Big Dogs: Dog Proofing Your Home

If you have a large dog you’ll know that along with all the benefits of big dogs, they have quite a few drawbacks. This shouldn’t put you off getting a big dog, but just make sure you’re ready to take on more responsibilities. If you have a big dog you need to train them properly and make sure you can handle them. Even then their strength and power means they can destroy corners of our homes without even meaning too. To protect your large dog, and yourself, you’ll need to properly dog-proof your home and garden.

Possessions and Electricals

All personal items that are precious to you, or could harm your dog, need to be kept out of reach. This includes medicines and electrical items. Serious harm could come to your dog if it discovers and chew medicine or wires so keep them protected. Think of your big dog as a very little baby! Invest in some baby gates to section off certain areas to your big dog. Bedrooms, for instance, are a place for you to sleep, hang your clothes, possibly even jewelry, it’s probably a good idea to section it off. You can also buy covers for electrical plugs which are designed to keep children safe, but could keep your large dog safe too. Put safety locks on all of your kitchen cabinets that are within reach.

Trash cans

Make sure your trash can is big-dog-proof. The side effects of a root about the bins can be mildly irritating to completely devastating. Big dogs can make a huge mess or even make themselves ill, a trip to the vet might even be necessary and expect a huge bill. Keep your dog (and bank account!) safe by getting a trash can your dog can’t access.

Crates

Crates are a good way to keep dogs contained for training purposes or when you’re making a short trip out and don’t want to leave them unattended. Buy an escape proof crate like this one https://www.bestdogcrateguide.com/escape-proof-dog-crate/ if you want to avoid any unwelcome surprises when you return.

Garden

If you have a big dog who’s allowed access to the garden, let’s be honest, it’s never going to be in pristine condition. There are however some tips and tricks that you can implement to make your garden work for both you and your dog. First things first, ensure that you have a fence which is high enough to stop your dog from jumping over. It also needs to be flush so that no dog can squeeze through and escape. If you’re big dog likes to dig, the likelihood is your garden will be all turfed up. Create a space in the garden where it’s okay to dig. This could be a sandpit or a specific area you decide on. Train your large dog to realize that digging here is okay, elsewhere not so much! If you want to grow flowers try a greenhouse type structure. Fencing works for smaller dogs but larger ones will simply crash through it. If you are using toxins on your garden, like weed killer, make sure they’re pet friendly before letting your big dogs run loose.