Puppies explore the world through their mouths. This is completely normal behaviour, especially with teething puppies. However, this can not only be a pain to you – but more importantly, a potential health risk for your puppy/dog if she is chewing on the wrong things. Although puppy proofing your home and garden may be expensive and time-consuming, it’s worth it to keep your pup safe.
It is a huge advantage to have your home and garden puppy-proofed before you bring them home with you for the first time. This way your puppy can have the freedom to chew on the right things and explore her new home in safety and you can relax and enjoy your puppy without running around trying to take things from them they shouldn’t have/you don’t want them to have.
Household Hazards to Dogs
- Wires and cables can be lethal! Never leave a puppy unsupervised in a room with live wires to appliances.
- Keep all food stuff out of reach of your puppy. Some human food, like chocolate and grapes, can be lethal to your pup. Please see PDSA Poisons & Hazards page in their website.
- Lock away medicines and cleaning products.
- To prevent injuries from climbing, keep chairs well away from surfaces to stop your puppy trying to climb up.
Baby gates, play pens and crates are great tools for helping to keep your puppy safe, out of harms way and out of mischief on those occasions where you are not able to have all eyes on them. It also helps with getting puppy used to little short absences without you right beside them or in the same room.
Outdoor risks for dogs
- Check that your garden is well fenced in. Remember that puppies love to dig as well as climb!
- Remove or securely fence off any toxic plants.
- Make sure that any weedkiller or slug pellets are stored safely away where puppy can’t get to them.
- The same goes for de-icer for your car.
- If you compost food, please make sure that your puppy can’t access any of it!
Again you can make use of a large playpen in the garden to keep puppy safe but just make sure that she has something to keep her occupied whilst she is in there. You do not want to create a furry monster who starts yelling the second she is left alone!
You may think this a mad idea……..but try going down on your hands and knees on the ground and see what your puppy’s world would look like at that level! See all the potential dangers that are lurking in each room and in the garden!
Meet Mary – our certified behaviourist
Our dog behaviour service is led by Mary Howat, who many of you may recognise from our Blairgowrie team!
Mary started working with Thrums in 2003, and has progressed to qualify as a certified animal behaviourist and certified Elite Fear Free professional. She also runs her own dog behaviour and training consultancy, K9INTUITION, taking veterinary referrals, behaviour consultations, one to one sessions with puppies and their owners and also providing advice for clients on choosing a puppy and before they have brought their puppy home.
She shares her life and home with her husband and their Labrador, Murdo and cat, Harray.
Call our Kirriemuir team today to book an appointment on 01575 572 643.