Many of today's homes have finished basements, making them the new family rooms or kids' playrooms. As discussed already, these rooms tend to be filled with the stuff of everyday life — and your pup will want to get his teeth into it! Follow the advice given in the section on living and family rooms if you have this kind of basement.

The basements in some houses may be strictly utilitarian — dark places used for work benches, storage, laundry rooms, etc. You'll want to keep your puppy out of these kinds of basements. They're probably not places you want to spend much time in, and there's no reason your puppy should, either.

Don't bring your pup up to the attic with you, even if he cries at the bottom of the stairs because he wants to be with you. Give him a favorite chew toy if you think he'll be upset by your disappearance.

However, in the event he might sneak by you and get into the attic, you should consider puppy-proofing this space. If you have an attic with a large amount of stored items — holiday decorations, old baby items, and lots of junk you just haven't been able to let go of yet — they should be stored in secure containers and placed out of your puppy's reach. Small spaces between boxes or boxes and walls should be avoided, your puppy will try to squeeze into small spaces and might not be able to squirm out.