puppy proofing for Yorkies

Before your new puppy comes home, talk a walk around the first thing you should do when puppy proofing your house is to go room to room on your hands and knees.

Look at the things in your home from your puppy's perspective.

Think about what is at that level that may be interesting to him. You may be surprised to find many things that are potentially dangerous that you never even thought of before. Just like young children, puppies are always exploring. Puppies do most of their investigating with their mouths -- "Look at this! What is it? Something to eat? Something to play with?" Murphy's Law says that a puppy will be most attracted to the things he should least have -- electrical cords, the fringe on your expensive oriental rug, your brand new running shoes, etc.

1. Electrical cords

Puppies can chew through cords and get electrocuted -- causing serious injury or even death.  Wrap cords up and store them away or lay down rubber or plastic runners (available at most home supply stores).

2. Small objects

Again, as with children, small objects are real choking hazards. Coins, needles, jewelry and small toys need to be kept out of your puppy's reach. Pennies, especially, are dangerous if swallowed because they are made of zinc and can cause zinc toxicity.

3. Stairs

Small puppies have a hard time navigating up and down stairs -- a fall could be very serious. Plus, stairs often lead to places where puppies don't belong, like the basement workshop or laundry room. Use baby gates high boards or considering installing a door.

4. Cabinets and cupboards

Young Yorkies can be as curious as toddlers puppies and will want to take a look inside your cabinets if they can. cabinets. Cleaning supplies and personal care products in cabinets contain harmful ingredients that can injure or kill your puppy. Store out of reach or get a plastic cabinet lock -- made for "real" toddlers!

5. Shoes and socks

Puppies love to chew on shoes and socks... .very annoying to you and potentially dangerous to the puppy. A swallowed shoelace or piece of leather could get wrapped around their intestines causing serious injury or death.  Make sure to store your shoes and socks out of reach of your puppy, and NEVER encourage them to chew on these items by giving them an old worn out pair of slippers... too confusing!

6. Bathrooms

Yorkie puppies just don't belong in the bathroom although they'd love to follow you in. Plus don't you deserve some privacy?  Bathroom garbage is very tempting to chew on.  Things like dental floss or fem-hy products could be very harmful to them. Kitchen garbage can be full of dangers too.
Puppies also are curious about toilets.  Believe it or not, small pups have been known to fall in an open toilet and drown.  Keep your bathroom door shut at all times.

7. Open windows

Again, puppies have fallen out of open windows, as they try to look around their new world. I was surprised how high my puppy could jump, or use furniture to make her way to an open (ground floor) window... but who wants a lost puppy? Be really careful with open windows when you are not directly supervising your Yorkie.

8. House plants

Most dogs are very attracted to plants and many household plants are toxic to animals and can cause death! For a complete list of plants known to be toxic to pets, click here. But for safety's sake keep ALL house plants away from your puppy's reach.

9. Papers, newspaper, tissue

Here's my Yorkie chewing up a $5 bill! Fortunately she didn't ingest any of this dirty paper...Although chewing up newspapers, toilet paper, tissues and all that tasty stuff is mostly just a harmless nuisance, occasionally paper can clog up your Yorkie's tiny intestines, resulting in great pain and potentially, an operation.

10. Pills and other medications

A friend of ours lost her miniature poodle when they were in a motel room, attending a dog show, and the poodle found a pill under the bed from the previous occupant. Before she could be stopped, it was down! She suffered a great deal, and eventually died!

The best way to puppy proof your house is to crate train your Morkie right away.  You are providing him with a safe place to go whenever he wants to as well as a place to be safely contained when you are not able to directly supervise him.  If you need more information about puppy proofing your home, talk to your veterinarian or click here.

Puppies love to chew on bathmats and throw rugs, toys and newspapers (or the mail) My pup even chewed up a $5 bill!

Don't want it destroyed? Don't leave it where the puppy can get it. And remember that anything swallowed that cannot pass through the pup's system will require expensive and dangerous surgery to remove.

Can't be moved? Try one of the special sprays on the market like Bitter Apple to keep cats and dogs away from woodwork, furniture and other big stuff that can't be moved. You can order it here online at Jake's Doghouse

Are there rooms your puppy should be restricted from entering until he's better trained and more reliable? Install a baby gate or keep the doors to those rooms closed.

Crafted of the highest quality materials, this charming tote bag features a large image of the Yorkie, accented by real leather trim and handles.

Sturdy metal rings and feet add fashion flair and durability while the zipper top and front pocket open to lined compartments that hold your belongings.

Complete with a Yorkie sculpted metal charm on the front zipper for a delightful tribute to your beloved pet or to give as a unique dog lover gift.



Faithful Friend Dog-Themed Tote Bag: Unique Dog Lover Gift

Chocolate, Coffee, Caffeine

- all these products contain something called methylxanthines which cause vomiting and diarrhea, panting, excessive thirst and urination, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures and even death.

Alcohol

- because it depresses the central nervous system, alcohol is dangerous for all dogs, especially really small ones.

Avocado

- leaves, fruit, seeds and even the bark of the tree all contain Persin which can cause serious vomiting and diarrhea in dogs.

Macadamia Nuts

- can cause real problems for dogs that eat them... .resulting in weakness, depression, vomiting, tremors and hyperthermia. Symptoms can take up to 12 hours to appear, and last from 12 to 48 hours more.

Grapes & Raisins

-can cause kidney failure!

Onions, Garlic, Chives

can cause gastro-intestinal irritation and could lead to red blood cell damage. The smaller the dog, the more careful you need to be about common additives like these.

Milk

is very hard for dogs to digest since they don't have much lactase (the enzyme that breaks down lactose in milk). Results? A nasty case of diarrhea.

Too much salt

will not only make your Yorkie thirsty, but could lead to sodium ion poisoning.

Little Yorkies can get lost in all the holiday shuffle, so it's doubly important to ensure you home is Yorkie-safe.

Some of the more dangerous things around the home --

tinsel can be deadly because it can get twisted around in the intestines, requiring surgery. Although your Yorkie may pass it out, is it worth the risk?
the water around your tree may be full of chemicals to keep the tree fresh - good for the tree, bad for the Yorkie!
batteries be really deadly, especially watch batteries. They can cause a potentially fatal ulceration in the stomach within 12 hours. All other alkaline batteries are toxic to dogs as well. If you suspect your Yorkie has swallowed a battery of any type, call your vet immediately.
glass ornaments.... yes, your Yorkie might chew up an ornament and then you've got trouble. Check out this remedy from Linda McKellar, called the cotton ball treatment
electrical cords everywhere can tangle anyone up, let alone a tiny dog. Yorkies will sometimes chew on electric cords, and the results can be a bad burn, shock or even cardiac arrest. Stow the cords out of the way, tape them up on the wall behind the tree with electrical tape or "paint" them with a nasty flavour to discourage your dog from chewing... Bitter Apple (sold in pet stores), pepper spray, and vinegar all work well.
live mistletoe, poinsettias and holly are all deadly plants for dogs and cats. Don't risk it - give them to a grateful neighbour instead.
ice melter is another danger because exposure to salts and salt-based ice melting products, a common occurrence in winter, can cause dogs severe dermatitis, inflammation of the paws and serious gastrointestinal problems including vomiting and internal burns of the mouth and digestive tract. Instead, look for Safe Paw in natural pet food stores or
turkey is certainly not deadly -- unless your dog gets into the bones -- but the meat, skin and gravy are all very fatty and that can trigger a pancreatic attack in your Yorkie, espeically a smaller dog.

Yorkies can be really, really fast and will run out the front door, even onto the road before you know it. The results can be devastating:

* the puppy is lost or snatched
* car accident
* another (large) dog comes onto your property to investigate

Be sure children are taught not to hold the door open or the pup will escape.

Add the words "Sit" and "Stay" to your early home training and require the pup to be in position before opening the door - in the meantime, pick him up before you open the door