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How to Puppy-Proof Your House: Safety for Your pup, peace of mind for you by Moses Wright

A new puppy is similar to that of a baby, he is curious and loves to explore every corner in your house. To ensure your pup safety, you have to make sure that your house is puppy-proofed. After which you need to make sure all the essential puppy supplies are in place to welcome your new pup.

But how do you know if your house is safe and ready for your new puppy? Listed below is a checklist for you to take note of before you bring your new puppy home:

1. Clean your home of poisonous items - Have you made the effort to clean your house of all possible items that can be cause poisoning to your pup? If you haven't, now is the time to put away cleaners, laundry detergents, bleach, disinfectants, insecticides, cleaning fluid, fertilizers, mothballs and antifreeze in cabinets or high up on shelves. Of course, as he grows, and if he has an adventurous streak, he's sure to jump high on to your shelves to find out what's where.

2. Secure all medications and unauthorized foods - These items will cause food poisoning or damages to your dogs' health - Drugs such as Motrin and Tylenol causes liver damage. Common household food items that are harmful include alcoholic beverages, avocado (the only "fatty" member of the vegetable family), coffee, salt, yeast dough, garlic, fatty foods - turkey, artificial sweeteners Xylitol, potatoes, onions, nuts, chocolate, grapes and raisins.

3. Uproot all life-threatening plants - Do you have life-threatening plants at home? Seemingly harmless plants such as apricot pits, spinach and tomato vines are dangerous to your pup. To find a detail list of common poisonous houseplants, you can visit this site: www.vet.purdue.edu/depts/addl/toxic/cover1.htm

You can also ask your vet for more such plants that could affect your pet's health and life - If your puppy has ingested poisonous plants, contact: Animal Poison Control Center at - 888-4ANI-HELP - (888-426-4435)

4. Keep away dangerous items - Place electrical wirings out of your pup's reach so that he will not get a chance to bit or chew on them. Sweep and keep your floor clear of loose items such as nails and pins, they should not be lying around even without a pup. Put away all sharp objects such as wires, sewing needles and pins, far away from your puppy's reach. Such items if swallowed or chewed upon can be very dangerous, it can hurt your pup's mouth or worse, can damage your pup's internal organs.

5. Supervise your puppy's movement - Try to keep your pup within your sight at all times, especially when he is very young. Don't make the mistake of allowing your pup to explore alone, be it indoor or outdoor. Also, remember to keep him away from balconies, upper porches and high decks or he may just slip through the railings and fall. Remember to keep your toilet cover seat down: puppies sometimes like to play in water. Frolicking in the toilet bowl is harmful for him as he may swallow the toilet cleanser. Also, don't tie ribbons round his neck because he may chew it and this can lead to digestive problems or choke himself if the ribbon gets snagged on other things.

Preparing the Essential Dog Supplies

1. Food and water bowls - Select solid and stable bowls that won't tip over when he eats or drinks out of it. Are they easy to clean? Buy two bowls, one for eating and the other for drinking. Initially, buy small bowls and then as he grows older, buy him larger ones. If you do this, he won't develop the habit to overeat for his age nor will he fall into his water bowl whenever he goes to take a drink.

2. Collar - There are a large variety of lightweight collars available for your puppy. No matter which one you choose, attach an identification tag, listing your puppy's name, your address and phone number.

It is advisable to buy a lightweight nylon or leather collar for him first. To get a good fit, you should measure his neck properly. To do so, measure the circumference of his neck and add two inches to it. To be sure that the collar fits properly, slide two fingers between his collar and your pup's neck. If it's a snug fit, the size is right. But if there's too much space, you need a smaller collar. If your fingers don't fit in comfortably, the collar size is way too small. Your pup may take a little while to adjust to his collar, so give him time to get used to it.

3. Leash - Leashes come in many lengths and styles, such as leather, nylon and retractable leashes. If you buy a six-foot leash it would serve both as a leash for training and walking.

It is important to keep your dog leashed unless he is in a close-up area such as a fenced in yard. In many parts of the U.S., there are leashing laws that make it compulsory for all dog owners to leash their dogs whenever they are in public places. If your dog is found to be not leashed, you can be fined. If your dog happens to defecate in public places, you are expected to clean up after him.

4. Grooming equipments - In order to groom your dog properly, you will need some pet grooming equipments depending largely on your dog's coat type. For short haired breeds, do invest in a brush with natural bristles, a rubber currycomb or a hand mitt. Strong wide-toothed metal combs, flea combs and mat splitters are needed for breeds with long hair.

5. Toys - To entertain and exercise your pup, buy him a few toys, as this will help him exercise and get over their cravings for chewing. Choose toys specifically designed for pups ones that can't be splintered, torn or swallowed. Some of the fun and safe toys to buy include hard rubber balls, nylon chews and rawhide chips. And, if they don't fit comfortably in his mouth, it's not right for him.

6. Recommended puppy food - Give him his essential nutritive foods and get him used to a feeding schedule. Seek advice from your breeder directly or from your veterinarian.

7. Crate or sleeping bed - A Crate is basically a big cage made of metal, plastic or wood. Available in many sizes, the crate should be big enough for your dog to stand up, turn around easily, as well as lie down in. It should be airy. You should set up his sleeping area in a warm and comfortable place. A crate serves very well as a den in your absence from the house. A crate could also be a portable crate enclosed in plastic or a simple wire crate.

When you buy an adult-sized crate, also buy partitions, or place a cardboard box in the back to serve as a cozy space for him. Apart from the crate, set up a sleeping area for him, for the times when you are at home and the crate is not in used. Buy a puppy-sized bed instead of an adult-sized bed, so that he is safe and snug.

When used properly, crates encourage good sleeping habits, discourage mischief and help to house train your dog. It can also be a safe confinement for your dog when he's not supervised at home or when you are driving. A crate is so useful, every owner should have one!

8. Stain and scent remover - To take the odor away from his nose, buy a stain and scent remover. It helps a great deal in potty training your pup and keeps your house clean of urine smell.

Listed above are the basic supplies you need to prepare when a new pup is joining your family. Do take the time to ensure that your house has been 'puppy-proofed' and you will find that the preparation will make socializing your new puppy a lot easier!

Moses Wright is a dog lover and owner of Dog Obedience Training site. He loves to help dog owners with their dog problems and do so by consolidating his years of dog ownership experience into a free book filled with simple yet powerful dog training tips: Free Dog Problems Book

Article Source: http://www.earticlesonline.com/Article/How-to-Puppy-Proof-Your-House--Safety-for-Your-pup--peace-of-mind-for-you/174728

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