Where should you begin?
A good place is on your knees. You need to look at your house and yard
from your puppy's perspective.
The Living Room
As you crawl around your living room, look for exposed electrical cords.
Some experts recommend taping cords to the wall, or pinning them to the
baseboard. Others suggest putting a nasty-tasting substance on the cord,
such as Bitter Apple Spray (available at most pet stores), Vick's Vapor Rub
or Arid Extra Dry aerosol (my personal favorite). These can be put on everything from
electrical cords to pool hoses to keep them safe from puppy teeth. Don't
forget to put outlet covers over all the empty outlets while you're down on
the floor.
Look for other objects that puppies might like to chew. Children's toys,
deliciously flavored with cookie crumbs from sticky little fingers, are very
attractive to puppies, but may cause choking, intestinal blockage or death
if swallowed. Other household objects that may be eaten by puppies include
rubber bands, paper clips, pens, string, earrings, other jewelry, and
plastic bags. Check under furniture for any forgotten items that a puppy
might ingest.
Look on top of furniture too. In addition to everything we've mentioned
so far, check for tabletop hazards such as ashtrays (cigarette butts can
cause nicotine poisoning),
toxic houseplants.
Chocolate is another common canine hazard.
Although it may be your favorite thing to eat, it can be very dangerous for
your pet. Chocolate contains caffeine and a related stimulant called
theobromine, which can make your dog seriously ill. Both of these stimulants
can raise your dogs heart rate, occasionally to the point of being fatal.
Chocolate should be thought of as a poison to dogs.
The Bathroom
In the bathroom, there are yet more potential hazards. Painkillers, heart
medications, antidepressants and antihistamines can be poisonous to dogs.
Even common, over-the-counter medications like Tylenol can be deadly--and
child-proof caps are not strong enough to withstand the attack of sharp
puppy teeth. Make sure all medications are safely locked in the medicine
cabinet.
Move all cosmetics and personal care products out of your puppy's reach.
Deodorants, soap, and rubbing alcohol are only a few of the dangerous items
in your bathroom.
An open toilet presents both a drowning hazard and, if there are chemical
cleaners in the bowl, a poisoning hazard as well. Keep the lid closed.
The Bedroom
Now is a great time for you and the kids to clean your rooms. Everyone
who's been around dogs has heard horror stories about a puppy that swallowed
cloth or leather, and died from the complications of intestinal blockage.
Pick up toys, underwear, shoes, belts--anything a playful puppy might chew
and swallow. Even a seemingly innocuous nylon "knee-high" can kill your dog.
Check the windows, too. Are there cords hanging from your blinds that
might choke or strangle a puppy? Get those cords out of reach. Can the puppy
pull the curtains or drapes down? It's a great time to spray the material
with a chewing deterrent that's safe for fabric.
If you sew, put away all needles and pins. Scraps of fabric and
work-in-progress should be put away too.
The Kitchen
Now that the rest of your house is cleaner than it's ever been, check out
the kitchen for electrical cords, plastic bags, etc. Put away sharp knives
and dish or pan "scrubbers" that may smell like yummy foods. Be sure that
all cleaners, detergents, and poisonous substances are out of reach. Even
food items such as olive oil may be dangerous to a dog, when consumed in
excess.
Many dog owners install childproof locks on their kitchen cabinets, both
to prevent poisoning and to discourage dogs from taking food out of the
cabinets. Coming home to find your house and canines covered in flour is
only funny on TV!
Consider your trash can and recycling container. The kitchen trash has
killed many a curious puppy. Cooked chicken or turkey bones are obvious
hazards, as are aluminum cans, Styrofoam,
Styrofoam will not digest and may get stuck in the intestines. Plastic
bags, and plastic containers that once held food can also be dangerous.
To be safe, carry all cooked bones outside as soon as you finish eating,
never leaving the cooked bones in the house to tempt our little food
burglars. Even a covered trash can is no deterrent to determined dogs. Every
trash can in your house should be covered, but you should take additional
precautions with that inviting kitchen garbage.
The Garage and Laundry Room
By now, you're getting the picture. You know that you need to put all
hazardous substances out of puppy reach, preferably in a locked cabinet
that's high up off the floor. The laundry room contains detergent and
bleach; your garage has everything in it from insecticides, lawn and plant
care products, household cleaners like furniture polish and ammonia, and
poisons like antifreeze and brake fluid. Get them away now!
Antifreeze, brake fluid, air-conditioning coolants, and other products
containing ethylene glycol are especially hazardous for pets.
Less than one tablespoon of
anti-freeze could be lethal to a 20-pound dog. Antifreeze smells sweet and
is very deadly. If
medical treatment isn't given within 24
hours, the dog is likely to die. When storing your antifreeze, keep it well
out of reach. Check under your car from time to time to make sure it is not
leaking on to the ground. Your dog will smell the sweet smell and may lick
it up. You may want to use a new, less toxic antifreeze. It's still
poisonous, but not as much as the traditional kind.
If you are a fisherman, fishhooks must be kept away from your puppy.
Lures look like toys, but may end up stuck in a puppy's skin or esophagus.
If your dog swallows a fishhook, take him or her to the vet immediately. Do
not try to pull the fishhook back out of the puppy's mouth!
Miscellaneous Hazards
By now, you're probably thinking that "Home, Sweet Home" is a doggy death
trap, and you're not sure you want to bring home a puppy after all. Don't
despair. Make one more walk-through, checking for open windows and balcony
railings that a puppy might crawl under or fall through.
Inspect your puppy's toys. If they have squeakers, put the toys out of
reach and allow the puppy to play with the squeaky-toy only when you are
present. Puppies and dogs can choke to death on a swallowed squeaker. Check
all labels and packaging for warnings; many chew toys can cause intestinal
blockage if plastic pieces are chewed off and swallowed. If the manufacturer
recommends regular inspection or owner supervision of the toy, take the
warning seriously.
Make sure that the puppy's leash is in a safe place, not hanging down
where a playful young animal might catch his head in the handle and strangle
himself. If you are planning to use a choke collar for training, purchase a
regular collar for everyday wear. Unsupervised puppies and dogs can, and do,
choke to death when choke collars get caught on furniture and other objects.
Holiday Hazards
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. Also beware of Styrofoam. Styrofoam will not digest and may get
stuck in the intestines. Visit my
Holiday First Aid page.
Share What You Know With Others
A child may not recognize the danger that human toys present to a beloved
pet. A roommate may not realize that a puppy will dart out of an open door.
So don't forget to educate your family members or roommates, and encourage
them to get in the habit of cleaning up spills and messes promptly. You may
want to begin this education process long before your puppy comes home, so
that everyone has good (or at least better!) habits before the Big Day
arrives.
An Ounce of Prevention is Worth of a Pound of Cure
It's impossible to prepare for every eventuality, but even an hour or two
of preparation can make your puppy's new home much safer. Puppy-proofing
pays off big time. You'll be able to relax and enjoy your puppy, and your
puppy will have a good, safe home. So get down on your knees, and start
puppy-proofing that house now! |
