Making your home dog friendly

I remember when I was having kids and had to consider "kid proofing" my home.  I was raised in a home where we learned not to touch things, everything was not put away until we grew up.  I've had a few kids at my house that have come from a home where nothing but toys or indestructible items are around and they pretty much were a one kid demolition crew.  They never learned not to touch.  Of course anything dangerous should be put out of reach but they must learn not to touch, just like our dogs need to learn what they can and cannot touch. 

Anything that could possible be dangerous should most definitely be put away.  Supervision plays a huge part in teaching the "don't touch" way of life.  If you leave a dog free in your house and don't supervise them in the beginning then pretty much everything is fair game and nothing will be learned.  That is except that all your stuff will most likely be destroyed when you have this unsupervised type of lifestyle.  And if you have this type of lifestyle then you and your pooch are not going to be really welcome in other homes. 

It is frankly unfair not to teach your dog basic manners with regards to living within a home.  "No, we do not eat the furniture," "we don't pull the Christmas tree down, or destroy the decorations."  "We don't jump on the kitchen counter and help ourselves to whatever is available," or "we do not grab and shred dish towels that are hanging ever so temptingly on the stove."  Simple things like this can make or break a beautiful relationship.  With a little guidance you can walk your pup through the rules and regulations of your home without having to clear it all away. 

One of the most dangerous items in a home are all the wires.  Within seconds a puppy or dog can chew through the protective coating and be electricuted.  So even with supervision, you want all electrical wires taped up and out of eyesight.  Items that might be hanging off of a counter or table top can be very dangerous as well.  A dishtowel with a jar of jam sitting on it, an iron sitting on an ironing board with the cord hanging off or even a table cloth can be a tempting toy.  So be very aware of anything hanging. 

Take a slow and arduous walk around your home looking for anything that could tip over, fall off or roll.  Any of these type things that might injure your dog.  Make a switch to more green cleaning products.  Check carpets for any stray frayed strands.  They can be enticing and one bad strand can quickly become a half of a your carpet destroyed.  One thing that I do suggest removing or raising with a very young puppy is house plants.  Even the ones that are not poisonous are often just too much temptation.  You can bring them out once you get the general rules set in place.

Above all; supervision is the best kept secret to raising a mannerly pooch.  That is supervision and feedback; with daily guidance rules, routine and living arrangements are quickly understood.  And they all lived happily ever after will be in the books for you and your family.