Whether you recently adopted a puppy or have had your canine friend for a long time now, our furry companions take their job of staying close to their family very seriously. Chances are, they follow you around wherever you go, especially at a young age. While that’s cute and we appreciate their presence, there are some rooms in your home that just aren’t safe for your dog.

The kitchen is easily one of the most dangerous places for your pet. Sharp knives, toxic chemicals and hot surfaces can injure them. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to keep your pet safe from harm and your kitchen clear from damage!

1. Keep your pet out of the kitchen when you’re working in it. Boiling pots can spill, knives can drop out of your hand and food scraps can roll off the countertops. It’s not a safe environment to be in while you’re cooking or baking so it’s best to put your dog in their crate, separate room or let them run around in your backyard if you have one.
   
   
2. Invest in a pet-proof trash can. Oh, the smell of food leftovers and trash. While it may gross you out, your dog’s nose is drawn to it. If you don’t want to walk in on your pet covered in trash, secure your trash can to the wall, conceal it behind a cabinet door or invest in a pet-proof garbage can that they can’t knock over.
   
   
3. Feed your dog in a separate space. The less your pup associates the kitchen with food rewards, the less likely they’ll be to hang out in there. You can feed your dog in the hallway, outside or the laundry room. If you’re crate training your puppy, feeding them in their crate will help them feel more comfortable and accept the space as their home.
   
   
4. Store toxic chemicals and food out of reach. Cleaners and food should be stored behind cabinet doors and if possible on higher level shelves. If your dog figures out how to open cabinets, that’ll save you from cleaning up a mess and your dog from poisoning themselves. Which leads us into the next tip...
   
   
5. Install locks or latches on cabinet doors. If you have kids, it’ll also keep them out of your cabinets!
   
   
6. Spray your wood cabinets with apple bitter. If you have a chewer at home and are worried they’ll take your kitchen apart, spraying apple bitter on the surfaces will keep them off. Keep spraying your cabinets (or dining room chairs, whatever they chew on) until they stop this behaviour.
   
   
7. Don’t feed human food to your dog. Some food that is healthy for humans, such as avocados, nuts or grapes are toxic to your canine companion. Not feeding them food scraps will teach them to leave you alone while you’re eating and prevent your dog from getting poisoned.
   
   
8. Finally: Get pet insurance and have a pet-friendly first aid kit ready in case something goes wrong. Write the number of a pet hospital that’s close by down and pin it to the first aid kit so you know who to call in the case of an emergency.

To help you create a safe environment for your pup, Kitchen Cabinet Kings put together a helpful visual guide on pet safety in the kitchen. Check it out below!