When my husband and I decided to rescue Charlie Bear, we talked about whether we were ready to bring another dog into our lives, especially a fourteen-month-old whippersnapper. Our big dog Rex was already ten, and puppies are a lot of work! But they are also a ton of fun.
Whenever you adopt a dog, a young one like Charlie Bear, or an older dog, there are certain things to consider. Charlie Bear and I have scheduled a four-part series of posts. This first one deals with being prepared. Maybe you have a new puppy. Congratulations! Maybe you’ve adopted from a shelter or rescue site to give a dog a second chance. Kudos to you. And if you’re settled in your household with your furry friends, well, maybe these thoughts will help you with your own pooches.
Dr. Jon focuses on puppies in his post, but truly, anyone bringing a new dog into the home can benefit from his thoughts because really, aren’t all dogs mischievous when bored or stressed? And a shelter or rescue dog has the same needs as puppies in many ways.
Dr. Jon, from PetPlace, shares this about Preparation:
Puppies are little bundles of joy! They’re playful and mischievous, which is why they can easily get themselves into trouble. If you’re getting a new puppy, it’s important to make your home safe before bringing the little guy home.
The best way to pet-proof your home is to see the world from your puppy’s point of view. That’s right, get down on the floor and you’d be amazed at how many things you notice! Here are a couple of ways you can make your home safe for your puppy:
- Electrical cords are extremely dangerous and easy to chew through. Hide them in plastic cord keepers and cover outlets with plastic plugs to keep your puppy safe from an accidental shock.
- Some plants are poisonous to dogs. Get to know which plants those are, and if you have any, keep them out of your puppy’s reach. As a matter of fact, it’s a good idea to keep all houseplants away from your puppy until he can be trusted not to knock them over or dig in them.
- Put away anything that holds sentimental value. If it’s breakable or chewable, there’s a good chance your puppy would love to get at it!
- Put away all household chemicals like cleaners and antifreeze. Puppies love to explore and get into things, and the chemicals found in most homes can be dangerous and even deadly to puppies.
- If you have an outdoor kennel, check the path of the sun. If the kennel receives full sunlight exposure at any point, make sure your puppy has shelter available to hide in.
- If you plan on letting your dog go out in your yard, ensure that he can’t get past your fence.
- Whether you plan on letting your dog outside on his own or not, it’s always important to put an ID on him. A collar is usually enough, but if you are worried about your puppy ever getting lost, you can have a microchip implanted under your dog’s skin so if he ever gets lost, you will have a better chance of finding him again.
Until next time,
Dr. Jon
* * *
Great thoughts from Dr. Jon and I’m happy to share them with you today. Did anything pop out at you? Sometimes, it’s the things we don’t think anything about that our dog gets into (like my books that Charlie Bear chewed on).
In the next few posts in the series we’ll talk about supplies, what keeps dogs healthy, and a final one that will be a surprise.
Charlie Bear sends his woofs & wiggles to you all.
And I say thanks for following our blog.
Hugs,
B.J.
Great tips, B.J.
I’m smiling because my daughter’s dog ate a whole in their mattress over the weekend. 🙂 He’s an older Weimereiner (spelling?)….maybe six years or so. Any ideas?
Julie,
Ahhhhh…..dogs can get into the darndest things. Weimeriner (not sure of that spelling either!) or not, most dogs that are bored or have had an upset in routine, will act out (much like children).
Charlie Bear throws his little tantrums when he’s overstimulated or overtired. Just like a kid. : ) Tell your daughter I commiserate.
Hugs,
B.J.
This is super, and I was laughing because it reminds me of much I wrote about toddlers in the house–get down on the floor and check out what they see…etc. Great info, well said. Thanks BJ & Charlie Bear.
Jean,
I’m constantly comparing this little rascal Charlie Bear to a toddler. He’s like one in SO MANY ways!
Thanks for the comment and have a great week.
Hugs,
B.J.
Skippy just lies around in his “fat” bed watching Bailey, my new two-year-old fire cracker half Cairn/half shepherd chew things. So far, Bailey’s chewed up a few toys (out they went in the garbage), a couple of hard dog bones, some paper, and he ate a cough drop the other day.
A week ago, we had company, and the one lady left her purse on the floor that had some prescription meds in it. You guessed it! When my hubby caught Bailey (just in time), he hadn’t quite chewed the cap off. There were 7 STRONG pills in the bottle. (The lady has cancer and takes pain meds.) If Bailey had eaten them, he’d be over the Rainbow Bridge.
You have to watch the rascals every minute. It’s amazing what they think is appetizing.
Marsha,
It is truly amazing what our little rascals get into. Cough drops? Medicine? They love paper wrappers, plastic pill bottles and all. Yup, we have to watch them like a hawk.
So glad Bailey and Skippy are healthy and safe. Charlie Bear too, though he did learn from big dog, Rex, how to shred paper (but luckily he spits it out).
Hugs,
B.J.
One request I would make of people who rehome their dogs, is to pass along warnings about quirks/bad habits to the new owners. One of our 2 current dogs is a small terrior mix that we took in from my nephew when he and his wife split up, and the dog was being left homeless. He totally failed to mention that she is a huge chewer, and we lost multiple belts, pairs of underwear, tee-shirts, etc until we became trained (note, WE were trained, not Roxie!) to keep chewable items way out of her reach. When we called him on it, he laughed! Maybe he thought we wouldn’t take his baby if he told us first, but it would have been nice to have at least a little forewarning!
Ellen,
That is so true! Honesty and forthrightness would be great from all people, especially when the well-being of a furry friend is on the line. I’m so happy you are keeping Roxie and that you have been trained! You hit the nail on the head with that one.
Thanks so much for sharing today, Ellen.
Have a great week.,
B.J.