WhiskerFeathers News

Getting Ready for a Puppy

I am the proud mother of Miss Sofie Tucker, Queen Cat, let there be no doubt about that. However, there lives in my heart a yearning for a dog. It’s purely a case of apples and oranges. You know the joke, dogs come when called; cats will get back to you when they’re ready. Yesterday I watched a DVD by Cesar Milan about choosing a new dog. It brought back to me memories of when I used to have dogs. One particular point about getting a puppy that I had forgotten all about; Puppy-Proofing!

You’ve gone out and brought the collar, the leash, the dishes, the dog bed, the toys, lots of toys, now take a breath and consider this. A puppy is like a human baby, they are a blank slate interested in everything they see, it’s all new! They want to look at everything, touch it and then promptly put it in their mouth; after all, that’s how they experience their world!

Even it you are home most of the time, those little rascals can get in the darnedest things. You must puppy-proof the house before you bring your dog home! Don’t just walk through looking for things, get down on all fours and explore your house on their level, you’ll be very surprised at how it will look.

Probably the number one offender is power cords. Dogs, especially puppies who are teething need to chew. These days we have more electrical appliances than ever. If you can’t put your cords safely behind furniture and out of reach, go to your local electrical supply store and get an electrical cover. You may need to build some sort of barricade or even get a pet-repellent spray if necessary.

Here is a short list of some other things to look out for:

• Trash cans without a lid. There are too many interesting smells coming out of it to temp your dog!
• Detergents, they can be very toxic.
• Paint
• Kerosene
• Snail bait, believe it or not this actually tastes like dog food!
• Rat Poison, need I say more?
• Anti-freeze, again this tastes good to a dog.
• Plants such as English and Boston ivy, azaleas, amaryllis lilies, mums and poinsettias to name a few. You can get a full list of poisonous plants online.
• Cleaning and bathroom products
• Medicines
• Any kind of small object that could cause chocking.

Remember not to make the mistake some people have of giving your puppy and old shoe or piece of old clothing to play with. One fine day you may find them chewing a not-so old shoe and wondering why you’re angry!

I can’t stress enough that it’s not a good thing to give your dog bones to chew on. Bone slivers can get caught in their throat very easily. Table scraps in general are not a good idea either it might upset their stomach and lead to begging.

Puppy-proofing is not paranoid, it’s smart. You finally get a puppy and just like a baby, it doesn’t know fear or right from wrong, you have to protect them and remove the dangers.

Your Best Friend Is Counting On You!

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