How to Dog Proof Your Home

You may have just brought a new puppy home, have a particularly naughty dog or just want to be safe rather than sorry. Dog proofing your home helps minimise any dangers that may be lurking around the house and hopefully you can avoid any large vet bills! So how should you dog proof your home?

Indoor

• Loose change – We highly recommend finding a safe place to keep all your loose coins such as a moneybox, as any coins swallowed contain Zinc which is a real danger to your dog.
• Keep Tidy – Make a point of tidying up around the house as you go along as any loose items could be noticed by your dog and ingested.
• Close doors – The best way to make sure your dog doesn’t go where they shouldn’t is to close off access, or perhaps lock them in the one room. If you’re still worried, try a dog pen which keeps them in a certain area of the room or a dog crate.
• Chocolate – Make sure chocolate is safely placed inside a cupboard or the fridge as chocolate is highly toxic to your dog.
• CCTV – If you’d like to keep an eye on your dog while your away and even communicate with them, try a pet camera. There are outdoor and indoor versions that allow you to monitor your pet from your smart phone.
• Plants – Certain kinds of house plants like the dieffenbachia, lilies, philodendrons and poinsettias should be kept away from your dog’s reach.
• Wiring – Make sure wides are tacked to the wall when possible, or placed inside a protective wire tidy cord. It may be a good idea to unplug any electricals you’re not using to minimise danger and save on those energy bills!
• CDs & DVDs – Try to put your discs back in their cases once used, keeping them on the side may lead to doggy damage, and you’ll have less trouble finding a disc in the future! If eaten, the shards of a disc can be very lethal.
• Cooking – It’s a good idea to keep your dog out of the kitchen while you cook and prepare food, in case you trip or they play with utensils and eat any unattended food.
• Bin – Try and find a bin that isn’t easily opened, such as a sturdy metal, step on pedal lid version.
• Toilet – It may sound silly, but make sure the toilet seat cover is on, as a small dog or puppy could jump in!

Outdoors

• Poisonous Plants – Some plants such as daffodils, foxglove, bird-of-paradise and lupine can all be very poisonous to your dog.
• Pools & Ponds – Make sure that your dog is a strong swimmer if you have a pool or pond nearby, they may accidentally jump in at any time.
• Rubbish bins/bags – There will be plenty of interesting smells inside that’ll attract your dog, make sure they’re not easily accessed.
• Garage – Make sure any chemicals or paints are well out of reach and always clean up and spills.
• Gates & Fencing – Make sure there are no holes or gaps in the garden fencing that they can use to escape.