How to Prepare Your Home For A Dog

How to Prepare Your Home for a Dog? | Here’s How

Dogs are wonderful companions and can bring a home to life with their enthusiasm. Of course, their exuberant nature can sometimes mean unfortunate accidents or the occasional acting out. They mean nothing by it, but it’s good to know how to prepare your home for a dog.

Preparing Your Home For A Dog: Set Up Dog-Friendly Areas

Dogs are impulsive and eager to investigate anything. Sometimes, their curiosity takes them into messes, and that may not go well in your home. Creating a dog cleaning area is the best solution to keep your home pristine while letting your dog have fun.

Consider an area at your entrance with a doormat where you can clean your dog with tools such as wipes and sprays. To complement this, consider a comfortable space for your dog to retreat to after going through the de-mudding zone. This could be a place for your pet to relax and indulge in a few treats. Dog nooks can be stylish and adaptable to the overall appearance of your home.

You could add fashionable throws, cushions and dog bed. You’ll also want to make sure these areas have been dog-proofed. Keep electrical cords out of reach, remove small items from the floor, and make sure plants aren’t toxic to dogs.

Preparing Your Home For A Dog: Consider Decor

There is no getting around it, but those adorable paws may not be suited to all surfaces. Rugs and carpets can be particularly vulnerable, while certain furniture pieces can be problematic.

Thankfully, there are options that can strike a balance between Fido and a beautiful home. With flooring, tiling is ideal so that you do not have to resort to desperate measures to avoid scuffs. It looks fresh, comes in a variety of styles, and is easily cleaned and replaceable. As a bonus, it can be comfortable enough for your pooch to nap on.

Your dog’s boundless energy doesn’t mean you should avoid large, tone-setting furniture pieces. Instead, choose tables that have curved edges to better protect your furry friend, and stylish covers to drape over furniture. For breakables, collect them and put into cabinets that can function as a conversation piece.

Preparing Your Home For A Dog: Give Yourself the Tools

A clean home is a beautiful home. Without the right tools, this can be a challenge. Dogs can leave their presence known on just about any part of your house. If your carpet doesn’t match your pup’s fur, for instance, this can be noticeable.

Using a portable handheld vacuum cleaner is ideal for picking up pet hair in small areas and places that would be inaccessible with a regular vacuum. You should also have plenty of lint rollers on hand to pick up the fur. You can supplement them with latex gloves, which can be surprisingly effective at catching matted fur. Stain removers are another essential, as you never know when your pet will have an accident.

When using any type of cleaning agent, it’s imperative that they be dog-friendly. Most pet stores have products that are environmentally friendly and safe for your pet. When it comes to messes at mealtime, you might place your dog’s bowl on top of a rimmed tray to keep some of their food off the floor.

Preparing Your Home For A Dog: Restlessness

Most dogs are balls of energy. However, if they are not getting sufficient exercise, this energy can cause them to become restless and act out. They may chew furniture or rugs or be even more destructive as they channel their frustrations.

Keep them busy, even when you are not around. A well-walked dog is more likely to be content at home than they would be if they are stuck indoors all day.

Beaches like Hendry’s allow dog’s off lease so they can run. Plus, there are numerous parks including the Douglas Preserve, Elings and Tucker’s Grove that allow off lease fun.

Have plenty of chew toys around to ensure that they have something at their disposal to tire themselves out. If you work long hours, consider hiring a dog walker to pay a visit a few days a week to ensure they stick to a regular schedule of walks.

Preparing Your Home For A Dog: Conclusions

We love our pets. Our dogs can bring joy and love to our lives but messes to our homes. To keep your home looking fabulous, ensure your pet is properly exercised, well-groomed and has its own space. Having a dog and keeping a gorgeous home don’t need to be incompatible.

Special thanks to Medina at dogetiquette.info