Bringing a pet home is akin to opening up a whole new kind of love in your heart – but not without its fair share of responsibilities. Think of taking care of your pet like watching out for your toddler, it’s not easy but it is worth it!
If you’re looking for an outdoor safety guideline for your pet, we have you covered. Read on to discover basic tips on outdoor pet safety.
Supervise Your Dog
There are no prizes for guessing that this is the foremost way to ensure your dog’s safety. Supervising your dog, especially in busy outdoor spaces, must be your priority. While it can be tempting to let your dog free for a run around the block, know that your dog cannot identify common threats such as a truck heading his way or poisonous plants in the neighbourhood garden. If your dog is tough to curtail by hand invest in a sturdy leash that ensures he’s under your control.
Vaccinate Your Dog
Subscribing to and following a thorough vaccination routine keeps your dog at bay from common illnesses. If you tend to leave your dog at community kennels during your travel or find your dog in the company of other pets in the local park, you must make sure his vaccinations are on point. Dogs that aren’t vaccinated are at risk of catching ailments such as kennel cough and influenza. What’s more, vaccinating your dog also ensures he has access to quality pet day cares and play areas that mandate the vaccination of their four-legged visitors.
Invest In A Dog Kennel
Let’s face it:
Much like humans, dogs require plenty of outdoor time in the sun to stay happy, healthy and active.
A dog kennel is a great way to ensure your dog packs in all the activity outdoors while at the same time having a safe abode at his disposal. A dog kennel is his little home within your home. It’s here that your dog can feel a sense of independence and safety.
Consider some important factors when choosing a dog kennel such as your dog’s temperament. Active and energetic dogs could do well with a multi-layered kennel. If you have a big-built dog, investing in an xl dog kennel is wise so it lasts him all through his adult life. Also, ensure the kennel offers plenty of ventilation and fresh air for your four-legged friend.
Consider Microchips
The last thing you want to think about is losing your dog. Yet, it is an emergency that you just prepare for. Here are a few ways you can safeguard your dog if he strays.
First up, always ensure your dog wears a collar and an ID card with her/his name and your coordinates so any good Samaritan can reach you when they find your pet. More importantly, invest in a microchip that can track your dog’s location through the microchip service. Always ensure you update your information such as the latest address, new phone number etc with the microchip company so they can effectively get in touch with you on their first attempt.
Spend Quality Time With Your Dog
As strange as it sounds, giving your dog one-on-one quality time is keeping to ensuring their safety. Heard about filling your pet’s emotional cup? That’s what we’re talking about. Spending quality time with your dog improves and strengthens the connection he has with you. It gives him the feeling of security and safety with you. This in turn enables and encourages your dog to look for you when he senses some risk coming his way. Remember, dogs have a very sharp sense of risk. Any threat will steer your pooch towards where you are, automatically ensuring his safety.
Beware of Poisonous Chemical, Toxins & Plants
The outside world is laden with things that can be harmful to your dog’s safety. From unattended and open fuel cans to poisonous plants, there is no dearth of things that can pose a risk to your four-legged friend. What can you do in such a situation? Try your best to keep your environment pet-friendly and safe.
Get down to your dog’s eye level to see potential hazards such as poisonous plants. Look up the most common poisonous plants and ways to identify them. The most common ones include lilies, daffodils, tulips and hydrangeas. Eliminate these plants from your landscaping plan. Watch out for any suspicious burrows or holes in your garden that spring up suddenly. These could most likely be home to poisonous snakes, insects or rodents that can be fatal to your dog. One threat most often missed is compost bins – this seems quite harmless to us but is loaded with old food and rotten fruits/vegetables that could leave your dog in terrible shape.
Adorn our outdoor area with bright LED lights so you and your dog can spot any hazards promptly. Look up a good LED lighting guide online for inspiration.
Keep your garage door closed at all times lest your dog steers in to find plenty of toxic and harmful liquids. Always ensure you supervise your dog when he enters the garage.
Wrap Up
We hope the above ideas help in planning your dog’s environment and ensuring his safety is on point.
