Just in Time for National Dog Day! How To Do a Dog Home Safety Check

Hooray for dogs! They are our best friends, our protectors, our alarm clocks…and sometimes the source of destruction for our favorite shoes. But perhaps most importantly, they make coming home a little less lonely. Whether you’ve just recently brought a new pup home, have just moved homes or even have had a dog in your same home for awhile, consider doing a home check to make sure your home is safe for your furry companions.

Next week isNational Dog Day! How safe is your home for your furry friend? Get down on the same level as your animals to travel through your rooms to find potential hazards. Even if you crate train your dogs, they are curious and could get into things while you are busy with something in the house when they’re not in their crate. Examine these spots in your home to see if you might need to implement some pup safety.

Locate and try the doors on cabinets, containers and other doors and drawers that might need special latches to keep them away from any hazardous materials like house cleaning liquids and more.

Make sure they don’t have access to any too-small spots behind furniture or other objects they might get stuck in (and that you might not be able to get them out of).

Make sure wires from electronics aren’t dangling in an enticing way.

→In Honor of National Dog Day: 10 Ways Having a Dog Makes Your Home Better

Make sure they can’t get to any food (and maybe reconsider any snacks you normally leave out)

Check under and behind furniture for any dropped items that might pose a choking or chewing risk.

Make sure there aren’t any screen doors or loose windows they can get out of. Use safety gates to keep them out of areas you don’t want them in.

Make sure the plants you have in your home won’t harm them if they happen to take a nibble.

→14 Things Your Dog Can and WILL Ruin (& How You Can Fix Them)

Make sure dangerous craft supplies are out of reach.

Make sure lotions, potions, medicines and more are out of reach in the bathroom.

Make sure they can’t get to your shoes and clothes, where they can damage your favorite outfits but also choke on things like shoelaces, zippers and buttons.

If you’re looking for an even more comprehensive list of ways you can pet proof your home, theAmerican Humane Societyhas you covered.

What would you add?