Chinut Chihuahuas

Puppy Proofing

Bringing home a new puppy is a lot like bringing home a new baby. The big difference is that your new puppy can get into things right away! It's important to "puppy proof" your house before you bring that precious bundle of joy home. This page will give you ideas for all puppies and special ideas for smaller breed dogs. Okay, let's get started!

From the ground up....

One of the best ways to see what your puppy could get into is to look at your home from a puppy's point of view. Get down on the floor. Look around. What do you see?

Electrical cords and extension cords: Puppies LOVE to chew cords. The best prevention is to remove the temptation. Can you put the cords behind a large piece of furniture? Don't think running a cord under or behind the couch or oversized chair will work. Puppies, especially small ones, can get under the furniture.
Electrical Outlets: Buy some plastic plug covers and "plug" them in. Puppies have been known to lick outlets (Why? Who knows.) or accidentally run the end of a toy they are playing with across the outlets.
Potted Plants: Some puppies will chew on stems and leaves, some will dig in the dirt, and some will chew a plastic pot. Many indoor plants are poisonous, also. Get rid of any that are and keep the others out of the pup's area.
Wooden furniture legs: Oh, a wonderful teething toy! Protect your furniture with old towels wrapped around the legs, secured with masking tape.
Small spaces behind/under furniture: Puppies like to investigate - everywhere! A puppy may succeed in crawling under the couch and then get stuck! Some couches have detachable feet, so you can remove the feet while your puppy grows. Another solution is to roll up towels or blankets and stuff them into the spaces under the furniture. Platform beds often have some space between the wall and the platform. I used two bricks to block this space on my pier headboard waterbed. Believe me; it's near impossible to get an animal out of this space! (In our case, a kitten.)
Spring door stoppers: You know that kind that is attached to the wall? Some dogs find this an irresistible play toy. The rubber caps are a choking hazard. Removing the caps will prevent this, but then your door may be scratched by the metal spring. The whole doorstop can be unscrewed from its wall plate.
Throw rugs or room rugs with fringe: Fringe is another puppy favorite. A pup can start chewing on the fringe, swallowing it as he pulls. Some pups have had to have surgery to remove balls of fringe from their tummies. Put up the rug for the time being.
Sharp corners: Either on furniture or architectural details like a raised brick fireplace hearth. Chihuahua eyes are close to the ground and if your puppy accidentally runs into a corner, eye damage could occur. There's also that soft fontanel to think of. Puppies (and Chihuahuas in general) need to be protected against hitting their heads on the edges or bottom of furniture.
Furniture: Chihuahuas are great lovers of soft couches and chairs! Of course, they want to be with their favorite human as much as possible, too. Make sure to provide a way for your puppy to get on and off furniture. Pillows laid next to the couch or laid at an angle against the couch help to provide a step up for your pup and offer a soft landing if he doesn't quite make it at first.
Also, be extremely careful of recliners or rocking chairs. A stretched out recliner creates a den-like space underneath that many dogs love to explore. Sitting up and folding in the foot of the recliner can trap a pup or even worse, pinch the dog. I make it a habit to say, "Mommy's getting up." My dogs know this means Mom is moving and they best get out of the way.

Cabinets, Doors, Waste cans and Laundry, Oh My!

Cabinets: Believe it or not, you should puppy-proof your cabinets just as you would for a baby. Some dogs have an uncanny ability learning to open cabinet doors with their nose. Put child locks on any cabinets that may have cleaning supplies, pesticides, medicines or even cooking ingredients like chocolate OR relocate these items to higher cabinets that are out of reach of your dog.
Doors: When opening and closing doors and sliding doors, do so slowly. Chihuahua puppies can dash around at the speed of light (or so it seems!) and zip in between a doorframe in just seconds. Always watch the door as you are closing it. Be careful also of the hinge side of the door. Toy dogs think they can get through pretty tiny spaces. Be sure to check this area before closing the door to make sure your pup doesn't have his nose or legs in this area.
Sliding doors: Some pups don't understand that there is glass in front of them. After all, they can see out, can't they? They may even see the reflection of a cute playmate on the other side. You can put some black electrical tape on the glass at puppy eye level until he becomes accustomed to the door.
Wastebaskets: Oh, what smells beckon from the waste can! Tissues are fun to tear into shreds and even eat. Cardboard and plastic seem good chewing toys. Needless to say, danger lurks in the trashcan, plus it's no fun to clean up strewn garbage all the time. Since Chihuahuas are small, a trashcan with a tight-fitting lid is usually all that's required. Or, raise the trash can off the floor a bit. Bathroom waste cans work well sitting on the back of the commode.
Laundry hamper: You don't use one, you put your laundry in a pile? Yup, I used to be like that. Puppies look so cute digging around the pile and popping up with underwear on their head, too. Then suddenly you find all your cotton underwear now looks like lace, your socks are toeless and your sexiest pair of panties is lying dirty in the front hall in front of the company! Your best solution is to get a tall hamper and keep the door shut to wherever you keep the dirty clothes. I have the added problem of my Lhasa, Noel, being able to jump up into hampers. One day I found her in the hamper, gleefully tossing clothes out and the Chihuahuas running away with them! I found a mesh laundry bag that hangs on the door. We put all our underwear, socks and pajamas in this basket. They leave most of the other dirty clothes alone.
One more note about laundry: When scooping up a pile of clothes to go into the wash, double check that there is no puppy inside! Nani likes to sneak in and sleep in the laundry basket I have in the laundry room. When folding clothes, it is very likely that you will come upon a hidden Chihuahua. They love to burrow in the laundry!
Pantyhose: These are a favorite item for dogs and cats to chew. I saw an Emergency Vet episode once in which a pup had started chewing on a pair of pantyhose and swallowing them. Since the panty hose "run" and don't actually break apart, this little pup had panty hose coming out his backside and from his mouth when the owner found him. He had to have emergency surgery. Don't take chances, be forewarned. Keep these away from your dog!

Feet -

Feet? Yes. It's actually very easy to step on a small puppy or dog. Different ideas to consider: Shuffle your feet instead of taking large steps. Wear socks or go barefoot around the house instead of wearing shoes so that you can feel puppy fur easier. Look at the floor when walking, but be careful so you don't injure yourself running into things.

The Jungle Outside -

Trees and Shrubs: Check for dead tree branches that might fall, broken branches near eye level of your pup, berries, mushrooms, acorns, etc. that your pup might try snacking on, small rocks and pebbles that could be swallowed or plastic children's toys that your pup might chew on. Remove all dangerous objects.
Pool: If you are lucky enough to have a pool, please remember that although your dog may be able to swim, a small Chihuahua might not be able to get out, or tire before reaching the steps. The dog may even think that he can walk on a pool cover if it is covered. If possible, make the pool inaccessible to your dog or maintain constant surveillance when your dog is outside.
Fence: Check your fence and fill all holes and gaps BEFORE your Chihuahua discovers them. Some Chihuahuas are great escape artists and can get through holes that you wouldn't believe a dog, even a small one, could fit through. Chihuahuas are good burrowers also, so make sure there is no gap underneath the fence. I added what's called a "rot board" around my fence. It is a treated 2x6, nailed around the bottom perimeter of the fence. This eliminates any gaps between the bottom of the fence and the ground. Since it touches the ground, it is prone to rot sooner than other wood, thus the name.
Gates: Make sure that gates can be securely fastened. A loose latch can come undone with a dog pushing determinedly against the gate.
Outdoor trash cans: Make sure it has a tight-fitting lid. Don't leave trash bags sitting outside. Dogs will chew into the plastic and could choke in the process.
Garages: I'll include this with the outdoors. Antifreeze is especially delicious to dogs and extremely poisonous. Even lapping up a small amount from a dripping car could be fatal. Garages often store fertilizer, pesticides, oils, etc. Relocate these items to a shelf. Of course, the garage door itself, especially if automated, is a dangerous combination with dogs and kids.

Whew! You didn't know there was that much to think about when getting such a small puppy! It's better to be safe than sorry. This list is by no means complete, but I wanted to give you some ideas to think about. You'll probably come up with some on your own. Good luck with your precious package!

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