You need to Border Collie proof your home before your new Border Collie comes home to keep it safe in its new environment. Before bringing Border Collie puppy home, check your home and garden for anything that can cause your Border Collie harm or your Border Collie puppy can destroy.
Border Collie proofing your home is a lot like child proofing your home to protect young children from their innate curiosity about the world...
Where are your Poisons Stored?
Where do your store your poisons? Things such as bleach, mothballs, insecticides, snail and mouse killers, antifreeze, cleaning fluids, general poisons for the garden, detergents, rat poisons, and anything else that can harm your Border Collie should be kept on a closed cupboard or on a high shelf, out of reach of your Border Collie.
Check the Plants in your Garden
There are a lot of common plants growing in our gardens that can harm a Border Collie. The seeds of peaches and apricots are poisonous to your Border Collie, and eating large amounts of tomato plants and spinach can also leave your Border Collie feeling very sick, and can even cause death.
Read up on what plants are poisonous to your Border Collie so you can make sure your backyard is safe.
Get a Border Collie’s Eye View
Check your house from your Border Collie’s point of view. Get down onto the floor and move anything dangling that can attract your Border Collie’s attention such as electrical cords. Check for loose nails, sharp objects, pins and needles, or anything else small enough for your Border Collie to swallow.
Move your curtain cords out of the way so they do not attract your Border Collie’s attention. Curtain cords can cause major accidents if they get caught up in them.
Make sure any electrical cords are removed or unplugged in any area you use to keep your Border Collie confined. Chewing live electrical cords is potentially fatal at worst, and can cause mouth burns and other injuries of your Border Collie chews on them.
Restrict Access to Elevated Areas
Border Collies are full on and flat so only give your Border Collie access to high balconies and decks under supervision. Border Collies are incredibly excitable, especially when young, and are just as likely to end up bouncing through the railings or over the edge.
Just before Border Collie Puppy Arrives
Prepare the rest of the family for the arrival of your new Border Collie and give your house a thorough going over to remove anything breakable that may be in Border Collie puppy’s way. Make sure your children are well prepared for the new little bundle of energy about to join your family.
Checklist of Potential Household Hazards
Border Collie puppies are curious creatures, always on the go, investigating everything around them. There are many things around our home’s that are potentially harmful to a curious Border Collie puppy or dog. Here is a checklist to help you create a safe haven for your Border Collie.
Household Cleaners
Household cleaners include detergents, bleach, dryer sheets, cleaners, and so on, and they are all toxic in some way to your Border Collie.
Make sure all cleaners are kept sealed in their bottles and store them out of reach in a closed cabinet or on a high shelf.
Chemicals
Chemicals such as fertilizers, oven cleaners, automotive fluids, weed killers, and antifreeze which is attractive to Border Collies because of sweetness are all highly toxic.
Keep these all out of reach of your Border Collie either in a closed cabinet or safely in the garage.
If ever using toxic sprays make sure that its not a windy day and that everyone in your household are safe from the spray drift.
Be mindful of what your neighbors when they may be using poisons. We lost one of our best Border Collie several years later as the results of the neighbor spraying for weeds, even though after the event he was very sick for a while from the spray. He died of cancer at a very young age.
Hazardous Materials
Hazardous materials include plastic wrap, insulation, and aluminium foil. These become particularly attract to your Border Collie when scraps of food are left on them. Any of these will cause serious problems for your dog if it swallows them especially insulation as it is usually made from a fibreglass material.
Do not leave these materials lying around for your Border Collie to find. Throw out plastic wrap and foil as soon as you have finished using it. And if you have insulation lying around, clean it up and store it out of reach of your Border Collie.
Controlling those Pests
Insecticides, rat and mouse traps, and flea powder, anything that is used to kill those pesky creatures around your house can harm your Border Collie. And they are very tempting to a Border Collie because they smell sweet to attract the bugs.
Keep them out of reach of your Border Collie and when you use them make sure your Border Collie cannot get to them.
Do not leave your Medicines Around
Do not leave any non-prescription, prescription, herbal remedies, or even your Border Collie’s medicines within reach of your Border Collie.
Do not give your Border Collie anything that is made for humans as the strength may be too much for your Border Collie and can cause all sorts of problems. Only give your Border Collie drugs your vet has given you.
Never give your Border Collie Chocolate
Never be tempted to give your Border Collie chocolate, even in small amounts chocolate can be toxic to your Border Collie and potentially fatal.
Do not leave your chocolate around where your Border Collie can reach it. Make sure it is put away out of harm’s way.
Check your Indoor Plants for Toxicity
Many of your indoor plants may be poisonous to your Border Collie and many Border Collies like to chew on plants. Check if your plants are poisonous and keep them out of your Border Collie’s way.
When you bring a new plant into the house introduce it to your Border Collie to make sure it does not find it attractive to chew on.
Wires and Cords
Wiring and electrical cords are very tempting toys for your Border Collies and if they are connected to the power they can electrocute your Border Collie if it takes a bite out of it. Chewing up wiring, even if it is not connected to the power, can cause a lot of internal damage.
Make sure the cords of all electrical items are kept to a minimum and out of your Border Collie’s way. Turn them off when not in use.
Stairs
Believe it or not but stairs can be quite hard on the joints of young Border Collies and can even lead to hip, joint and elbow issues. A controlled passage is critical, slow is best if allowing a Border Collie access to the upstairs or downstairs part of your home, if not at all when a young Border Collie.
Please limit access to the stairs of your home.
Slippery floors
Slippery floors which offer little or no traction is hazardous to developing hips and joints.
Vehicles
Jumping up and down from your vehicles can be quite hard on the joints of young Border Collies and can even lead to hip, joint and elbow issues.
Border Collie Proofing your Home
There are many dangers around your home that your Border Collie get itself into trouble with. When Border Collie proofing your house and yard, think along the lines of child proofing your home for a two or three-year-old and you will keep your new family member safe.