Is your home dog friendly enough?
If you’re having trouble saying “yes”, the answer is probably “no” or “not friendly enough”.
A home’s function is to make you feel, well, at home, and the same goes for your dog. Whether it’s stocking up on toys your dog loves or buying a comfy dog bed that comforts your pooch, loving your dog means wanting the best for it, which can mean making small but meaningful adjustments around the house.
Here are 10 great places to start:
1. Get durable, paw-friendly floors
Cleanliness may be next to godliness, but your pets are most likely not as concerned about cleanliness as you are.
Instead of making life hard on yourself by having to deal with scratches on floors that will never go away, get durable hard-surface floors instead so that the messes your pooch makes are easy to clean up without a permanent reminder that someone once made a boo-boo.
Also, having the right kind of flooring in place means choosing materials that are paw- and claw-friendly so that your dog is able to get ‘traction’ when he’s on his feet.
Good options to consider include vinyl, bamboo and ceramic or tile flooring with thicker
Think about it: How would you feel if you fell down every time you stood up or tried to get from one place to another because the floor was slippery ?
2. Have gated partitions installed
As much as we love our dogs, there are always places in our homes where we’d like to keep them out of – perhaps the kitchen, or the room with all your fragile belongings, or the even bathroom.
As much as we love our dogs unconditionally, they are also easier to love when they have not destroyed all your toilet paper rolls.
The best and simplest way to keep your dog out of areas he should not be in would be pet gates like this one by Pawland or this one by Carlson. Needless to say, the biggest benefits of keeping certain zones in your home pet-free is keeping them safe.
But before you go ahead and purchase a gate, make sure to check your dog’s height so you’re able to pick the right-sized partitions. It wouldn’t be much of a partition if your dog can jump over it!
3. Set up a doggie play area
If you have the space, why not dedicate some of it to play space with your dog?
This may sound like overkill, but it doesn’t mean that you have to clear out an entire room for your dog to romp around in. This arrangement can be as simple has having a play pen where all your dog’s toys are kept, just so there is order of sorts in the home.
Training your dog to keep things in place and rewarding him with treats will also be helpful for you in the long run – this means no more accidentally finding a chewed-up plush toy with all the stuffing falling out under the cabinet or worse, tripping over it in unexpected places.
4. Set up a doggie clean-up space
Again, if you have the resources and space, it could be helpful to set aside some of it to cleaning up your dog (and let’s face it – this can be pretty often). This could be a dedicated bath tub for your dog similar to those found at the pet groomer’s.
If you’ve been bathing your dog in your shower or bathtub, this’ll save it from being clogged up with fur (in addition to human hair). Plus, if your dog spends a lot of time outdoors, bathing it where you clean up isn’t the most hygienic thing to do.
This approach will work great for small to medium-sized dogs, and if you have a larger dogs, your best bet would probably to take it to the groomer’s.
5. Swap curtains for blinds
Dogs can often be hyperactive and need a way to work off their energy.
If your dog lives primarily indoors, you’d want to prevent that energy from destroying your curtains by replacing them with wooden bamboo blinds. To keep your blinds out of your pooch’s way, simply roll it up and there you go: Disaster averted!
Bonus: Blinds are also a lot easier to clean compared to fabric curtains.
6. Keep fragile and expensive items away
This one may sound like common sense, but amidst the chaos of everyday life, it can be super easy to overlook.
First, you don’t want your dog swallowing small, valuable items like your jewellery, and second, you don’t want your dog to knocking over delicate collectibles like ceramic vases or glass sculptures, both of which can end up taking the both of you to the vet’s.
Apart from the monetary aspects of this habit, it also goes without saying that prevention is always better than cure.
7. Have a cabinet just for your dog’s stuff
Collars, leashes, dog medicine, outdoor dog toys, towels and the like should be kept near your entrance to your home for easy (and central) access.
This way, you never have to think twice about where to look for something when it comes to your four-legged best friend.
Essentials like towels are helpful for wiping down your pooch if it’s been trekking in mud or clean up ‘accidents’ quickly so they don’t damage your floors or furniture.
8. Have several dog beds around
Your dog may have a favourite spot at home, but chances are, it probably likes to move from room to room and hang out in different spaces, depending on where you are.
In this case, why not have a dog bed in each room when you and your dog spend the most time in?
Variety isn’t just great for humans – dogs also like it too.
9. Have a fixed meal spot
A designated eating area for your dog will help it know where it can expect to be fed, and if you stick to a feeding time, when as well. This is helpful when you’re trying to establish a daily routine with it.
If you have a fast eater on your hands, try investing in a maze dog bowl like this one from Outward Hound so your dog ash no choice but to eat more slowly.
To make meal times more comfortable, consider getting an elevated dog bowl holder like this one from Pet Zone, which can be adjusted to your dog’s height.
These additions may seem small, but they can go along way in making mealtimes enjoyable, safe and comfortable for your furry best friend.
10. Protect your upholstery
When you have pets, your sofa will likely end up one of the hardest-hit ‘victims’ of ‘abuse’ (Ok, Ok, we’re being dramatic – wear and tear is more like it. But still.).
We’re talking scratches, stains and stuffing being ripped out, or worse, complete destruction of your sofa.
The general rule of thumb for preventing this kind of damage is to either keep your dog away from your sofa (ie keep it in a room that your pup can’t access) or reupholster your sofa in a pet-friendly fabric that’s more tightly-women so claws and teeth have trouble digging into it, like leather or micro-suede fabric.
If the cost of reupholstery isn’t a good fit for your budget, try opting for a removable, machine-washable sofa slipcover, which’ll likely cost a fraction of a new sofa or reupholstery.
And while you’re at it, why not get a slipcover that’s similar in colour to your dog? This way, you won’t have to go running for the lint roller every time your dog jumps on the sofa.
To find the perfect fabric for your space and lifestyle, have our slipcover fabric samples sent right to your doorstep here: