Puppies in many ways are like babies. They are naturally curious, they are very lively, and they teethe. With their lower vantage point, they can find lots of trouble. It is up to you to take preventive measures to help them avoid harm. Like a baby learning to crawl, puppies have a lower point of view os they will see things a grown adult human will not see when they are standing.
It is practically impossible to eliminate every potential accident your puppy may have in your home, but you can definitely reduce risk. Here are some suggestions;
- Confine your puppy to a small safe area inside and keep windows and doors closed and or screened securely.
- Kep your puppy off high decks, elevated porches, and balconies.
- You should not leave your puppy unsupervised inside or outside. Puppies will wander and investigate and get into mischief if left to themselves.
- Securely secure any cleaning supplies, detergents, bleach, paint, paint remover, fertilizer, disinfectants, insect and rodent poisons, mothballs, and old antifreeze. Use locked cabinets or high shelves to secure these items.
- Remove poisonous household plants, or put them up high so the puppy cannot get to them. Also be sure to pick up any plant leaves that happen to come off the poisonous plants. A list of poisonous plants can be found here.
- Keep the toilet seat/lid down. Toilet cleaners are harmful if swallowed, plus the lid could fall on them if they are playing or trying to get a drink.
- Unplug, remove or cover electrical cords and other cables in your puppies confinement area. Puppies love to chew and they always seem to find the wires. This can lead to severe mouth burns, electrocution or even fire.
- Do not use human medication without consulting your veterinarian. Some human medications contain chemicals that are deadly to dogs even in small doses.
- Do not use ribbons around your puppies neck. Your puppy will be crawling around all kinds of furniture and other items in your home that a ribbon can get caught on and potentially tighten and strangle your puppy.
One of the ways I check the area I keep a new puppy in is I get down on all fours and I begin to crawl around the room. While I am much larger than the puppy, it does give me a different vantage point which allows me to see more potential hazards for my little fur baby. Around furniture, I even get down onto my elbows to get an even lower vantage point.
Here is one way we protect our electrical cords.
Electric Cord Protection
Take a piece of PVC pipe and cut a channel in it. Then slip your cords into the pipe and use “Zip” ties to hold ht cords inside the pipe.
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