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If you have a dog, you know the drill. You bring a sweet puppy home and the excitement lights up the whole house. They play and are adorable every second they are awake AND ooze cuteness when they sleep. Then it happens...the puppy chews something to shreds. Your first thought is, "Great- I have to clean this up!" but your second thought is, "I wonder if that was bad for him?"
In your house there are tons of things that seem harmless, but to a dog can be poisonous and even fatal. If you want to protect your new family member, take a look at Melanie Monteiro's new book "The Safe Dog Handbook: A Complete Guide to Protecting Your Pooch, Indoors and Out." It's one of the most comprehensive guides I've seen and offers tons of valuable information for dog owners. I recently got the opportunity to interview Ms. Monteiro about her book.
Here is Part 1 of the interview:
How did you decide to become an activist for dog safety?
It certainly wasn’t a premeditated choice! I’ve had dogs my whole life, and they all managed to stay out of trouble with minimal effort on my part. Beyond locking up the rat poison and keeping chocolate out of reach, I never had much reason to think about preventative safety tactics. But then along came Taiga—the craziest, most curious and accident-prone yellow Lab puppy (yes, even compared to “Marley”). Despite my fervent puppy-proofing attempts, she managed to rack up a long list of offenses—including eating a plastic razor, swallowing loose change, gashing herself on a sprinkler head, and chewing an azalea plant in our garden (of course, back then I had no idea azaleas were toxic). We became a fixture at our local animal ER. In my efforts to protect her, I got really immersed in this mindset of safety. I was researching toxins, common physical hazards and guerilla puppy-proofing tactics. I got trained in pet first aid. I assembled a fully stocked pet first aid kit. Over time, I was transformed into what my husband lovingly refers to as a “dog safety geek.” When I learned that thousands of pet dogs are hurt or killed each year by preventable accidents, this seemed like the perfect career transition for me after way too many years in advertising. Besides all that, I just absolutely love dogs!
Tell us something about animal first aid training.
I think it’s something every pet owner should learn—and with the variety of opportunities available today, there’s no excuse not to! In addition to many Red Cross chapters offering pet first aid workshops, there’s also Pet Tech, ECSI (Emergency Care & Safety Institute) and ASHI (American Safety & Health Institute). There are DVDs that show you the skills, plus online courses such as the one offered from Petco. I provide a list of where you can find classes in the back of the book.
What spurred you to take on such a huge task like “The Safe Dog Handbook”?
When I first decided to learn more about dog safety, I went looking for an all-encompassing, single source of info – one that contained all the toxic substances for dogs, the most common hazards, and puppy-proofing tips for hard-to-solve issues, as well as a first aid guide that I could turn to whenever I needed it. I was surprised to discover that no such book existed! Don’t get me wrong – there was great info available from reputable sources like the ASPCA, the HSUS and the Red Cross. There was just no single book that met my demanding needs. That’s when I realized that a book like The Safe Dog Handbook could be a great resource for dog parents. I had already done so much research on my own to solve my safety dilemmas with Taiga, the book was halfway written by the time I pitched it to publishers.
One section in the book that caught my eye was “Hazards in Your Home.” What do you think are the most unknown hazards in the average household?
There are a lot of household items that are so common and seemingly benign, I think they become invisible to us when we think about our dog’s safety. For example, it’s easy to remember to lock away the ant spray and harsh cleansers, but hazardous items like medications, toxic foods, and enticing things like baby pacifiers and dirty socks get left out in plain view for our dogs to swallow (many dogs are attracted to items with a human scent on it).
How about in the average yard?
Snail and rodent baits, fertilizers and many common plants can be extremely dangerous to curious canines. It’s important to be diligent in researching the safety of such items before bringing them anywhere near your property. The good news is, there are pet-safe alternatives for almost any garden maintenance need, and you can learn all about them in The Safe Dog Handbook! Another important concern in the backyard is to maintain a safe and secure fence that not only contains the dog, but also protects him from becoming caught or injured.
We’ve had a lot of people send questions on aggressive dog behavior. Do you have any tips for them?
Nope! Aggression is a serious issue with different root causes, so giving any type of advice on that is best left to a certified trainer or behaviorist.
Now that summer is here, a lot of people, myself included, will be taking road trips to campgrounds. Of course, my dog is coming with. Any tips on what to bring? What to watch out for?
Make a checklist of the basics so you don’t forget anything important – your dog’s leash, dishes, food, bedding, toys, any prescription medications, poop bags, pet first aid kit, and water from home, if necessary. The rest should be determined by your destination. Find out the campground’s pet rules and decide whether you are willing and able to comply. Research the local dog hazards and prepare for potential mishaps. For example, will your dog need foot protection or a float coat? Will he need heartworm or flea/tick medication? Are there poisonous snakes, porcupines, foxtails, excessive heat, stinging insects? If so, plan ahead for any mishaps by bringing, i.e., antihistamine tablets for bee stings, tweezers for removing porkie quills, a tarp for shade, etc. The ranger station is usually a good source of information about potential hazards. It’s also a smart idea to locate the nearest vet at your destination in advance, and program the number into your phone. Finally, make your dog a travel ID tag with your cell phone number and the number of a friend or family member who won’t be with you, in case you get separated.
Almost all my friends have dogs—what checklist should I have when I am dog-sitting for a weekend?
You’ll need:
• The dog’s food and any necessary supplements/medications (with feeding and dosage instructions)
• The dog’s bed, leash and favorite toys
• Name and number of the dog’s veterinarian
• Dog’s microchip number and registering company
• Travel itinerary/contact numbers of the dog’s “parents”
• Find out the dog’s typical potty and exercise schedule, what games he likes to play, and what command words the dog is used to (i.e., “Here” or “Come?” “Heel” or “Lets go?”)
Stay tuned for Part 2 coming in a few days. For more information visit: www.thesafedoghandbook.com.
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