1. Electrical cords, extension cords, etc. should be secured to the baseboard or better yet make them inaccessible. Puppies love to chew on them. Your Maltese could suffer electrical shock burns and could prove fatal.
     
  2. Never burn candles if the puppy is within reach as the flame will attract them.
     
  3. Anywhere there are steps is a hazard. If you have a cellar, keep the door closed. Pups are curious. Curiosity has injured and even killed many young puppies.
     
  4. Needles & pins are another deadly hazard if swallowed. Never leave pins or needles out where your puppy make get to them.
     
  5. Be very careful about other pets coming to your home. Remember that your puppy is much more likely to catch an infection than an adult dog. Proper vaccinations should bring there resistance to a much more safe level when your puppy reaches around 16 weeks of age.
     
  6. Anti-freeze! Extremely toxic!! Its a known fact that the scent of anti-freeze attracts all dogs. Keep it out of reach or locked in a cabinet. Clean up any drippings immediately. Never allow your dog to remain in the garage unattended. Check under your cars for leaking oil and antifreeze; clean up any spills immediately. Use lots of water to rinse away any traces of spilled antifreeze. Better yet, use antifreeze products that do not contain ethylene glycol like Prestone LowTox® or Sierra®. Antifreeze products containing propylene glycol cause signs of drunkenness but are not fatal unless very large quantities are consumed, in which case death is the result of alcohol poisoning.
     
  7. Toxic plants. Be sure you know which are and which are not. Here is a list of the more common ones.
     
  8. Chocolate, with Baking chocolate, as little as a half ounce can cause death in small puppies.  In medium sized puppies, the amount is two or three ounces.  In adult dogs the amount is eight ounces.  With milk chocolate, as little as four ounces can cause death in puppies, one pound in medium sized puppies; and two pounds in adult dogs.  A small amount may not cause death but it can make them very ill.  Fortunately, most dogs who eat chocolate just get an upset stomach with vomiting and diarrhea.
     
  9. Pesticides and rodent control poisons should be used with extreme caution. Hanging fly paper is toxic! It was recently in our local newspaper where a puppy had swallowed some pieces of the strips. He survived, but was very sick. If you must use these, keep them out of reach of your puppy.
     
  10. If you plan on using a flea collar (usually useless), you should wait until your Maltese is at least 16 weeks of age. Flea dips also should not be used until your pup reaches this age. Always read the label as to the precautions and limitations on these products.
     
  11. Make sure your trash cans, both in the house and outside, have a lid. Puppies could easily get a hold of a chicken or turkey bone. These bones are dangerous to your pup if swallowed and also could prove fatal.
     
  12. Around the holidays you need to be especially careful. Tinsel can be dangerous for your dog if he decides to eat it. You have to watch those thin glass Christmas balls too, which are no more than crushed glass if broken. If you have a new puppy around, be on the safe side and purchase the ones that are not made of this material. Puppies have been known to try to eat a broken Christmas ornament causing serious cuts in their mouth.  Also beware of Styrofoam.  Visit my Holiday First Aid page.
     
  13. If you are a smoker or have cigarette butts in ash trays, caution should be exercised. Cigarette butts consumed by your puppy could easily lead to nicotine poisoning.
     
  14. Toilet bowl cleaners are toxic. Keep the lid closed as puppies may be tempted to drink out of them.
     
  15. Any type of medication need to properly stored in a medicine cabinet or just out of reach. Dogs can also be poisoned by Advil®, Tylenol® and aspirin.  Do not give your dog human pain killers without consulting your veterinarian first. Childproof containers are not enough as the bottle are usually plastic. Your pup would have no problem in getting his sharp teeth into the contents of that bottle.

These are only a few of the many hazards that might be in your home

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