Dog Ownership 101 - May/June 2016

YOUR 7-PART
CHECKLIST FOR BUYING
DOG ACCESSORIES
by
Alicia Breckenridge
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As a dog owner, you must spend a bit of time dog-proofing your home. There are also
many accessories to consider that can make life with your dog better for both of you.
As you begin to prepare your home for your
dog, puppy-proofing or dog-proofing will be a
major concern. However, you will need to buy
certain accessories for your dog such as dog
identification tags, chew toys, a crate or kennel and
a brush for your dog’s coat. The following is a run
down of the basics you will need for your dog.
DOG-PROOFING IS IMPORTANT
1 You can pretty much summarize puppyproofing
in just one basic rule: put
anything you don’t want the dog to chew on where
he or she can’t get to it. That’s common sense, and
you don’t have to be one of those that find out the
hard way. Don’t blame the dog if he thinks slippers,
shoes, toys, clothes, and snacks are laid out for him
to play with or eat. Your dog would have to have
a super amount of self control to resist temptation
when you’re not around. Your new puppy ruining
your child’s toys or clothing will prove to be a strong
motivator for that child to keep his or her room tidy
and the door shut.
KNOW WHAT MUST BE MOVED
2 Dogs seem to gravitate towards
underwear and socks, happily munching
holes through both. You also need to be aware
of your food storage, as dogs are awfully smart
when there is a tasty treat to be had. Dogs who are
adopted may have spent much of their lives going
20 DOG ownership 101 | MAY / JUNE 2016