Dogs Are Danger
This past weekend my little darling ate my Macbook charger. There is no point in having a nice house if you have a pet that destroys things, not to mention it is expensive to replace things. To my fellow decorators and dog lovers out there I would like to share a couple tricks I have learned to deter my dog from destroying things.
Dog Eats Clothes àHampers with lids - After losing several hundred dollars worth of clothes I picked up a large wicker hamper (with a lid) at Wal-Mart for $25.
Dog Eats Trash àTrashcans with lids - I can't tell you how many times I have found trash scattered around my house because my dog retreated to the trash for a tasty snack.
Dog Eats Glasses/Earrings àNightstands with drawers - McKinley has eaten 3 pairs of glasses and she's only a year old. On my fourth pair I bought insurance and started being diligent about putting my glasses in the case, until she ate the case in the first week I had the glasses. Whether it be glasses, chargers, or earrings nightstand drawers can save your stuff. If you don’t want to buy a nightstand with a drawer get a wooden box with a latch for storage to place on your bedside table.
Urinary Incontinence àPuppy pads- living in an apartment means taking my dog out multiple times a day, before and after work, on my lunch, before bed. Dogs have accidents. Puppy pads will save your floors.
Destructive behavior when unattended àCrate training- My dog stays in her crate while I am away. It prevents her from having accidents and chewing on my things out of boredom. Shutting doors can keep dogs contained in a supervised area. I've learned my dog can be really sneaky and although I am home she will go into another room and misbehave.
Drinks from toilet àShut the lid, it's easy!
Dog Eats Trash àTrashcans with lids - I can't tell you how many times I have found trash scattered around my house because my dog retreated to the trash for a tasty snack.
Dog Eats Glasses/Earrings àNightstands with drawers - McKinley has eaten 3 pairs of glasses and she's only a year old. On my fourth pair I bought insurance and started being diligent about putting my glasses in the case, until she ate the case in the first week I had the glasses. Whether it be glasses, chargers, or earrings nightstand drawers can save your stuff. If you don’t want to buy a nightstand with a drawer get a wooden box with a latch for storage to place on your bedside table.
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| Remnants of my glasses |
Urinary Incontinence àPuppy pads- living in an apartment means taking my dog out multiple times a day, before and after work, on my lunch, before bed. Dogs have accidents. Puppy pads will save your floors.
Destructive behavior when unattended àCrate training- My dog stays in her crate while I am away. It prevents her from having accidents and chewing on my things out of boredom. Shutting doors can keep dogs contained in a supervised area. I've learned my dog can be really sneaky and although I am home she will go into another room and misbehave.
Drinks from toilet àShut the lid, it's easy!
The bottom line is you must train yourself to keep things picked up as much as train the dog not to steal. I still haven’t learned that lesson in full so my fixes seem to have helped but my dog keeps getting creative. Last week she ate a tea candle off my nightstand.
Photo courtesy of C. Scharton
This post doesn't really relate to me, since I happen to be allergic to dogs! :( I am considering getting a cat, so this will be helpful in the future.
ReplyDeleteFunny because this is all common sense but often times people don't think about the most sensible solutions, do you have any first aid suggestions for dogs that get into things that may be harmful to their health?
ReplyDeleteJessica, cats can be equally destructive! More so hair is a huge problem though...make sure to give them a daily brushing!
ReplyDeleteJoy, if your dog gets into something harmful, I would take them to the vet immediately. One time my dachshund started throwing up blood at 2 am, we took her to a clinic located on Fairlawn in the strip center next to the carwash. I have heard bad things about Stonehouse, which is a 24 hour clinic and I believe they are currently being sued for malpractice in treating a dog who suffered from bloat, or flipping of the stomach. For the best recommendation on where to take your pet I would talk to your vet before something happens and have a plan in place :)