1. Lock up your food.
3. Install locks on cabinets.
Wherever you store your puppy's food, it probably won't take him very long to figure out where the stuff is. If you're like most people, it's probably somewhere in the kitchen, in a cupboard. Not only do you NOT want your pup to raid his own food, but it could also be hazardous for him to get into anything else in your kitchen cabinets, be it your own food, or cleaning products and other household chemicals. Consider installing baby locks on the cabinets as an extra deterrent to keep your hungry/curious dog from pawing his way into the nooks and crannies where he's not supposed to go.
MORE: 15 Dogs and Their Kitten BFFs
Image via Thinkstock
4. Keep your purse out of your dog's reach. There's probably poison in there.
Depending on your habits, the bag you carry could have a few key items in it or half your belongings. The more you carry in your purse, the greater the chances your puppy could find something dangerous in there if he goes snooping. The whole point of having a purse is the utility of it, which means it is often out and easily accessible, and not just to you. Get in the habit of keeping it where your puppy can't get to. You wouldn't want him eating your makeup, loose change or other small items that could at the very least lead to choking or digestive blockage. Of particular concern is sugarless gum. If yours has xylitol in it, it is deadly to your dog.
Image via Thinkstock
5. Put the toilet lid down.
Some studies have shown that toilet water can actually have less bacteria present than other surfaces in the bathroom. "If that's true, then shouldn't my dog be safe drinking from the toilet?" Not so fast, cowboy. Yes, it's possible to keep your toilet fairly clean, but it takes more than flushing. You need to go to work with some pretty harsh chemicals to get that bowl sparkling. So take your pick: Do you want your toilet-water-guzzling dog to be drinking loads of bacteria or loads of harsh chemicals? If you said "neither," keep the lid down on your toilet and make sure your pup has fresh, clean water in his bowl at all times so he doesn't go looking for alternative sources.
Image via Thinkstock
6. Keep a lid on your trash can or store it away.
Dog can be surprisingly (even disgustingly) indiscriminate about what they choose to ingest and puppies are even worse. Since they'll eat just about anything that fits in their faces, who can blame them for being lured into your garbage can by the heavenly smell of chicken or pork scraps? Not to mention the fruit and vegetables, coffee grounds, paper, plastic and yummy sharp things. Don't let Fido go digging. Keep a lid on things, literally, or better yet, keep your trash can in a closet, cupboard or one of those handy pull-out trash-can drawers. Also train your puppy to know that trash cans are off-limits.
MORE: 13 Dogs Playing With Toys
Image via Thinkstock
7. Forget about mouse/rat poison and pesticides.
One of the most dangerous poisons you may have at home is, well, straight-up poison — rodenticide, that is. Some critters make their way into your house uninvited and unwanted, and rat poison is how you get rid of them. We get that. But bear in mind that rat poisons are specifically formulated to be appetizing in order to get rats to eat them. The problem is that it's not just rats that think they're yummy treats; your hungry puppy will go after them too, if given the chance. If your dog accidentally eats some of this stuff, bring the package to the vet so he or she knows what kind of poison you're dealing with. But it's better to be safe than sorry, so get rid of the poison before disaster strikes. If you still have a rodent problem, find a more humane way of dealing with it — one that won't cause collateral damage to your pets.
Image via Thinkstock
8. Make the garage a dog-free zone. There's probably poison in there.
If you have a garage, you probably use it to store a lot of cleaning products and other chemicals, and we're not talking about vinegar and baking soda — we mean the heavy stuff. The garage is a popular place for that stuff because it's in your house but also not in your house. And that's fine, except when you have a dog — the garage can be the most dangerous place of all. Bleach, drain cleaner, motor oil and lots of electric cables: Whatever it is, it's probably dangerous, and your puppy probably wants to put her mouth on it. Antifreeze is infamously the most dangerous of all, since its sweet taste is so enticing, and it takes only a teaspoon of the stuff to destroy a dog's kidneys. Train your dog to know the garage is a no-no place, and put everything up high and/or lock it away where a curious pup can't get to it, just in case.
Image via Thinkstock
