MAKE A SAFE PUPPY SPACE

 

 

  Puppy Place Make a 'safe puppy space' in your home. Whether you live in a house with a yard or in an apartment, your puppy should have a space that is safe and just for her.

She should have a safe place to go if she is scared or scolded. Beds, baskets, and especially crates make an ideal place for puppy. She should have dog toys of her own all over to dissuade her from things that are not. She should have a special place where her toys are kept so she knows which are hers.

Make sure her home environment is a safe puppy space. If you can, get down on her level and crawl around looking for hazards. It is amazing how the view differs from down there! Look for electrical cords, small balls and toys that pose a choking hazard. Make sure all cleaning products are put well away. She should have no access to medications or cleaning supplies of any type.

Things like onions and chocolate can be toxic to your puppy. Never feed your puppy anything except her food. Changing her diet regularly or offering table food could cause her serious illness.
Puppy Safe Guard If she is lucky enough to have a yard of her own, be sure it is a safe environment. A safe puppy space in the yard can mean a lot of things. There should be no way to escape.

Fences and walls should be strong and tall and gates should latch securely. Make sure she can’t squeeze through any crevices or dig under anywhere. If erecting a fence or wall isn’t possible you might consider electric fencing and a collar with a receiver to teach her where the boundaries are. It is a good idea to lock gates if she will be out alone.

Some of the preventable hazards in your yard include toxic plants, snail bait, insecticides, antifreeze, and rodent poisons.These can kill your dog very quickly and very painfully. None of these things should be anywhere in the vicinity of your puppy. Curious puppies will always find things that they should not. Check your yard for snakes in the summer months, broken pots, or glass that she might step on. Make sure there are covered areas where she can get out of the sun or weather.

Your yard should be completely fenced. If there is a pool, that should be fenced off as well to prevent drowning. An inconspicuous type of fencing is invisible fencing which allows safety and control without major construction or obstruction of view. If you are unable to keep her away from the pool, you need to teach her where the steps are. Get in with her and show her how to swim to the steps in case she falls in. Any dog, but especially the very young and the very old, run a great risk of drowning when they become exhausted from swimming aimlessly.

Your puppy should have access at all times to fresh water. Food should only be given at feeding time. Food will turn rancid and could make her sick if she eats it once it has spoiled. Left over food will also attract unwanted wild life, ranging from ants to raccoons, opossums, and feral cats. Several of which may carry viruses you don’t want to expose your puppy too. Bowls should be kept clean daily and should be a height appropriate for your puppy’s size. Large breed dogs should have their bowls up high to make it easier to reach their food and water.

Identify Your Puppy

Make sure she has a safe puppy space even if she is out and about. Your puppy should wear a regular collar, not a chain or choke collar unless you are taking her on a walk or practicing obedience with her. Never leave her alone with a chain on.

She should have her name and phone number, at least, on a dog tag in case she were to get out. Gates get left ajar, and bored puppies dig so take all precautions to protect her from herself and the rest of the world. Chains should not be left on a dog as they cinch up and can cause strangulation if they get hung up on something. It happens. Don’t chance it

Microchips are frequently placed in puppies by breeders and animal shelters before they are placed in homes. If she doesn't have one yet they are relatively inexpensive to have it administered by your veterinarian. The microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and is injected under the skin between the shoulder blades. These are widely utilized now and most shelters have scanners to read the chips. If your puppy is ‘chipped’ be sure to register with the data base. A shelter will scan a dog if she is picked up and try to locate the owner if possible. She should still wear a name tag with a phone number because it saves a lot of effort if a neighbor a block away finds her stray and wants to return her to you. Prevention is the best medicine of course. If she gets out she has to be found by someone who wants to return her, or all the phone numbers won’t matter. There are many ways to teach your puppy her boundaries. Proper training and techniques are a must.Somtimes making a safe puppy space means teaching her the rules.

Puppy's Space On The Go

Your puppy should feel safe and comfortable in her new home. She should feel that she belongs and understands what her boundaries are. Proper training will help build bonds and set limits for her as she matures.

If you plan to travel with her or even just take her with you frequently, it would be a good idea to have a ‘safe puppy space’ in your car as well. A blanket just for her. A travel water bowl. A favorite toy. It may also be a good idea to invest in an elevated seat if she is small or a harness to attach to the seat belt. In an accident a dog can get very injured as she is quite unprotected. Tailgate grates separate the cargo areas from the passenger seats to keep her from jumping back and forth, and window grates will allow you to keep the windows down for air exchange without risking her escape. . If you do like to travel with your dog there are some big hotel chains that allow pets. Find a pet friendly hotel.

Traveling with your pet can be fun.

Find a hotel that suits you both.

Including your dog in as many areas as possible will build strong bonds and lasting memoriesboth of you. There are enough back yard dogs that get ignored. Make a better space than that in your life with your puppy. Find everything you have to have to successfully raise a healthy, happy puppy!

 

About The Author
Laura Anderson is a veterinary technician with a 15 year history as a veterinary office manager and emergency technician. She founded Puppys-Place to help new puppy owners find a compatible lifestyle with their new friends.
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