Finally, after months of discussion and planning, your family and you have decided to bring home a puppy. You have already picked out his name; he will be called Jaco. This is all well and good, but before you bring him home, you need to make sure your house is puppy proof. This will not only ensure that little Jaco keeps himself safe, but that you also keep your possessions looking pristine. There's a lot to do, so be sure to start a few days or more before you plan to bring the puppy into your pad.
Below is a list of common things to be on the lookout for both inside and outside your home. This list isn't exhaustive, so your own judgment will come in handy too. Indoor Hazards: • Tape all electrical cords out of reach of puppy teeth, or cover them in protective piping. If not kept away from him, Jaco could chew through them and burn his mouth, or worse, electrocute himself. • Keep valuables off the floor, such as shoes, toys or other pieces of clothing.
This goes for laundry baskets, as well. While he is still young and testing his teeth, they should be kept off the floor. Jaco will gladly get into toys, and just about anything else he can reach, so he can chew it. Not only is this wonton destruction of property expensive, but Jaco also runs the risk of ingesting little pieces of each object, potentially causing medical problems. • Keep coins, pushpins, staples, paper clips, and any other small, sharp metal objects off the floor.
Puppies are notorious for eating anything that is small enough to fit in their mouths – even more so than human babies! To avoid a costly trip to the vet to get these items removed from Jaco's stomach, make sure that all members of the family are vigilant, and do a daily sweep of the carpet, as we;; as any other easy to reach places. Some of these items are also toxic to dogs, so it is worth making the Small Metal Object Hunt a ritual in your household. • Keep heavy, breakable objects out of reach.
Puppies are fond of dangling things, so if you have a heavy lamp sitting on a tasseled tablecloth, Jaco may just pull
Diabetic Foot the cloth for fun. What he may not expect, however, is the heavy lamp sitting on top. So make sure to place anything like this out of reach of puppy teeth. He could get a lot more than a new chew toy. • Keep chemicals out of reach of your puppy. Like babies, puppies will taste and chew just about anything new to them.
This goes for cleaners, disinfectants and other household chemicals. Ideally, you should house them in a high cupboard. If this option is unavailable, place baby gates leading to the area or secure access to the cupboard with baby proof locks. Under no circumstances do you want Jaco poisoning himself.
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