During the winter months, everyone is trying to keep the heat in and the cold out. The use of heating devices and candles, while effective, can be a serious fire hazard. Especially with a four-legged friend running around.

The American Kennel Club offers these tips to help prevent home fires and keep your pets safe:

Install smoke detectors. Having smoke detectors installed is a great step, but it is not enough. Make sure to test them once a month and replace the batteries annually. In addition to this, keep fire extinguishers in your home in places that are easily accessible.

Never leave an open flame unattended. Leaving your naturally curious pup unattended to investigate things like cooking appliances, candles and fireplaces is extremely dangerous. Always make sure that any open flames and sources of heat are thoroughly cooled and extinguished before leaving your home.

Be careful with stove knobs. A stovetop is a common piece of equipment involved when dogs accidentally start fires. Some stove knobs just need to be pressed to turn on, which is an easy way for dogs to turn them on just by leaning on or jumping up on them. Be sure to remove stove knobs or protect them with covers before leaving the house.

Try flameless candles. Flameless candles contain a light bulb rather than an open flame and take the danger out of candles, while still providing the ambiance of candlelight.

Keep dogs and gear near exits. Make sure your dogs always have their collars on and keep your leashes in an accessible place in case firefighters need to rescue your dogs in an emergency. When you leave dogs home alone, keep them near rooms with exits where they can easily be found.

Keep puppies secure. With young puppies, it is important to keep them confined and away from potential fire-starting hazards when you are not home. There are many options for safe, secure, and comfortable crates and gates, so if you can’t always monitor them or must leave them home alone, opt for these.

Place a pet alert decal on a window. It is a good idea to write down the number of dogs inside your home and attach the cling to a front-facing window. This critical information saves rescuers time when locating your dogs. These decals can be found at your local pet stores.

For more information on responsible dog ownership, visit the AKC at www.akc.org.

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