Child (Safety), Dog and Baby Elephant Friendly Environment (EFE)

Child (Safety), Dog and Baby Elephant Friendly Environment (EFE)

There are thousands of modern items that can kill a child, dog or even a baby elephant in this country.

But I would concentrate only on tiny items that can kill a dog or a child and leave the third item, baby elephants in my book that will be out sometime in 2014.

Thankfully, there are no toddlers in my house but I have a dog that needs looking after.

Soon after the Christmas holidays, I did a survey in my house and found over two hundred teeny weeny items that were literally, not child safe, let alone my dog.

Let me deal with one item to begin with that was bothering me.
 

Year ago, I bought a soft plastic mattress with rubber form inside for our dog since it was too cold and the dog was not eating properly and showing signs of hypoglycemia in the morning.

He refused to sleep on it, in spite of my coaxing and perseverance.

He did not like the idea at all. 
He used to dig on it, until the outer cover was torn apart and the rubber form came out in a piece meal.

Luckily he did not gnaw it but fearing suffocation, I had to remove the mattress, clear up the mess of foam rubber.

So if, I had a toddler at home he or she would have been at a bigger risk of choking and suffocation than the dog.

This is why I say no dogs when you have little kids.

The kids can have a dog only after 16 years of age, when they have finished "O” Level examination and waiting for the result and that will dawn on them that the real world is much more challenging than the school.

Mind you when they start the advanced level examination they do not have time, you will have to look after the dog for life.

I as a dog lover, I was ready to take the challenge and enjoy it, every minute of it including cleaning its “poos” and using them as manure for the outdoor garden, unlike most of my neighbors who make sure my foot path is clearly marked with them, everyday of my adult life. 
 

We actually can have a cross country route for the Lamborghini, in our path.

They should avoid every bit of the “shit” to become a champion.

There are two diversions before I get to the nuts and bolts about “Child Safety” since that part is boring even to me.

This is copied from elsewhere in the web with little editing.

Dog's digging behaviour

1. Digging is used to uncover prey in underground burrows, and is useful to bury food, which is later retrieved and consumed. Dogs also dig to create a cavity in the snow or earth for shelter from the wind and to conserve body heat.

2. In warmer weather, an excavation may keep the dog cool. 

3. Some dogs dig before urination or defecation. 

4. Dominant adult dogs kick up soil with the hind legs to disperse its scent and increase territorial marking. 
Glands in the footpads mark the soil with scent during digging. 

5. Even indoors, many dogs appear to dig in preparing for rest and sleep.

This form of digging behavior is usually not destructive, though over time the carpet may be worn down.

Digging is usually not considered a problem unless it destroys property.

To prevent the dog from digging, one must control opportunities to dig and provide the dog with alternative activities that are equally enjoyable and physically challenging. 
If the dog digs in your backyard, restrict access to that area. Ideally, your dog should not be left unsupervised in your yard, regardless of any misbehavior. 
Your dog will be less likely to expend energy by digging if it is walked at regular intervals every day and has a variety of appropriate physical activities to pursue. 

Dog's Age or the Human equivalent

Senior Citizens                                    Senior Dogs

1. They have homes for the elderly       1. Haven is practically hell for the dogs

2. Some senior citizens by that age become mayors of the holy city 
                                                               2. There is only extermination decree

3.They never give way to juniors           3. Junior dogs take charge of the brood

I have another plea, if one wants to age with the dog please do the following.

1. Take care of a young dog at the age of 43 (when nobody seems to want you including your wife and kids) years.

2. When you are 50 your dog is 7 years old and equal to 50 years of human age.

3. In another three (3) when your dog is 10 he is equivalent to 60 human years and you will be 53 years. 

You are younger by 7 years.

4. In another two years dog (at 12 years) will be 70 and you will be only 55 years.

You are younger by 15 years.

43=0
50=7=50 (only at 50 one can be at the level of the dog age and enjoy with your contemporary to your heart's content and his company prevents you from getting a heart attack, if you delay the dog will get a heart attack).

53=10=60
 
55=12=70 (This is the time you get a bypass operation and  the dog gets a heart attack).

5. Now that you have become the mayor at 55 after retiring from service would you be kind to this dog who is 70 years human equivalent (12 years  of our time) or sent for the Municipality Exterminator.

6. They are just old senior dogs / citizens they do not have a parliament to go but only the streets but unlike you they look after our streets even at night when young, is it reasonable to put them to death?

7. How come if I say all the senior citizens who were ex-parliamentarians and drawing a fat pension and to save money for development they should be exterminated!

Will you pass a bill and vote yes in parliament?

Are we reasonable human beings?

Below is an image from WiKiPedia.

I hope WiKipedia won't pass copyright infringement for taking the side of the dogs against humans.

Since my dog is senior by age (overtaken my age) like any true Sri-Lankans, I take care of him faithfully.

Who will kick the bucket first “The Good Lord only knows”?

I decided to take stock all items that were risky and might cause choking and suffocation.

The List goes like this.

1. Pieces of Rubber form.

2. Over 30 items from Chinese Racing Track, which I bought 20 years ago for my son from the Fort Railway Station pavement for Rs.100/=.

I was working in Colombo then. There were only few items there but now there are thousands of Chinese cheap quality toys.

3. Over 10 cheap Chinese adoption of Scandinavian Lego

4. Plastic yogurt spoons (25 in total and only two measuring spoons for dispensing correct dose of child's medicine or vitamin syrups).

5. Two pairs of plastic Chinese chop sticks with very sharp edges.

6. Metal and plastic clips for securing Ethernet Wires

7. Over 100 message board (English letters were the worse lot, with dots, apostrophe exclamation marks etc) letters in English, Sinhala and Tamil.

I stopped counting after 200 and the things I did not count were

8. Pens, pencils, clips and erasers and the whole lot.

9. Clips for hanging cloths with nasty metal parts.

10. Batteries for torches and calculators.

I can remember a child in UK put a tiny battery inside his nose undetected and a timely X-Ray and intervention saved his life (child who was admitted with breathing difficulty).

I have seen few kids dying as late as 1975 in Colombo Hospital and that was due to a peanut and child was transferred from Galle to Colombo and he died at the doorstep of the General Hospital, in the ambulance.

Simply my house was not child safe and not at all dog friendly.

The list can go on but I stopped counting them.

The teaching aids of preschool kids are of very poor quality, I feel we should go back to slate and slate pencil.

Literally there are thousands of articles in every house now.

I have dealt with only choking here others I leave it to the GMOA.

Thing I have not discussed are

1. Fire crackers

2. Box of matches

3. Tooth pricks

4. Candles including party candles

5. Bottles containing alcohol including methyl alcohol

6. Bottles containing detergents

7. Bottles containing solvents

8. Bottles containing adult medicine

7. Plastic garbage bags (there are no safety holes in them) and sandwich bags

8. Knives, forks, scissors, and other sharp tools in a drawer without a childproof latch

9. Electrical installation within reach of a toddler without safety plastic plugs

The list can go on and easily fill a book which nobody reads.