Re-Arranging

When we got Oscar about two years ago, we had to puppy proof everything. We used a puppy gate to keep him off the stairs and we had a “fence” that we used to block off one end of a hallway to keep Oscar confined to the living room.

It’s hard to describe but some of these pictures may help a bit.

This is the basement family room and we had the “fence” from the far end of the sofa and boxes stacked up to keep Oscar from going past the end of the sofa and, of course, those doors to the sewing room were kept closed to keep him out of there. For two years, to get past the “fence”, I had to put Oscar in his crate and move the fence or climb over it.

Today as I was re-arranging things in the basement bedroom, I thought . . why do I have that fence still up? The only place I’m keeping them from going is back to the other rooms. I can close those doors and the only floor I was keeping them off is tile and there’s nothing back there for them to get into.

See . . it’s all tile! Oscar, I don’t think, would even think of going to the bathroom in the house. Cooper is doing good. I don’t remember the last time he had an “accident” but he doesn’t tell us when he has to go. I have to remember to take him out often. I was taking him out every hour. Then it got to where he wasn’t doing anything every time we went out so now we go out every two hours. He doesn’t have an accident in his crate at night so I know he can hold it.

Anyway . . the house and the fence . . The first door is to the sewing room and that door stays closed. The next door is the bathroom. I can easily keep that door closed. Going on around, there’s a door to the bedroom, a door to the safe room, a door to the room where the freeze dryer is (it’s actually a second laundry room on the house plan but has never been used as that), then finally, a door to a storage room. Yes, there are six doors going off that little octagon shaped area.

It is SO nice not having that fence up and having to crawl over it. I have no idea why I didn’t think of that til today. The area looks bigger and it’s definitely easier to get around.