This page was originally created around Christmas of 2005!
That's why the first safety tip is this:
Puppies love tinsel. They like to play with it, bat it around, and eat it.
But, if they eat it, the tinsel can wind around their intestines and cause major problems, and even, in some cases, death!
So, save yourself the agony, frustration, and cost (which is the least concern) and place your tinsel on your Christmas tree, higher up on the upper branches and away from the lower branches where your dog can eat it.
Safety Tip #2: If your car leaks anti-freeze, throw some cat litter on it, and when it is all absorbed, sweep it up off your driveway and get it out of there!
The sweet smell attracts your dog, who when he or she licks it up, gets poisoned.
On the bright side, an anti-freeze is being developed that does not smell as sweet. But, until that is fully out, and we will let you know as soon as we know, keep your dogs away from it and get it sopped up with kitty litter, clean it up, and get it out of there!
Safety Tip #3: Cold weather hits hard, especially up north where we live. We know you think God developed the perfect coat for your outdoor dog, but trust us, too many dogs freeze to death when the weather gets at or below zero.
A good rule of thumb is this, if you are standing out there for three minutes and your nose is cold, get your dog inside! (You can let them out to take care of their business, but find someplace warm for them INSIDE during that time!
(A little sidehint here: We know that you laugh at the owners that put coats on their dogs, and we agree that it looks, and probably is, ridiculous on the heavier coated dogs. But, if you have a short haired dog, in the winter time, when you let them out to do their business, it may look silly, but it keeps the short haired dogs warmer! So, use the sweaters if you have a short haired dog.)
Safety Tip #4: If in the winter time, you use salt to clear up ice around your walks, etc., after you let your dogs out, once they are back in, take a washcloth to the pads of their feet to get the salt off. If salt erodes ice, think what it does to the pads of your dog's feet!
Safety Tip #5: Put a skirt around your Christmas tree, so your dog cannot get to the water. The water is poisonous to them, and if dogs will drink out of a toilet bowl, (which won't harm them, generally, it just looks gross) they will drink out of your pine tree! So, cover it up so they cannot get to it.
Safety Tip #6: In general, not just at Christmas time, if you have extension cords exposed, put a rug over them. If your dog chews on it, they could get electrocuted, or worse, start a fire, and you might lose everything, including your favorite dog!
Safety Tip #7: Many people think that because dogs can be poisoned by chocolate that the dog will stay away from it. This is WRONG! Therefore, any time that you have chocolate,keep it out of the reach of the dog! (Even if it's packaged in a Christmas present!) Dog's sense of smell is about ten thousand times more sensitive than our sense of smell, and they will sniff it out, and just like anti-freeze smells sweet, so does chocolate! So keep it away from them! (For their own good!)
Safety Tip #8: Many people know to write their personal doctor's number down and put it on plain view on the refrigerator. So, why wouldn't you do the same for your dog! Put your vet's phone number on the fridge in case of an emergency!
