Having a dog of any age is a full time task. Just like a human baby, they are explorers, and use their noses and mouths to do the searching for new and exciting places and things. But as humans can take a couple of years to get to that stage, Schnauzers as young as 10 weeks can get into all types of trouble. Sometimes fur parents forget how much trouble they can get into, so here is where you will find ideas and checklists to make your home safe, and keep your pups happy. The biggest place that you should watch is the KITCHEN.
Why the Kitchen? Because of all the things we keep in there:
1) Cleaning chemicals - from over cleaning sprays containing lye, to dishwasher pods that contain ingredients that will either upset a dog's stomach or cause major chemical burns to their mouths, gums, esophagus, and digestive system. Floor cleaning products like PineSol, Fabuloso, and Mr Clean can be FATAL if ingested by a dog. Additionally, MOST all-purpose cleaning sprays have active ingredients like orange oils, de-greasers, ammonia, and bleach which will kill your family pet if it is ingested.
2) Sharp Objects - knives and other sharp objects can cause lots of damage when stored in the wrong place or allowed to rest out on counters where they can be easily knocked off or accessed by the pet.
3) Food - if the previous categories didn't raise an eyebrow, this one REALLY SHOULD. Of all the dangerous things in the household, FOOD can be the most dangerous. There are ingredients in the foods we eat which can be doubly fatal if your family pet ingests them. For example, an artificial sweetener called XYLITOL (found in a number of foods) will cause seizures and death to a dog within hours of ingesting less than an 1/8th of a teaspoon. This sweetener is found in many chewing gums, breath sprays, and breath fresheners, as well as ";lower sugar" peanut butter. . Dropping a piece of chewing gum and letting a dog pick it up will be a painful experience for the animal including seizures, organ failure and death. You can see the full list of dangerous foods in the FOOD forums.
4) Garbage - Yes, the trash can! I know that it is cute to watch all the dog videos with the trash can lid stuck over the dog's head, and trash scattered everywhere across the floor. BUT, that can be a definitely different situation iynouf disposed of chicken or pork bones and the dog made a meal out of them and might have sharp shards in their esophagus, stomach or intestines. Bones of ALL ANIMALS (beef, pork, chicken) become brittle after cooking and should NEVER be given to a pet. Additionally, there are food items that dogs should never eat including grapes, raisins, spoiled meats, onions, garlic, and other things that can put your family pet into the vet's office with an emergency.
BEST PRACTICES
- Child-proof the cabinet doors where chemicals and food are kept in the kitchen.
- Secure the pantry door, or make sure nothing is on the floor or bottom shelf that the dog can pull down and eat.
- Items like TV trays need to be cleaned off and dishes/glasses put in sink or dishwasher
- Garbage bins need to have locking lids
- Place trash can on top of counter while you are away. Keeps them from overturning it and getting into trouble
- Immediately pickup dropped food, pills, sweetener packets from floor