keeping your dog safe in your home

Not many dogs owners have the luxury of being able to keep their dogs under watch all the time. There are a number of steps that dog owners can take to help ensure dogs are safe around the home when dog owners are not there.

Follow these tips to help keep your dog safe:

1. Remove small toys, string and other choking hazards such as rubber bands from your dog’s area in your home.
   
   
2. Dogs seem to love the smell taste and texture of rubbish, and they will go out of their way to play in that arena while you’re away. The problem is many things in our rubbish that may seem benign to us can be dangerous to dogs
   
   
3. Telephones with chords or chords from window blinds, make sure the chord is high enough and tucked away so your dog can't get it around its neck.
   
   
4. Avoid trailing cables wherever possible, dogs like to chew. Try to ensure that your Tv cables etc are tucked out of harms way, avoid extension cables across floors.
   
   
5. Brush and then Hoover the whole floor of a room if glass has been broken even if it only broke in one small area.
   
   
6. Dangerous Foods out of their reach of your dog(s) like: chocolate, onion, garlic, macadamia nuts, Pear pips, the kernels of plums, peaches and apricots, apple core pips (contain cyanogenic glycosides resulting in cyanide posioning), Potato peelings and green looking potatoes, Rhubarb leaves, Mouldy/spoiled foods, Alcohol, Yeast dough, Coffee grounds, beans & tea (caffeine), Hops (used in home brewing), Tomato leaves & stems (green parts), Broccoli (in large amounts), Raisins and grapes.
   
   
7. Make sure any pins, needles or tacks are not left on sofas or the floor, even for two seconds to answer the phone or door or turn down the spuds.
   
   
8. As with a child, don't leave the pots and pan handles over the edge of the cooker.
   
   
9. Do not leave your dog locked in the kitchen when any cooking is going on. If you have a roast in the oven and need to go out but crate the dog in the kitchen, move the crate to the living room and have the kitchen door firmly shut to avoid gas poisoning and keep fire and smoke in. If your kitchen doesn't have a door put the crate in a bedroom with a door.
   
   
10. Be careful if you use rat or mouse bate in the garage or in the area to make sure the dogs are never allowed in those areas (better not to use poison pellets). Use traps instead because even a dead rodant can still have poison in it and can be dangerous if the dog eats it.
    
    
11. Gardens, check them regularly for dangerous objects left lying around, check fences for security daily and always fit internal bolts/locks and wherever possible closers on gates to prevent them being left open by visitors
    
    
12. Make sure they can't get out of the house ie no open windows, no open doors etc
    
    
13. When you bathe your dog make sure they are dry before you let them outside or they could get a chill.
    
    
14. If you know your dogs going to be outside for a while make sure it has a tag on so it can be returned safely by neighbours.

post your tips here and i will add them to our list.

Telephones with chords, make sure the chord is high enough and tucked away so your dog can't get it around its neck.

Brush and then Hoover the whole floor of a room if glass has been broken even if it only broke in one small area.

added

make sure all human food is out of their reach,ie chocolate which is really bad for them,although they love it!

added

Make sure any pins, needles or tacks are not left on sofas or the floor, even for two seconds to answer the phone or door or turn down the spuds.

As with a child, don't leave the pots and pan handles over the edge of the cooker.

Do not leave your dog locked in the kitchen when any cooking is going on. If you have a roast in the oven and need to go out but crate the dog in the kitchen, move the crate to the living room and have the kitchen door firmly shut to avoid gas poisoning and keep fire and smoke in. If your kitchen doesn't have a door put the crate in a bedroom with a door.

(sounds like a lot of hassle i know but it is a definite threat!)

added

i dog jump up and knock a boiling hot water all over her head poor thing she still got a bold patch on her head

Be careful if you use rat or mouse bate in the garage or in the area to make sure the dogs are never allowed in those areas (better not to use poison pellets). Use traps instead because even a dead rodant can still have poison in it and can be dangerous if the dog eats it.

Might sound obvious but make sure they can't get out of the house ie no open windows etc.
Apparently that poor staff that got tasered and then shot a while ago was loose in the front garden because the front door was left open/unlocked when the owners went out for the day

but a nice dog wont get tasered and then shot

nice one Steve What about the electricity cable problem. Avoid trailing cables wherever possible , dogs like to chew. Try to ensure that your T\\v cables etc are tucked out of harms way, avoid extension cables across floors.

added

Gardens , check them regularly for dangerous objects left lying around , check fences for security daily and always fit internal bolts / locks and wherever possible closers on gates to prevent them being left open by visitors

added

Steve wrote: but a nice dog wont get tasered and then shot

But A nice dog might get stolen tho

good ideas mrs nurse >

Steve its bunny girls today lol

bunny girl hey

If you know your dogs going to be outside for a while make sure it has a tag on so it can be returned safely by neighbours

Cords from window blinds,make sure they are tied up high or cut the cord so the dog cant get its head caught and choke.

When you bathe your dog make sure they are dry before you let them outside or they could get a chill.

When bathing the dog ensure the eyes nose and mouth do not get any cleaning products in them

added, lisa i added your with phone chords

Me and my wife are out in are garding every night removing all slugs and snails,before we even allow are lola out..Just a heads up since the warning is ripe atm

Wow, interesting and lively debate. How many have actually implemented any of the ideas that have been added by others. You can always ask your local vet for a list of house safety for pets. www.cherrydownvets.co.uk