Household Items That Are Dangerous to Dogs (Part 2)

1 Household Items That Are Dangerous to Dogs (Part 2)

Five common household items that are dangerous to dogs:

1. Cockroach poison

Everyone knows cockroaches, seeing them is disgusting and nauseating.

Besides spray insecticides, there are baits the roach eats and then dies from.

Dog-owning homes can’t really spray insecticide, the smell irritates the dog’s nose, so the common options are boric-acid bait and gel bait, enclosed containers that emit a scent to attract roaches.

That same scent also attracts dogs; although the boric acid content is low, eating it is still risky. So place the bait where dogs can’t go and keep the door closed.

2. Strings and cords

Dogs love to play by themselves and like to burrow into curtains and piles of wires.

Watch loose ropes and cords on the floor; small dogs can get tangled. Some get wrapped around the body, others around a paw or foot, and in panic may injure themselves, from mild muscle strains to serious strangulation.

Snack-loving owners: if you tie half-eaten snacks with rubber bands, keep them out of sight, dogs smell the snack and may sneak it, getting the band stuck on their mouth, causing injury or suffocation.

3. Sharp or inedible objects

Some dogs have pica, always wanting to eat strange things.

A dog with pica chews and eats random things, which harms its growth; it will try anything and easily swallow sharp, hard objects that injure its body.

When you see pica behavior, correct it, coat the object with something irritating, or squirt water at it, so the dog learns it’s not allowed; repeated several times trains it. Keep the home clean to avoid triggers like dirt and feces.

Pick up scattered metal, pins, batteries, toys, fabric, socks so the dog doesn’t swallow them unnoticed. You can also give trace-element supplements to manage pica; if symptoms are obvious, take the dog to the vet.

4. Falling from heights

Dogs wander freely at home and, when bored, jump and run around.

Normally they rest in their bed or on the sofa, but thunder, lightning, or firecrackers easily scare them; frightened, they hide or flee.

5. Stubborn owners

Many owners are stubborn about furniture and decor; when the dog is alone it raids the trash, dragging garbage everywhere and ruining plants, coming home to a mess.

These are avoidable; dogs are dogs, curious by nature.

If you insist on placing things there, the dog doesn’t understand and will explore them.

Smart owners use lidded trash cans, put fragile plants high, bundle and hide loose cords. For important items or appliances, set up a barrier or simply close the door.

If owners change their mindset, living with dogs becomes happier and more harmonious!