Puppy Proofing Your Home

So now you have everything you need for the newest member of your family! I can only say "Congratulations!" You have just entered into one of the most rewarding relationships that you will have in your life. Every dog has his own unique character and much of it is formed while he is a puppy and growing (really fast, by the way!), so I want to do everything I can to help you do things right.



You already got all your supplies. Until your new friend is housebroken and stopped teething you will want to confine him to one room that is easily cleaned. Dogs are social animals so the closer this room is to where the family is the better. A kitchen or bathroom that is not carpeted is ideal! A wire mesh baby gate across the doorway(s) works best, it cannot be chewed as a plastic or wooden gate can be. Puppies love to chew! It is actually good for dogs to chew for their dental health, it helps clean tartar from the teeth and keeps the gums healthy. You just want to train your puppy what is OK to chew. I once had an American Pit Bull Terrier who chewed up our weed eater! Absolutely true story!

 

You will want to remove any hazardous and poisonous items in your home that your puppy can get into when unsupervised. Put all cleaning agents, antifreeze, pesticides, drugs and other household garage or garden chemicals away from puppy's reach. If you cannot eliminate electrical wires that he may chew, you can coat them with Bitter Apple, a safe, but nasty tasting substance created to prevent chewing. Many houseplants are poisonous and should be placed out of his reach. If you have non poisonous plants, place them out of reach, because no puppy can resist playing with a plant!

 

 

 

Don't make your garage your new best friends area. It is too isolated for your puppy to be able to socialize and feel like a part of the family. If your puppy is in the garage, with you, make sure the anti freeze is out of his reach.

 

You can child proof the cupboards and keep them closed while your puppy is in his area. Puppies have been known to chew anything! If he is in the bathroom, you can throw the shower curtain over the rod and out of reach.

 

Make sure you provide chewable toys. Sate toys are a necessity! Rawhide chew toys are a favorite, however, there have been incidents when a torn chunk from a rawhide toy got caught in a dogs throat and choked him. Our American Pit Bull Terrier, Kala, swallowed a whole rawhide bone, and I actually used the Heimlich Method on him and it came flying out of his mouth! Unfortunately, that was only part of the problem, he had eaten a poisonous toad and ended up at the Vet's overnight, and thank God, he lived. So give your puppy the rawhide while you are home, and don't choose it for his crate toy. Chew toys made of hard nylon are safe, even when you are not at home.

 

That is it for today! I hope that you have found some useful tips and have enjoyed reading my blog. You can visit my web site at

http://www.lindaz1homebiz.com

for more information and other useful resources for your dogs and cats.

Thank you for reading!

What You Need For Your New Puppy

Aloha

Congratulations! you have just selected and brought home a new puppy! They are so cute, aren’t they? All the little dog wants to do is wiggle in your arms and lick your face! So, you have just committed to dog ownership, which is like having a child that you need to train and teach. It is said there are no bad dogs, just bad owners.

Before you bring home your puppy, you need to have the supplies and an area in your home where your puppy will live while he is learning what you expect of him. That is just a tiny little dog you have, and training starts immediately in the way you do things with your puppy. This little dog wants to please you more than anything! You just need to show him how.

You will need supplies for your new puppy prior to bringing him/her home. You will need:
food bowl
water bowl
collar
leash
ID tag
bed
crate/portable dog kennel (large enough for the full grown dog)
toys
grooming supplies

Dogs are social animals. Usually, puppies are available when they are only six weeks old and have been weaned from the mother, which means they are eating food and not nursing on Mom anymore. You will be taking your puppy away from his littermates, usually anywhere from 2 and sometimes as many as 12 puppies!
You just removed his social network, so now you will provide that for him. I can remember putting an alarm clock with a new puppy when I was a kid, warm blankets and newspaper covering the whole floor, where the puppy would be put down to bed at night, and then being kept awake every time the little guy woke up by his crying and yelping! This is totally normal as they are waking up alone, no littermates and no Mom.

A dog’s natural instinct is to build a den for himself. This is where the crate comes in.  Puppies need a lot of sleep and will sleep several times each day. The crate is a tremendous help with housebreaking. Dogs do not want to soil their dens. When your puppy is ready to sleep put him in his crate, gently saying “crate.” The crate itself should be  snug, comfortable and soft inside. The bedding should be easy to change. Nothing dangerous for your puppy to chew should be in the crate. Every time you put your puppy in his crate, put a favorite toy or special treat in front of him, saying “crate” as you put him in.
That is it for today….I will further go into “puppy proofing” a special room for your new best friend on my next blog.