Shorkie Puppy Proofing
This is so important!! You need to puppy-proof your home just as you would baby-proof your home if a human baby was on its way. Your puppy can be considered your baby, and you need to recognize hazards in your home.

Shorkies are intelligent, and your Shorkie will no doubt find a way to rummage through your trash and personal items if they are not secure. Other hazards such as dangling electrical wires need to be removed as well. The goal is to protect your Shorkie from any potential harm just like you would for your children. In general, you should take the following precautions to puppy-proof your home:

• Secure any loose wires for TVs and other household appliances so that your puppy is not tempted to chew the wires.
• Create a barrier between your puppy and any open flame or fire. You don’t want him lurking around in your fireplace!
• Keep personal items such as shoes, important papers and food out of your puppy’s living and playing area. Your puppy may chew them to bits, especially if he is teething.
• Verify that you have a secure area for your puppy to roam inside your home. You can achieve this by closing doors between rooms and/or setting up baby gates between rooms and at the foot of the stairs.
• Place plastic plugs in any unused electrical outlets.
• Have a keen eye for any dangling curtain or blind strings. You don’t want your puppy to become wrapped up in the strings and choke!
• Scour your home for any cleaning products or harsh chemicals that could pose a fatal threat to your puppy. Place these products in a secure cupboard away from your puppy’s living area.
• Be extremely careful with medications of any kind, from over-the-counter vitamins to prescription medicines. Do not leave drawers open or medicine in an area that your puppy can access. The puppy may view them as food which can cause dire harm to him if ingested.
• Hidden dangers in your home that you might not think about include perfumes, office supplies, craft supplies, chocolate, onions, and chicken and turkey bones. Section Four of this book contains a detailed list of poisonous household items.
• Verify that your trash is in a closed, secure area. Apply this to waste baskets in your bathrooms and bedrooms as well.
• Remove house plants or flowers that your Shorkie can chew. Many house plants are fatal to dogs, so keep them out of your dog’s environment as a protective safeguard. Again, you can see more detailed lists in Section Four.
• Remove any garage kinds of chemicals that your pooch may come in contact with such as anti-freeze, garden supplies, mulch, pesticides, rat poison, etc.
• Remove any other potential danger you can think of that may cause harm to your beloved Shorkie.

Create A Living Space for Your Shorkie
Although Shorkies are small, they still need adequate space. If you want your Shorkie to have a comfortable life, make sure that his living space has the proper items such as a dog bed and dog bowls.

Use the following guidelines to create an optimal living space for your Shorkie:

• A Shorkie needs his own space for sleeping and eating. This space must be a quiet retreat for him. All dogs need their own space to relax, much like down time we give to our children and that we take for ourselves. If you don’t provide an inviting space just for your Shorkie, he may become frustrated and act out.
• A great place to create an eating area for your dog is either in the kitchen, or the bathroom or a laundry room. A tile floor or hardwood floor is much easier to clean up than carpet in the event of a spill or accident.
• If you do not have an area in your home that you can gate off for your Shorkie, exercise pens are always a great option and can be configured to the shape you want to fit the area you choose for your Shorkie.