Making your home puppy proof!

Puppies are super cute and so much fun to have around. They are filled with energy and curious about everything around them. It is your job as a responsible pet owner to puppy proof your house to make it safe from them and to protect your belongings.

The first thing you should do when puppy proofing your house is to go room to room on your hands and knees. Look at the things in your home from your puppy’s perspective. Think about what is at that level that may be interesting to him. You may be surprised to find many things that are potentially dangerous that you never even thought of before.

One thing you should be aware of in your household is the location of electrical cords. Make sure to limit your puppy’s access to these areas. Puppies can chew through cords and get electrocuted causing serious injury or even death. Wrap cords up and store them away or lay down rubber or plastic runners that can be purchased at most home supply stores.
Another potentially dangerous thing for puppies is your stairs. Small puppies have a hard time navigating up and down stairs and could fall down them and injure themselves. Stairs also lead to areas in your house that may be off limits. The best way to ensure that your puppy stays away from the stairs is to purchase baby gates, available at most department and pet supply stores.

Just as curious toddlers are, puppies are very curious about what is inside cabinets. Many people store cleaning supplies and personal care products in cabinets that can be accessible to puppies. These kinds of products contain harmful ingredients that can injure or kill your puppy. Make sure to either store these products in cabinets that are out of reach to puppies, or purchase plastic cabinet locks that are available at most department and pet supply stores.
Be aware of small objects that are located around the home, on coffee tables and other surfaces that are accessible to your puppy. Just as with small children, puppies can choke on items like coins, needles, jewelry and small toys. Make sure to keep these kinds of items out of your puppy’s reach.

Puppies seem to be attracted to shoes and socks. They love to chew on them. Not only will this ruin your favorite shoes, if a puppy were to chew on and swallow a shoelace or a sock, it could get wrapped around their intestines causing serious injury or death. Make sure to store your shoes and socks out of reach of your puppy, and NEVER encourage them to chew on these items, no matter how cute it may be.

Always limit your puppy’s access to the bathroom. Bathroom garbage is very tempting to chew on. If your dog were to swallow some dental floss or feminine products, this could be very harmful to them. Puppies also are curious about toilets. Small pups could fall in an open toilet and drown. Make sure to keep your bathroom door shut at all times, or install a baby gate at the entrance to your bathroom. The same can be said for the kitchen and kitchen garbage.
Open windows are another potential hazard to your puppy. Being very curious about the world around them, they could easily fall out of a window causing serious harm or death. On the ground floor, they could exit out of the window and get lost or run into the street. Be mindful of open windows when you are not directly supervising your puppy.

House plants are another concern when it comes to puppies. Most dogs are very attracted to plants and many household plants are toxic to animals and can cause nausea, vomiting, and in some cases, death. Always make sure to keep house plants away from your puppy’s reach.
The best way to puppy proof your house is to crate train your puppy right away. You are providing him with a safe place to go whenever he wants to as well as a place to be safely contained when you are not able to directly supervise him. If you need more information about puppy proofing your home, consult your veterinarian or pet professional.

Responsible Dog Ownership

What does it mean to be a responsible dog owner? For starters, it means getting a dog for the right reasons. Dogs are meant to be our companions and to share our lives with us. The right reasons to get a dog are to help him become all that he can be. To properly feed and exercise him. To spend quality time socializing and training him. But there are many wrong reasons to get a dog. Some of these include as a means of protection or to be a hobby breeder. When dogs are purchased as a means of protection, most people think this means keeping them away from other dogs and people to make them more protective. By doing this, your dog is not getting the socialization that he requires and as a result ends up fearful, aggressive, and destructive. What invariably happens is the dog bites someone and ends up getting euthanized. Reputable breeders generally breed their dogs as a profession. They have studied genetic lines and ensure that their puppies are healthy and of good temperament. Breeding dogs is often very expensive, and most hobby breeders are not ready for what they are getting themselves into. Also, there is already an overpopulation of dogs in this country. It is best to leave breeding to the professionals.

Responsible dog ownership begins BEFORE you get your dog. Make sure to properly research which type of dog is right for you. Make sure to discuss with your family who will be responsible for caring for your dog. Talk with your veterinarian about what kinds of costs you must consider throughout your dog’s life. Make the commitment that your dog will be cared for by you for the duration of his life. By doing your homework before you even bring your dog home, you are ensuring that you and your dog will be a good match, you know what to expect financially, and that your dog will have a forever home.

Responsible dog ownership means properly socializing your dog. Young puppies need to be exposed to a variety of other dogs, people, and sensations to help them learn to not be afraid of new situations. Puppies also require a lot of time and training. Responsible dog owners understand that the demands of puppy hood will be many. Puppies need to be housebroken, a task which often requires a lot of time and patience. They need to learn basic commands and manners and you need to learn how to properly communicate with them.

Responsible dog ownership means taking your dog to the veterinarian for regular healthy pet checkups. Usually at this time, your dog will be vaccinated as well. All good owners know that dogs need to be vaccinated on schedule to help protect them, the public, and other dogs that they come into contact with. Your dog will also need to be tested for intestinal parasites periodically. Responsible owners know that by preventing and treating parasites they are keeping their dog healthy and protecting their families as most parasites can be transmitted to humans. Another facet of good dog ownership is knowing when your dog is ill. It is your responsibility to keep your dog in optimum health.

When you take your dog for a walk or to the dog park, pick up after him when he goes to the bathroom. Not only is this common courtesy, but fecal matter can be harmful to humans or other dogs. If you do not have a fenced in yard, always keep your dog on leash. Not only are there laws in many states requiring you to do so, this will also ensure that your dog will not get loose and bite a person or another dog, or dart in to traffic and get injured or killed.

Spend as much quality time with your dog as possible. If you happen to have an employer that allows it, take your dog to work with you. Go jogging with your dog. Find a sport like agility, flyball, or sledding that you can do with your dog. Participate in community events such as dog jogs and dog fests. All of these things will enhance your relationship and are a factor in responsible dog ownership.

Common sense, proper socialization, training, and spending good time with your dog are all a part of responsible dog ownership. By displaying these traits, you can help others learn about how to be good dog owners.

Teaching Your Children to Care for Their New Dog

If you have a child, you’ve probably heard those familiar words, “Can we keep him?” Dog’s aren’t just a man’s best friend anymore; they’ve become the whole family’s friend. If you’re like any typical family, the children will probably spend the most time with your new dog. This is why it’s very important you teach your child how to take care of him. Here are a few dog rules to teach them:

Make sure you remember to feed the dog and give him fresh water each day. Explain that dogs, especially puppies, need nutrition each day for energy and proper growth. If you have an outside dog, it’s especially important that his water dish is changed everyday. Standing water is a breeding place for mosquitoes. Also dirt can get flung into their dish. It is equally important for small children to be supervised when dealing with this type of responsibility. Sometimes smaller children can be too eager to help. Explain to your children why we don’t feed dog’s certain foods such as sweets. Dog food is made to meet their dog’s nutritional needs and sweets can make their dog sick.

Being N-I-C-E to your dog is another lesson to teach children. Younger children, particularly under the age of four, have a tendency to be rough with animals. Pulling tails and ears just comes naturally with their curiosity. With a new dog, you may not know his temperament very well or how he may react to your child’s curiosity. Lead by example. Show your child how to be kind to animals. Show them how to gently pet them on the head or back and that hitting or pulling can hurt the dog.

Teach your child about the importance of exercise with the family dog. In order for the dog to stay healthy he must move around and play. If the dog is not overpowering, let your child walk the dog with a leash. Another fun activity for exercise is fetch. Let your child throw a ball or stick for the pet to chase. This is lots of fun for both participants.
If you have a rambunctious puppy, make sure your child doesn’t leave things lying around. Puppies love to chew on whatever they can sink their teeth into. If they see your daughter’s favorite dolly on the floor, or your son’s tennis shoe, the puppy will show no reserve. They will usually dive right in. Tell your child that your puppy is too young to understand, and that until he gets older, be extra careful about leaving things lying around.

Keep bathroom doors shut. Dogs are notorious for drinking from the toilet bowl. If you can help it, reduce the temptation for him, by teaching your child to keep bathroom doors shut.
If you have an indoor dog then he’s got to have potty breaks outside. Keep a schedule of bathroom breaks for your dog. This is one of the not so fun parts of taking care of a new pet. Remind your child that if the new dog doesn’t keep to the scheduled potty breaks that he may find a place in the house. In training a new dog to use the bathroom outside, the scheduled times must be strictly kept.

Make a chart. If you child is having problems remembering to feed the pet or take it out for breaks, it would be a great idea to make a chart of things to do each day. Let your child mark a check when the chore has been completed. The more he completes the chore, the easier it will be to remember.

Children don’t always see the bigger picture of taking care of a new dog, but with our guidance, they will no doubt become good little pet owners. It’s a good idea to applaud your child when he takes on responsibility and follows through with it. This will give them confidence to mature and take on more responsibility as they get older. Taking care of a pet is a big responsibility. Teach your kids that just as they have to be taken care of by parents, their pet has to be taken care of as well. Our pets depend on us everyday.