As a responsible pet owner, steps should be taken to eliminate some of the common hazards around your home when bringing in your new Maltese pup. Here are a few suggestions to make your home safer. Electrical cords, extension cords, etc. should be secured to the baseboard or better yet make them inaccessible. Puppies love to chew on them. Your Maltese could suffer electrical shock burns and could prove fatal. Never burn candles if the puppy is within reach as the flame will attract them. Anywhere there are steps is a hazard. If you have a cellar, keep the door closed. Pups are curious. Curiosity has injured and even killed many young puppies. Needles & pins are another deadly hazard if swallowed. Never leave pins or needles out where your puppy make get to them. Be very careful about other pets coming to your home. Remember that your Maltese puppy is much more likely to catch an infection than an adult dog. Proper vaccinations should bring there resistance to a much more safe level when your Maltese reaches around 16 weeks of age. Anti-freeze! Extremely toxic!! Its a known fact that the scent of anti-freeze attracts all dogs. Keep it out of reach or locked in a cabinet. Clean up any drippings immediately. Many cars, especially in the summer will overflow coolant (anti-freeze) to the ground. Be sure yours is not one of these. Toxic plants. Be sure you know which are and which are not. Here is a list of the more common ones. Pesticides and rodent control poisons should be used with extreme caution. Hanging fly paper is toxic! It was recently in our local newspaper where a puppy had swallowed some pieces of the strips. He survived, but was very sick. If you must use these, keep them out of reach of your puppy.  next page ...