How to Dog-Proof Your Home, from Woof Dog.
Are you welcoming a new four-legged friend into your home? If you are, you will have to start thinking about how you’re going to keep your pup safe and secure. Dog-proofing your house is essential, mostly because dogs can be a little nosey as well as being messy.
You have to take every precaution to make sure that your pooch can enjoy living in your home; after all, they will be there for most of their lives, apart from when you take them for walks or go on holiday.
Here are some essential room-by-room pointers to check off before you pick up your new pet that will prepare yourself and your house for their arrival.
The Lounge
Starting with the lounge space, there is probably lots of your creature comforts in this room, such as sofas, TV (including cords and cables), lamps, etc. To effectively dog-proof your lounge/living room, think about putting up a dog gate to keep them securely inside the room, or out of it, depending on which you prefer.
If you like to have your room decorated with scented candles, plants and other décor that are on ‘dog level’ then your pup could potentially eat and chew on these items. The best bet is to simply put them out of reach, or rearrange the room to be dog-friendly.
If you have wires and cords on show, for technology such as TVs and sound systems, then it’s a great idea to have them covered with cable protectors, for example. It’s well worth buying them a nice range of chew toys that will help to keep them distracted from the temptation of chewing on cables.
The Kitchen
Your furry friend will probably love being in and around this part of your home, mainly because dogs are clever and they will figure out very quickly that this is where all the food (and scraps) are.
You’ll more than likely be feeding them their own food in here too, so making sure they know to come here each time they are fed is important. Dogs like routine, so don’t confuse them. Using a no spill dog bowl is a useful addition to any dog owner’s home in order to keep the kitchen clean and tidy.
Aside from food, kitchens often house items such as cleaning products. You should ensure that they are kept in higher cabinets, just in case you have a tricky pooch who figures out how to open doors they shouldn’t!
Kitchenware, like pans, pots and trays are better off being stored low down as they aren’t a risk to your pet’s health like cleaning products and some foodstuffs are.
Bins are a focal point too. Keep in mind that the smells from your rubbish bins can be really exciting and tempting for your doggy, so keep them well sealed. You might want to invest in a metal pedal bin to keep even the most determined pets from getting into the trash.
The Bedroom
Depending on the type of dog owner you want to be, you may or may not allow them to have access to your bedrooms.
If you want to be as safe as possible, the ideal thing to do is to just close the door when you leave the room. If you are happy for them to go in your bedroom then it should be as safe as possible in there.
Making your room dog-proof includes putting any cosmetics, lotions and sprays in a safe place. Don’t be tempted to keep the windows open when you aren’t around, just to be on the safe side.
Again, keep bins empty or safely covered, and also pay special consideration to keep your footwear in your wardrobe, well away from teeth and keen chewers or they might get told off as well as an upset stomach!
The Shower/Bathroom
The room that you shower/bathe in, typically, has a whole selection of bits and pieces that can be a danger to your pup if you’re not careful. While everyone’s shower/bathroom is unique, there are some precautions that can anyone can take to keep your pooch happy and healthy.
The ideal dog-proofing move is to shut the door, but we all know that accidents happen and you might forget. In the case of this happening, ensure that you keep the toilet lid down; dogs adore drinking directly from the toilet, and while it might make for a funny video, residual chemicals from cleaning may be lurking and they can cause your dog to become unwell.
Just like you would with a small child, you need to keep your medication, cosmetics, lotions etc., in a safe spot, like a medicine cabinet, or drawer that is only accessible to you.
The same goes for soaps, gels, shampoos and conditioners. Put them up high, keep lids on tight, and don’t let them be tempting for inquisitive pooches who might want to play with them if they’re in a place they can reach.
Cords belonging to electrical appliances should be up off the ground and not appear to be a tempting swinging toy.
Keep windows closed if they are at an accessible level for your pet to climb up and peer out through.
Essentially, a lot of what you do as a dog owner is to use common sense, but it’s well worth referring to useful guides such as this to make sure you’re doing the right thing or forgetting something.
In the event of an unwanted incident, keep your vet’s number to hand so that you can quickly call for advice. If you follow our pointers, you’ll be absolutely fine.
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