or even just under your feet (and risk being stepped on!) so you really need to have your eye on them all the time unless you know they are in a safe space. If you buy a playpen with sections to put together, you could use some panels to block off a door temporarily if you did not want to leave Gracie in a pen but really in the early days, as puppies need plenty of rest time and learning to have periods when they settle down, a playpen is the best solution for when you are not actively interacting with her.
You will want to train Gracie to get used to time alone as well for when you are not home and starting this as early on as possible, leaving her for a few minutes and building up to longer, and you will need to know she is safe in a crate or secure playpen at those times until you are confident she is mature enough to manage in a room without causing damage or hurting herself. So the more often she uses a playpen /crate the better and you can soon establish a routine of her going there to settle with her bed and chew toys.

As regards dog gates, we invested in an Orvis one years ago and it has proved a great investment as it is flexible, sturdy and can be moved to where it is needed. It is mostly used to separate our open plan kitchen/diner from the conservatory but can be moved to block doorways if needed. It is not cheap but has been worth it for us. We have a zig-zag wooden gate :)

https://www.orvis.co.uk/dog-gates
Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole. ~Roger Caras

Magic - Silversocks Sharade at Darksprite
Trilby - Darksprite Rosa Bud


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