There is nothing as frightening as having your dog accidentally come into contact with some type of poisonous substance. As with humans or any animal, dogs may eat poisonous items, inhale poisonous gases or vapors or get poisons on their skin or hair. Like humans, there are general emergencies procedures that dog owners should know to be able to treat their pet should they suspect poison. It is important to have a few general supplies on hand, but most of what you will need is likely to already be in your house.

If an animal or other dog bites your dog, the possibility of it becoming serious is very likely. The saliva of other animals or dogs contains huge amounts of bacteria, which can certainly induce an infection throughout the wound. Even a little bite that does not look serious can critically damage your dogs underlying tissue. Regardless of the size of a bite wound, it is best to have a veterinarian check and treat the injury to make sure it remains infection free and does not end up worse. Here are five things you should know and do if your dog does end up bitten by another animal.

Puppies are curious, adventuresome and able to get into almost anything, no matter how secure you thought it was. Making your house safe for a puppy is important, not only to protect your valuables but also to protect the puppy. Since it is almost impossible to puppy proof an entire house, consider selecting a room or area that can be cordoned off to make a puppy safe area when little Fido is left alone or unsupervised. Baby gates or pet gates are a great idea to block off a doorway, but they have to be securely placed in the door and fastened or a bigger puppy will learn to push them down.

Just like humans, dogs may be prone to having vision and hearing problems as they age and move into their senior years. Sometimes owners fail to realize that the older dog is not able to hear their commands and assume that the dog is misbehaving or willful. Under these conditions the owners may punish the dog or even take him or her back through obedience training, both which can frighten and confuse the senior dog that is struggling to understand what is being asked.