October 7-13, 2012 is Fire Prevention Week. Here are some tips from the Hartford, the sponsor of CGC.
Tips to Protect Your Pets From Fire
Responsible Dog Owners think ahead. Advance planning can save the lives of our beloved pets, especially when it comes to a house fire.
1. Prevention is the key. So that dogs can’t start a house fire, never leave a candle unattended, make sure puppies can’t chew on wires, and turn off indoor holiday lights (including those on Christmas trees) when you leave the house.
2. Comply with good fire safety practices. Make sure your home has working smoke detectors in every area of the house. If there is an electrical problem, have your home inspected by a qualified electrician.
3. Notify others that there is a dog in the house. Make sure your neighbors know you have pets in your home. A sticker on the window saying, “Dogs inside, In case of Emergency, Please Rescue,” will alert the fire department that a pet needs to be rescued.
4. Have an organized evacuation plan. Keep dogs who stay in crates on the ground floor of the house when you are gone so they can be evacuated easily. Make sure crates are easy to access.
5. Socialize and train your dog. It’s a good idea to make sure your dog will go to another person in case of fire. The AKC Canine Good Citizen Program teaches dogs to accept a friendly stranger.
AKC's Canine Good Citizen and S.T.A.R. Puppy Director, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist
having lost two homes to fires, I’m somewhat paranoid about it – as much as I would love to have my dogs sleep with us, they sleep crated – black dogs, in a smoke filled house/room, with the smoke alarm flashing/screeching I don’t want to try to find the dogs in the chaos. My dogs are small and their crates fit thru the windows – or i can simply pitch the dog out the window into the fenced back yard and follow them out. ( we have a single story home ). Plan ahead – know where your dogs are – there may not BE time to ‘look’ for them.
Firemen in turn-out suits are not something even a well socialized dog has ever seen — and in the ‘panic’ environment of flashing lights, horrendous odors, people yelling, water shooting thru the doors/windows/roof, I wouldn’t expect my dog to go to anyone unless as a source of protection/comfort. – I really think they would either hide or panic and run. But i surely don’t want anyone to have to ‘test’ it -
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