All dogs – especially when they’re puppies – have a lot of energy which can get them into some dangerous situations sometimes! Try to think of your puppy as a human toddler – very inquisitive and full of energy.

Potential Hazards Outdoors

• When your dog is a puppy it should never be left outside unsupervised. Always make sure that you have a securely fenced off area for your dog to go in – you never know when a dog could get the urge to roam.
• If you have even a small pond it should be fenced off before the dog or puppy is allowed outside.
• Small, sharp objects can be a major danger to dogs as they tend to try and eat most things! Before you let your dog out for the first time you should check around the garden for anything that might be harmful.

Potential Indoor Hazards

• Like you would for small children, keep all medicines out of reach and secure.
• Be careful when your dog goes under the table when you’re eating. Apart from it being a nuisance, it’s very easy to forget the dog is there and lean back on the chair, only to come back down right on the dog.
• Make sure all small objects are kept well away from the dog at all times.
• Make sure the house is secure when you can’t see the dog. That means windows, doors and even cat flaps.
• Don’t feed your dog any human food unless you are absolutely sure it is safe for the dog to do so.
• If you have to leave your dog unsupervised for any length of time make sure it is in a secure place.
• Stairs can be dangerous, so make sure they are properly closed off with a gate. Especially when your pet is still a puppy.

These are just some of the potential hazards in the average home, but if you really want to make a secure and safe environment for your dog you need to regularly check for any new dangers.

I’ve heard blueberries are poisonous to dogs, is this true? What other foods shouldn’t a dog eat?

Chris

This is a surprisingly common question, as many different foods can be dangerous for dogs even if we don’t expect them to be. Things like chocolate and tea for example can be extremely poisonous for a dog to eat, even in small amounts, so you should always be careful.

But are blueberries safe for dogs? The short answer is yes, in moderation. A few blueberries eaten on a walk isn’t going to harm your dog, but if he eats too many you might find he gets diarrhoea. Like most things, blueberries are good in moderation but should not form a large part of your dogs diet.

So in short, as a treat blueberries are safe for dogs. Just don’t give them too many.

There are other foods that aren’t safe for your dog, and you should be careful not to leave these lying around the house.

Some of the more dangerous foods for dog include:

• Alcohol
• Onions and Garlic
• Chocolate
• Salt in large quantities

To provide your dog with the best possible diet you should try to make sure it has a balanced diet. This can include treats, but on the whole should be made up of a high quality dog food. Cheaper dog foods usually contain much more filler than meat and hence aren’t that great for your dogs health.

There’s been quite an uproar about dog food recently actually, with one site claiming that most store bought dog food is actually damaging to dogs health. I like to make home-made dog food whenever possible, and you can find out more about how to do this at here.