posted 07-30-2003 07:05 AM         

Puppies are a joy. Cute, lovable, cuddly, and just waiting for you to turn your back, so they can get into some mischievous trouble! Puppies are very much like toddlers when it comes to hazards around your house. If you think they can not get into trouble with something, they most likely will. We are going to look at some of the more obvious hazards, and some of the not so obvious, lying in wait for your new addition. With a few precautions, you can help your puppy grow into a healthy, respectful of his or her surroundings, adult dog.

Finding the Hazards

Just about any baby book on the market will advise you to get down on your hands and knees, and crawl around at your child’s viewpoint to look for dangers that are out of your line of site. This is perfect advice for puppy owner too! Get down and look from his or her view at anything that might be a hazard if chewed on or swallowed.

Electrical cords are at the top of the list. Puppies love to chew, and a cord can burn, shock, and even kill. Outlet covers should be used in all open outlets.

Plastic bags are a suffocation hazard.

Toilets and buckets of water are tempting to puppies, but can be both a drowning hazard and a chemical hazard if you use cleaners in your toilet tank.

Basement doors, windows, doors to balconies, etc., should be kept closed and locked. Puppies can dislocate bones, brake bones and die from falls. Do not assume that a railing will keep puppy safe, as many are high enough on the bottom for puppy to crawl under, and believe me, they will!

Be careful when closing doors that you do not slam puppy in a door.

Ashtrays with cigarette butts are potentially fatal.

Cleaners in cupboards that you think puppy can not get into can be dangerous. Puppies seem to get into some areas that we just can not figure out how they got there. As with toddlers, keep all cleaners and other household poisons up high in a locked cabinet, to avoid an accident of this nature.

Medications should be kept in a locked medicine cabinet. Never leave a bottle on an end or coffee table, or a bedside table. A puppy can chew through a bottle in seconds and ingest the medicine inside very quickly.

Cords on window blinds can tangle and choke or hang a puppy. Never leash a puppy in the house when you leave. They could become excited and tangle up in it, or jump over something and hang themselves.

Ribbons can be cute on a puppy, but again, can be a choking or hanging hazard. They can tighten up unexpectedly, and even when you are right there, can often be hard to remove once this has happened.

Some toys sold specifically for puppies pose their own hazards. Avoid toys with squeakers that can be chewed out. Only use these under your close supervision.

When playing in your yard, make sure puppy does not try to swallow rocks. Sticks seem safe enough, so imagine my surprise when my ‘adult’ dog was chewing on one, typical for her, and it poked through her mouth causing not only a hefty veterinarian bill, but weeks of pain for her. My point here is never to assume anything. Try to keep the area you allow your puppy to play in free of debris.

If you are the type that does your own vehicle maintenance, be extremely cautious in disposing of discarded oils and antifreeze, and never allow a puppy to roam to a neighbors yard for this reason alone. Spilled or leaking antifreeze kills family pets every year! Newer pet safe products are available and should be used if possible.

If you would not let a toddler have access to something, never let a puppy play with it. This applies to everything from sewing needles to pop cans to matches. Puppies, even the tiniest ones, will put their paws up on low end tables and get at anything you have left lying there.

Household plants offer their own set of dangers. Many plants are poisonous. Here is a partial list of common ones, but your veterinarian can give you a complete list of plants to avoid:

Ivy, holly, poinsettias, bleeding hearts, daffodils, rhododendrons, mistletoe, tulips, iris, and morning glories.

The seeds of some plants are as dangerous as plants themselves. Apples are not poisonous, but apple seeds are. Again, check with your veterinarian for a complete list.

When You Just Can Not be There

While it may be necessary to leave puppy alone for short periods, he or she should be confined to a safe area. Never let a puppy roam free outside or inside your house. Sufficient water and coverage from sun are necessary. A ‘puppy crate’ is made for this purpose and is an ideal choice. Never assume that you will be only gone a ‘minute’, and that nothing can happen that quickly. When the ‘minute’ turns into two, that is more than sufficient time for puppy to be injured. As with kids, better to be safe than sorry!

Title: Bringing a puppy home
Description: Safety tips tips for bringing a puppy home.