Dog Safety Tips

Welcoming a new puppy or dog into your house is similar to bringing home a newborn or toddler. It is time to puppy proof! It does not matter if they are big, small, old, or young, they will try their best to get into things that they are not supposed to. Here are some safety tips for both inside and outside your home.
  • Baby Locks
    Dogs are naturally curious animals, and even more so when you are not home watching them. This gives them the opportunity to explore, and getting into your cabinets is a definite possibility. The best investment is to buy childproof locks for your cabinets. This keeps chemicals, food, and other dangerous supplies out of reach.
  • Pool Screen
    Pool screens keep your dog from falling into the pool and possibly drowning. It doesn’t take long for their curiosity to get the best of them, or a case of the “zoomies” has them tripping into the water. This is particularly important if you haven’t taught your dog to swim, or the correct way to exit the pool.
  • Monthly Flea, Tick, and Heart Worm Medication
    A lot of pet owners opt out of monthly medications due to cost, or they find it unnecessary. These monthly medications are extremely important if you take your dog to the dog park, camping, or let them play in the backyard often where they are vulnerable. Fleas are extremely hard to get rid of, mosquitos carry heart worms which can be deadly, and ticks often hide in tall grass. Prevention is the best and least expensive way to deal with these threats.
  • Close Doors Behind You Inside and Outside
    If you don’t want your dog to make their way into a room with a lot of items they would love to chew up, make sure you close doors behind you. Bathrooms, kids rooms, garage, or laundry room. An easy mistake such as not making sure a door is latched could lead to mess, possibility of dangerous exposure, and items becoming unusable/destroyed. Routinely we open our patio doors and let our dogs out to stretch their legs or go to the bathroom. Usually while we continue doing what we need to around the house. Before you let your dogs out, make sure the back door is locked. The kids might have gone around the side of the house earlier, or the maintenance man had to go through to fix something. Either way, not making sure that back door is locked can lead to your dog running away and getting lost or injured.
  • Keep Socks, Shoes, and Clothing Stored
    Dogs, especially puppies, love to chew things up or eat things they’re not supposed to. Many veterinarians see dogs come into their operating rooms due to a blockage from eating socks, shoes, underwear, and etc. Make sure you are properly storing your clothing and all socks are accounted for.

These are just a few tips to get you started on dog proofing your home, inside and out. Supervision is always necessary, and so is keeping certain items out of reach. Like toddlers, dogs are always getting into something.