In This Chapter
- Purchasing the gear and setting up house
- Preparing your home and yard to be accident free
- Introducing . . . your new veterinarian
You probably plan on celebrating
your Pom’s birthday in years to come, but did you know that dog owners
celebrate another day? It’s called Gotcha Day — the day your new dog
comes home, steals your heart, takes over, and says the doggy equivalent of “Gotcha!”
Just like any party, you have a
lot to do to get ready for your Pom’s first Gotcha Day! In this chapter, I tell
you everything you need to start out right.
Collecting Pom Paraphernalia
Sure, you can get by with some
food, a leash and collar, and maybe some wire for an enclosure. But where’s the
fun in that? You want to shop! And a new dog gives you the perfect excuse to
blister that charge card. Chapter Eating
Out of the Pom of Your Hand tells you about all the gear you need to
feed your Pom, but here I discuss all the other odds and ends that you need to
give her the comforts of home.
Housing and transporting
You can’t always hold your Pom in
your arms — tempting though that may be. And you can’t let her run amok when
you’re not watching her. You need a place to confine her, for her safety as
well as your home’s. Crates and exercise pens can save you hours of frustration,
lots of money, and sometimes, your sanity.
Crate
Not only does a crate prevent
little Poopsie from depositing little poopies all over your house, but it also
prevents her from gnawing through your chair legs while you think she’s
sleeping soundly at your feet. And a crate gives her a bed of her own, a safe
haven where she can go when she wants to put out the Do Not Disturb sign.
Crates come in three materials
(you can see examples of them in Figure 5-1):
- Wire: Wire crates are easy for you to collapse (especially the ones designated suitcase design). Be careful not to throw your sweater or other valuables on top of the wire crate when it’s occupied. An industrious dog can pull most materials through the grating — not a fashionable look when she’s finished with it.
- Plastic: Plastic crates were developed for airline travel. They’re very cozy but they don’t allow the visibility and ventilation of wire crates.
Figure 5-1: Crates come in
plastic, wire mesh, and cloth.
Tip
- Cloth: Cloth crates are only for dogs that have been cratetrained; unsupervised puppies have a habit of chewing and digging their way out — not good for them or you.
For housetraining purposes, your
goal is to buy a crate that’s just large enough for your puppy to turn around,
stand up, and lie down in. It’s not a playpen, and if it’s too big, she’ll be
tempted to use the far end as a bathroom. (See Chapter Saving
the Carpets: Housetraining for more information on
using the crate for housetraining.)
Remember
The crate is the puppy version of a toddler’s crib. Use it at his naptime and when you can’t watch him, but never as a punishment or a place to store him when you’re not interested in him. If you plan to use the crate as your babysitter when you’re at work all day, every day, you need to rethink getting a dog.
Exercise pen
If you can’t leave your puppy in
a crate while you’re at work, what can you do? Let him run loose? Only if you
happen to live in a kennel. Lock him in a bathroom, laundry room, or kitchen?
Not a good idea. He has plenty of ways to get into trouble in those areas.
Tip
The solution is an indoor yard or exercise pen (also called an X-pen; see Figure 5-2). This is a 4-x-4-foot pen that’s typically wire. They come in different heights, but a 2-foot-high pen is fine for your little goofball. In fact, a baby’s playpen works well as an indoor X-pen for small dogs. (If you have a baby that still uses it, this idea won’t work; you’ll be vacuuming it constantly!)
Warning!
You can take the X-pen outside if you want your puppy confined in the yard. In this case, a wire top for the pen (sold separately) is particularly handy. Pom puppies are so tiny that large mammals and birds consider them prey. A secure top may not dissuade a coyote, but it can stop an eagle from swooping down and carrying off your dog. Also be sure she has shade and remember to check on her often. Better yet, sit outside with her.
Carrier
One of the perks of having a Pom
is that you can carry her with you around town in a bag that looks almost like
a purse. These soft pet-carriers are available at prices that range from
affordable to extravagant (think designer variety carriers). Regardless of the budget,
look for one that’s well ventilated, sturdy, and easy to carry. Flip ahead to
the color section of this book to see what a carrier looks like.
Figure 5-2: An X-pen is a
good place to confine your Pom while you’re away.
Carriers come in handy other
times as well:
- On trips to the veterinarian
The carrier helps her feel more secure and makes your job far easier because you’re not trying to hold her on your lap or keep her from running up to the other patients.
- For your regular walks in case you ever need to swoop her up to safety
- Of course, for that stroll down Rodeo Drive
Car-safe restraints
Just as you don’t want any member
of your family riding in the car without a seatbelt, you need to make sure your
Pom doesn’t become an unguided missile in case of an accident. The safest place
for your dog to ride is in a sturdy fiberglass or wire travel
Dining ware
Your Pom needs two bowls: one for
food and one for water. Although he can use your bowls for his food and water,
most people prefer to have special bowls for their dogs. Some tips to remember:
- The best bowls are of stainless steel because they’re easy to clean and impossible to break.
- Ceramic has the advantage of being microwavable in case of leftovers, but it can crack.
- Plastic bowls are generally the worst choice. They scratch, and the tiny scratches are hard to clean. In addition, a few dogs have allergic reactions to them and develop a pinkish nose when they eat from plastic.
Walking supplies
One of your Pom’s daily
highlights is going walking with you. You’ll probably walk in different types
of places, and you may find that different circumstances call for different
walking outfits — for your dog, not you!
Collar
You need a small buckle collar
for your Pom puppy. But don’t even think about getting a choke or chain collar
for your Pom pup! A small-size collar may be a challenge to find, so look in
the cat section. The collar should be loose enough for you to get a couple of fingers
between it and your Pom’s neck.
Warning!
Never leave the collar on her unattended because she can easily get her lower jaw stuck in it. Don’t ask how — they just manage to do it!
The collar is just for training
purposes right now. In fact, you may also want to train her to a small harness,
which has several advantages. For example, your Pom can pull on a harness
without damaging her throat (a problem in some toy breeds), and in case of
emergency, you can safely lift your dog up by the harness. (A collar, on the
other hand, would simply slip off.)
Leash
Poms also need lightweight
leashes, but you may have trouble trying to find the ideal one because most of
them are for larger dogs. If you can’t find a small dog leash, try the cat
department. A show lead (a leash normally used for exhibiting dogs in
conformation shows) also works well because it doesn’t have a heavy clasp and
is very lightweight. These are available from most online pet supply catalogs.
I show some harness and leash choices in Figure 5-3.
Figure 5-3: Be sure your
leash is strong but lightweight. A well-fitting harness may be more comfortable
for your Pom.
Warning!
Avoid chain leashes because they feel like an anchor on your Pom puppy’s neck. They’re also good at whacking the dog in the face.
Retractable leashes have their
place and are very popular, but they also have shortcomings. First, the good
news: A retractable leash allows you to stand under cover while your dog goes
potty in the rain. (Yeah, that would be the day!) It also gives your dog a
little more range to sniff out his surroundings.
Now the bad news:
- People are careless with these leads. When they let the dog wander to the end of the extended leash and she makes a sudden turn, she ends up in the road, splattered by a car. Or she runs up to a big dog — and gets chewed up.
- People use these leashes everywhere they take their dogs, but they’re not practical for populated sidewalks and public areas.
- Because dogs have to pull against the leash to extend the leash, they learn to always pull when on leash — even when you don’t want them to.
- If you accidentally drop your end of the leash, the plastic handle scuttles toward the dog, making a racket and often scaring her. If she takes off running, the handle clacks along behind so she keeps running in a panic — a bad situation.
Identification
Talk to the breeder or your
veterinarian about having your Pom microchipped (see Chapter Maintaining
Your Pom’s Health and Happiness). You can also
have her tattooed. (No, this isn’t the butterfly-in-a-seductive-place kind of
tattoo — it’s an identification number or her American Kennel Club number on her
inner thigh. Well, I guess that is kind of seductive.)
Plan to get some lightweight
identification tags. Although the best ones attach as a flat plate to her
collar, they can be a hassle because you have to keep changing her collar as
her neck grows. The other choice is a hanging tag, which is problematic because
it’s so large on a tiny dog. If you go the hanging route, be sure to get the
smallest one available. Again, consider products designed for cats.
Chewies and anti-chewies
Puppies explore with their
mouths. They also feel the need to chew, chew, chew. By giving your Pom
something safe to chew, you can help save him from unsafe chewies. Even so,
he’s apt to go hunting for more chewing adventure. What’s a choosy mother to
do?
Warning!
- Chewies: Puppies like to chew. They like to chew your hands, your furniture, your clothes, and your wallet. Fortunately they also like to chew rawhide. For many breeds, rawhide can be a bad idea because the dog rips off hunks, swallows it, and then chokes. As long as you get a rawhide chewy — too big for him to swallow hunks off of — and supervise your Pom as he chews, he should be fine.
- Anti-chewies: You can buy sprays that make an article taste so bitter that your dog practically foams at the mouth when he licks or chews it. Bitter Apple is the best known of these products.
Tools for setting boundaries
A puppy needs boundaries — to
keep her safe and to keep your home from becoming a shambles. Boundaries also
help you train your Pom by preventing her from getting into trouble.
Fortunately, setting Pom boundaries is fairly simple.
Baby gates
Ramp
Tip
Will you allow your Pom on the furniture? The time to decide is now. If you don’t plan to have her on furniture as an adult, simply don’t lift her up there now. If you want to hold her or play with her, get on the floor with her. (That’s a good idea anyway.)
If you do plan to let her up on
furniture, you need a way for her to get down safely because she can injure
herself if she jumps down. Pet ramps are available to help small dogs hop up
and down off of beds and furniture safely. You can also make your own with some
covered foam steps or plywood ramps. Just make sure the ramp can’t collapse or
fall over.
Fence or kennel
Many Pom owners get along without
a fenced yard by walking their dogs on leashes on regular schedules. But if you
have a yard and plan to let your dog loose in it, at least part of it needs a
fence. Ideally, a fenced area extends from the back door so you can just open
the door to let her out. (You can even add a doggy door and make your life that
much simpler.)
A fence that’s not escape proof
is pretty much worthless. Make sure your tiny Pom can’t squeeze through or
under it. And even though he can’t get over it, your fence must be tall and
strong enough to keep out bigger dogs and dangerous animals.
Warning!
What about the underground electric fences that give your dog a warning beep and then a small shock when she gets too close to the boundary? Not a good idea. Although these fences keep your dog in, they can’t keep potentially dangerous dogs out.
Tip
If you plan to leave your dog unsupervised outside, a covered kennel run (see Figure 5-4) is your best choice.
Don’t place a run at the back of
the yard. Your dog will be miserable there and you’ll tend to forget him. If
you plan to leave him in the run — or anywhere outside — for any amount of
time, make sure he has access to shelter.
Figure 5-4: A covered
kennel run.
Grooming gear
Eventually you’ll want a
well-outfitted grooming kit, but for a puppy you need only the essentials:
- A soft-bristle brush is an ideal introduction to grooming.
- A medium-tooth comb helps you reach down to the skin.
- Rinseless shampoo is the best kind for a puppy.
If you plan to really groom
your Pom at home, a few more items are necessary (see Figure 5-5). How many
supplies you need, though, depends on how good a job you want to do. At bare
minimum, you need
- Medium- and wide-tooth combs
- Slicker brush (a brush with many tiny, bent tines to pull out dead hair)
- Pin brush (a brush with straight tines to fluff the hair)
- Bristle brush (a medium-texture brush is best for Pom coats)
- Scissors (blunt tips are safer for not stabbing your dog)
- Toenail clippers (for dogs — make sure you get the kind for small dogs)
Figure 5-5: The more you
groom, the more types of supplies you’ll want.
- Mat rake or mat-breaking tool (for getting out mats)
- Water spritzer bottle (to moisten the coat before brushing)
Another useful item is a grooming
table that lets you groom at a comfortable height. Some tables have a grooming
arm that tethers your dog in place. As long as you teach your dog not to jump
off, you can use any table with a nonslip surface.
Warning!
Do not leave your dog (any dog!) on any kind of table unsupervised, especially if he’s tethered.
Cleaning up after your pup
Being a puppy owner means
becoming a cleaning expert. You can’t just leave your Pom’s poop all over your
yard (or someone else’s, for that matter), and indoor accidents are inevitable.
This section walks you through the basics of doing the dirty work.
- Poop scoop: A poop scoop isn’t your most exciting purchase, but it may be the most useful. And it’s far better than makeshift trowels and buckets because it’s designed to make the job easy.
Tip
When you’re walking your dog down the street, the easiest scoop is a cheap sandwich bag (avoid the thick, zippered ones).
- Carpet cleaner: Get the kind with enzymes because they destroy the odor-causing molecules rather than simply covering them up. Find them at pet supply stores.
- Air freshener: Spray before company comes — assuming you want these guests to come back.
Toys and other fun stuff
Just like children, puppies need
to learn how to have fun with toys that entertain and educate because
- Toys give puppies something to chew on and toss about in place of your valuables.
- Toys help develop puppies’ brains and coordination.
- Puppies that never learn to play with toys tend not to understand toy playing (an important activity throughout their lives) as adults.
Also like children, puppies of
different ages appreciate different kinds of toys. For example, very young
puppies like small, soft toys, so cat toys are often ideal. But because the
toys are so small, you must supervise play with them at all times. Puppies,
like children, can choke on toys that are too small.
As your puppy matures, he may
start liking balls, squeakies, and tug toys. By the way, tug toys have gotten a
bad rap in recent years because domineering dogs can get the wrong idea of
who’s boss if they continually win the game. But chances are good that your Pom
isn’t a little Napoleon and has no delusions of being stronger than you.
Remember
Just to be on the safe side, when you initiate tug games, always end the game after you win. And no matter how weak you are, you surely can win a tug game against a 2-pound puppy!
Tip
Special interactive toys are good distractions for puppies and adult Poms that have to be left alone. These toys challenge your puppy to dislodge sticky food treats, thereby occupying and rewarding him over a long time period. Remove these toys when you return (you can store them in the freezer if they still have food in them) so your dog looks forward to them the next time you leave. Try rotating several interactive toys with different challenges to prevent him from getting bored.
Warning!
Make sure the toys you buy don’t have small pieces that your dog can pull off and swallow, and make sure he can’t burrow into it and discover electronic guts. Avoid bean-filled toys, which can pose a hazard if your dog manages to open them up.
Preparing for Emergencies
The time to prepare for the
unexpected is now. Prepare by getting your first-aid kit together, making an
emergency plan, and knowing how to handle common crises.
Stocking the first-aid kit
Keep your first-aid kit orderly
so you can find each item in a hurry. And when you’ve used something up,
replace it! The single most important item is the emergency phone number of
your veterinarian, but you also need the following:
- Activated charcoal
- Allergy medication
- Antidiarrheal medication
- Antiseptic skin ointment
- Corn syrup
- First-aid instructions
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Instant cold compress
- Latex gloves
- Liquid bandage
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- Ophthalmic ointment
- Pen light
- Rectal thermometer
- Scissors
- Self-adhesive (cohesive) bandage
- Soap
- Sterile gauze dressings
- Styptic powder
- Syringe
- Tweezers
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Making an emergency plan
Even when you know what to do,
it’s hard to think straight when an emergency jumps in your face. You need a
plan:
- Carry the emergency number of your veterinarian with you in your wallet or store it in your cellphone.
- Know where the emergency veterinarian is and drive there beforehand to make sure you know the way. It’s too easy to get lost when you’re in a panic.
- Never leave your car in your driveway with only fumes in the gas tank. The last thing you need is a stop at the gas station so you can make it to the vet.
Designing Spaces Fit for a Small King or Queen
You don’t have to add an addition to your home just because
royalty is moving in — but a little redecorating is in order. Where will Her
Highness be staying?
By day
You want your Pom where she can interact with you but also
keep out of trouble. Use your baby gates and doors (see the earlier section “Tools
for setting boundaries”) to keep her in a room with you, unless she’d be
underfoot. Then place her in a crate or X-pen, which you should locate where
she doesn’t feel isolated. (Check out the first section in this chapter for
more on these setups.)
When you’re away
Your Pom needs a safe place to spend the day when you can’t
be with her. To give her all the comforts of home, do the following:
1. Place the X-pen on a dog-proof floor (such as linoleum). For a carpeted floor, lay down an old shower curtain to protect it.
2. Put the crate or bed in one corner of the pen, bowls of food and water in another, and a doggy litter box (see Chapter Saving the Carpets: Housetraining) in another.
3. Throw in some toys and your puppy is ready to kiss you good-bye for the day.
You can refer back to Figure 5-2 for an example of your
puppy’s X-pen palace.
By night
What goes in your puppy’s bedtime bed? Consider the
following items to be sure he sleeps tight:
- A soft blanket
- A stuffed animal for cuddling
- A stuffed puppy comforter that has a place to insert a warm pad (You warm it in the microwave before insertion.)
These comforters also make a soft noise that sounds like a heartbeat (much better than trying to slip in a traditional clock!).
- Any creature comforts that make your puppy feel like he’s with M-O-M.
Pom-Proofing Your Home and Yard
You hear all the scare stories
about baby proofing. But puppy parents have those worries and more. Human
babies don’t have fangs that can gnaw through wood; they can’t run under
furniture at full speed; and they can’t squeeze into tiny places you never knew
you had.
One way to Pom-proof your house
is with a room-by-room search. To get you started, this section has one list
for general safety violations and then a list for each room. Just to be
thorough, I also list some of the problems your puppy can get into when he’s
outside your house.
Generally speaking . . .
Many hazards aren’t restricted to
just one room; the following widespread dangers can be tough to anticipate:
- Exterior doors: Keep all doors securely closed. A screen door is an added safety device. Any open door should have a doorstop so the wind can’t catch it and slam it shut on your puppy.
- Glass doors: Running into a glass door can cause severe injuries. Place stickers on glass doors at Pom eye level so she knows when the door is closed.
- Stairways: A fall on a stairway is like a tumble down a canyon for little Pomeranians. Open-backed steps are an invitation to disaster. Always keep a baby gate (see the earlier section “Tools for setting boundaries”) between steps and your Pom.
- Uncovered electrical outlets: Whatever could be in those tiny holes? If the puppy licks hard enough, she may find out — she may even see sparks. This charge is definitely not good for her tongue or her general well-being. Buy outlet covers at hardware or baby supply stores.
- Electric wires: Do you have a jungle of vinelike wires under your desk? Perhaps you just have an occasional wire to a lamp or phone. That has to be fun to pull on . . . until the lamp or phone comes crashing down on her or your computer goes on the fritz!
- Space heaters: Your puppy can get a painful burn if he gets too close to a hot space heater. He can also knock one over, which just may start a fire. Keep these heaters out of his reach.
- Ashtrays: Put ashtrays and any nicotine products out of reach. Better yet, quit smoking — that second-hand smoke doesn’t do your cute puppy any good.
- Coins: Paper currency may go through your puppy’s digestive system, but coins can be an expensive meal if your puppy swallows them. They may get stuck along the path, or in the case of pennies, sit in the stomach and dissolve, releasing toxic zinc. Your puppy is not a piggy bank! Keep coins away from him!
- Purses: These are a Pandora’s box of puppy perils that may include drugs, cigarettes, coins, and maybe even some pepper spray. Keep purses away from purse-snatching Poms!
- Unattached bookcases, vases, and statues: What’s up there? Puppies like to jump onto just about anything. Make sure she can’t send your oh-so-curious belongings — or the whole bookcase — toppling over, especially onto her.
- Blinds with long cords: Those hanging strings are fun to jump at and tug on until he catches his head in a loop and chokes. Cut the loops, shorten the cords, or buy childproof protectors for them.
Kitchen
Puppies love kitchens because
they usually combine people, good smells, and dropped food. But kitchens can be
dangerous for a small dog, especially when you’re cooking.
- Cabinets: To puppies, cabinets are like secret caves filled with treasure. But the cave holds dangers like poisonous cleaners and degreasers. Remember to either place bad stuff elsewhere or secure all your cabinets with child safety latches.
- Plastic bags, wrap, and aluminum foil: Put these items out of reach. They may be fun to chew, but they sure are difficult to digest.
- Plastic canisters: It was funny when Winnie the Pooh got his head stuck in the honey jar, but if your puppy gets her head stuck in just-the-right-size jar, it can form an airtight seal around her head and suffocate her. It’s happened.
- Puppy underfoot: Puppies fancy themselves gourmet chefs in the making. They want you to shake up all the ingredients, so they run between your feet when your hands are full. And by sticking their heads in the open refrigerator, they also ensure that you don’t close the door too soon. Unfortunately a Pom puppy’s skull probably isn’t as strong as a refrigerator door. Keep the little chef out of the kitchen while you’re cooking.
Dining room
Your Pom’s second favorite room
just may be the dining room — especially if you have messy eaters in the
family!
- Swinging door: If you have a swinging door, stop it from swinging or take it off its hinges.
- Hanging tablecloth: Can the puppy jump up and snag the tablecloth? Yes. Can the puppy jump out of the way of the fine china plummeting toward her as she drags the cloth off the table? Maybe.
Family room
The family room is a great place
to cuddle and play with the puppy, but don’t just walk out and leave her alone
to find trouble. She may not have to look far.
- Fireplace without secure fire screen: A fireplace fire is as big as a forest fire to a Pom puppy! He may not realize just how hot it is until his fur is ablaze. And he can catch your house on fire by removing a burning stick and then throwing it down on your papers. Even if you have a fire screen, don’t leave your puppy alone around a fire.
- Sewing or knitting basket and craft kits: Needles and pins can perforate any part of the digestive tract. And thread, yarn, or any long, stringlike object can cause the intestines to accordion, which is potentially fatal. Also, castor beans (used in some beading projects) contain ricin, one of the most damaging chemical toxins of plant origin.
Bedrooms
I know you want to relax, but
don’t go sleeping on the job. There’s still plenty of mischief possible in the
bedroom!
- Toys: You were careful to buy puppy toys that she couldn’t rip apart and swallow, but what about other stuffed animals she may find around your house? Swallowing parts of toys can cause blockages — not to mention hard feelings with the kids.
- Open closets: Missing a shoe? Whose fault is that? Close the closet door!
- Diaper pail: Yuck! But when you say “Yuck!” your dog says “Yum!” Dogs do eat soiled diapers. Besides the disgusting sight, diaper material can cause blockages. Solution? Keep diaper pails out of reach. Simple.
Bathroom
The bathrooms can be the most
dangerous room in the house for people. What about for dogs?
- Pills: Childproof caps aren’t puppy proof, so he can just gnaw right through. And with his tiny body weight, it takes only a fraction of a pill to wreak havoc on his body. Even small doses of pills like acetaminophen and ibuprofen that are safe for people can be deadly for dogs.
- Toiletries: Razors, perm solutions, hair coloring, suntan lotions, deodorants, and rubbing alcohol are just a few examples of items you need to keep out of your puppy’s reach.
- Drain cleaners: Drain cleaners are designed to dissolve organic material. You puppy is all organic material. Don’t let them mix.
- Toilet with open lid: Your Pom puppy is probably too short to reach, but where there’s a will there’s a way.
Laundry room
- Detergents, bleach, and lye: If your puppy finds a box of white stuff, she can have a great time simulating a snowstorm, flinging white powder everywhere. But that powder burns eyes and throats, and bleach can be blinding or fatal.
- Open dryer door: Snatch something out of the dryer, leave the dryer door open, and walk away. Who walks in? Your puppy, looking for a soft, warm place to snuggle. Then you go back and decide you need to dry those clothes a little longer. If the tumbling doesn’t get him, the heat will.
Garage
Your Pom doesn’t need to have
NASCAR aspirations to find all sorts of entertainment in the garage.
Unfortunately, he’d be safer driving a race car than nosing around the contents
of a typical garage. Best advice? Keep him out altogether!
- Antifreeze: A sweet treat on the garage floor beckons to your puppy. But just one lap of antifreeze containing ethylene glycol can kill him. Even if he merely licks his paws after walking through it, he can become extremely ill. Use only antifreeze with propylene glycol, which has reduced toxicity. And be sure to clean up any spills.
- Fluids: Gasoline, diesel, oil, kerosene, brake fluid, carburetor cleaner, windshield fluid, paints, paint thinners, acetone, mineral spirits, pool chlorine, wood stain, furniture polish, glue, and batteries are all potentially deadly. Keep them up and away.
- Tools: Tools can seriously injure you when they fall on your foot. Imagine what they can do if your puppy knocks one down on his own head. Keep him away from cords and work areas.
- Car: Always check on the dog’s location and put him up before moving the car.
- Garage door: Broken necks and backs can come from garage doors being slammed carelessly, and even automatic doors may not stop in time. Never leave your Pom loose when the garage door is shutting.
- Power tools: Would you let a toddler hang around when power tools are in use? Then don’t let a puppy around.
- Nails, tacks, and screws: These aren’t meant to go inside a puppy’s digestive tract, and they’ll cost you one very large veterinary bill to extract.
- Herbicides, rodent poisons, slug bait. They’re designed not only to kill but also to taste good. But they taste good and kill dogs, too. The fatal effects may show up days later, long after you’ve assumed he’s fine.
- Fertilizers: These have one simple guideline: What’s good for a plant is bad for a puppy.
Outside
Of course, doggy dangers aren’t
limited to the indoors. Check your yard for trouble spots, whether man-made or
natural.
Man-made accessories
The outside of your home isn’t
usually designed with the safety of a tiny dog in mind. Check out your outdoor
living space for danger.
- Decks, balconies, and upper-level open windows: Most railings weren’t designed to keep tiny dogs from slipping through. Put temporary fencing or other barriers around the edges.
- Unsealed deck wood: Pressure-treated wood contains arsenic; if the wood isn’t sealed regularly, the arsenic can leach out and be toxic to a puppy that licks the wood.
- Weak fence: A weak fence is a ready-made challenge course. Every time your Pom finds a way out, it reinforces his determination to keep trying. Show your pup from the start that this is one challenge he can’t meet. Make sure the fence meets the ground. For Poms that love to dig, extend some wire underground toward the inside of the yard.
- Unfenced pool: Just like toddlers, dogs can fall in swimming pools and drown. They may swim for a while, but when they get too weak to hang on to the side, they eventually go under. Keep the pool securely fenced, give him swimming lessons, make sure there’s a way out, and make sure he knows how to find the way out.
All things natural
Even a suburban backyard can seem
like a jungle to your little Pom — and a dangerous one unless you know what to
look for.
- Predators: Don’t let your small puppy outside alone, and consider a mesh-top exercise area (refer to Figure 5-4) if large eagles and other birds of prey are around. Other predators include
- Coyotes and mountain lions that look for an opportunity to snatch a small dog if he’s alone in the yard
- Alligators that consider dogs a delicacy
- Unfortunately, bad people who may want to steal a Pomeranian puppy
- Wild animals: Beware of poisonous snakes, snapping turtles, giant marine toads, and various animals that may injure a curious puppy in self-defense. Inspect your yard for insect hives, underground nests, and fire-ant mounds.
- Treated lawns: Wait at least 24 hours before letting your puppy on a treated lawn or around treated bushes.
- Nut trees: Nuts can be fun to play with and even to crunch on. But the nuts can cause blockages and have to be surgically removed.
- Poisonous plants: Many plants can be bad for your puppy. To be on the safe side, don’t let her graze among yours. Check your plants against the complete listing online at www.aspca.org or consult with your veterinarian. Some common poisonous plants include
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- Tree limbs: Rotted limbs can fall on a small dog, killing him. Even falling fruits and pine cones can hit a dog in the head with fatal results.
- Cocoa mulch: Cocoa mulch has a sweet taste, but it contains theobromine, the same ingredient in unsweetened and semisweet chocolate that’s fatal to some dogs.
Exercising caution during holiday decorating
Have you stopped to think about
how a puppy may affect your holiday traditions? Besides making sure you no
longer travel alone guilt-free, your puppy can quickly show you how not to
decorate your house.
Christmas
Santa brings good puppies a stocking of gifts, but bad
puppies get in a ton of mischief. Christmas tree lights, ornaments, popcorn strings,
extra electrical cords, tinsel, candles, and angel hair can be enticing but
dangerous to puppies. Ribbons, twine, and foil wrapping (and the gifts they
wrap) can also pose dangers.
If you wouldn’t leave a particular gift on the floor unwrapped,
then don’t leave it on the floor wrapped. (It’s just a matter of
time.) This rule is especially true of edible items; your Pom’s nose isn’t
fooled by some flimsy wrapping paper!
Remember
Christmas parties mean lots of opportunities to slip out the door, get stepped on by guests, or be overwhelmed by company. Unattended alcoholic beverages, coffee, chocolates, nuts, illicit drugs, and cigarettes beckon to a curious Pom. Some owners err by tying festive ribbons around Fido’s neck and then letting him play unsupervised. Place him in a secure area or crate during parties or hectic times.
Outside your home, salts used to melt ice on walkways can
irritate a dog’s paws. Some of these salts are poisonous if your puppy licks her
paws. And be aware: She can get frostbite or become hypothermic if she’s left
out in the cold. Use common sense — if she acts cold, she is cold!
Christmas cactus isn’t toxic, but many holiday plants are.
Keep this list in mind:
- Mistletoe and Jerusalem cherries are highly toxic, particularly the berries.
- Holly berries are somewhat toxic.
- Poinsettia is not as toxic as most people think, but it still can cause gastrointestinal irritation.
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving means turkey leftovers that a dog can be truly
thankful for. But too much turkey can make a dog sick because large amounts can
cause pancreatitis in susceptible dogs. Share a little turkey with your Pom,
but don’t overdo it (and be sure his helping doesn’t have bones).
Independence Day
More dogs are lost on the Fourth of July than on any other
day. They can become so frightened of loud fireworks that they escape
Halloween
Sure, it’s fun to dress up and
see how the dog reacts. But one monster after another at your door can make
your dog go nuts. Put her away if she overreacts to trick-or-treaters, and
remember to keep Halloween candy well out of reach.
Finding a Vet and Scheduling the First Appointment
Plan to line up a veterinarian
even before your puppy comes home; you want him to have an appointment during
that first week for a health check and any scheduled vaccinations. Be sure to
bring his vaccination and worming record with you (see Chapter The
Final Selection: Picking Your Perfect Partner for more info
on these records) so the veterinarian knows which treatments he’s already had.
But first, you want to find a
veterinarian you like. Because the two of you will form a partnership in caring
for your Pomeranian’s health for years to come, you should choose carefully.
Although the closer the clinic, the better, sometimes it’s worth driving right past
the clinic down the street for a veterinarian more suited for your needs.
And there are other factors to
consider: What hours is the clinic open?
How does it handle emergency situations? Some veterinarians trade off with each
other for off-hours duties; larger towns often have a dedicated pet emergency
clinic. Clinics with more than one veterinarian have several advantages such as
appointment availability and collaboration between veterinarians in difficult cases.
Tip
Before your puppy becomes a regular patient there, check out the facility. Ask for a tour. The clinic should be clean and have safe, sanitary overnight accommodations. Look for American Animal Hospital Association accreditation, which is given only to hospitals meeting certain standards. And of course, the fees shouldn’t make you pass out when you get the bill — at least no more so than the other clinics in town.by D.Caroline Coile,Ph.D.
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