If you've had a crawling baby or a toddler in your home, you understand that a typical home or apartment can be a landmine of danger for a youngster. It is very much the same for a new Chihuahua puppy or rescued adult dog. Everything is new. Corners need to be explored. All unknown items need to be tasted.

If you haven't had to do any child proofing, or if it's been many years since you've had a puppy, it is likely that your home and yard are not quite a safe haven for your new Chihuahua. Don't worry. It just takes a little preparation and some forethought to get prepared. If in doubt, it's a good idea to move the item or prevent access to it until you can confirm the safety of a particular item.

For the Chihuahua, the most common source of danger is the floor. This can include items that have been dropped or left on the floor or those that are naturally present in this area. Most often the danger comes from the Chihuahua trying to sample or taste a dangerous item. Sniffing, chewing, and licking are all ways in which a dog might test an item.

In addition to items that the Chi can ingest, there is also a whole host of physical dangers in the home. Your home may have many areas that the Chihuahua can squeeze into and become trapped — or attractive places for the dog to try to jump off of, risking a broken leg. Though not inclusive, the following topic areas give you some of the more common household hazards to remember.