6 Ways To Make Your Home More Dog Friendly
Are you thinking about getting a dog like the ones here: https://chocolatelabradorretriever.ca/lab-retriever-ottawa? Or are you thinking about making some changes to your home to help your dog? Either way, as a dog lover you will know how important it is to make your home a safe place for him or her to walk around and enjoy. You’ll also want to make some changes to your home to reduce the damage your dog can cause by mistake, like covering wires or not having white furniture. No matter what your reasons are, it’s always good to put your pet first. Plus by baking some changes it could improve your home. Below are six ways to make your home more dog friendly.
When it comes to owning a dog you need to be realistic and say no to white (Unless you have the time to keep cleaning things). As cute as dogs are, they aren’t always the cleanest of animals and certainly will cause some mess within your property. They do like to climb up things and sit wherever they please - this includes your white sofa if you have one. Leather is always a good option for upholstery as it’s easier to clean than fabric and dirt can get less ingrained into it. If you have your heart set on white, consider choosing an off white so that it is easier to keep clean if your fluffy friend accidentally causes some mess on your furniture.
Hide Your Electric Cables
This can be a blessing in disguise. If you have a dog, you want to hide as many cables as possible and to try and get them out of reach. Dog’s can find them particularly interesting and see them as a toy, therefore try to bite or hit them with their paws. The last thing you want to happen is to have your TV cable broken and no longer be able to watch TV until it’s replaced. Plus, you don’t want the cable to hurt your dog either. You can always buy some cable protectors to cover the cables with, alternatively, look to put them behind a big piece of furniture where your dog can’t get behind. You will also benefit from the room looking slightly nice without having cables scattered around.
Consider Your Flooring
Before getting a pet, or if you are thinking of making a change to your property to make it more pet friendly, have a think about the type of flooring. Your flooring can take a lot of damage when having a dog. Often they run through quickly causing a lot of use and also scratches if your flooring isn’t hard wearing. If you can avoid carpet as this collects the hairs from your dog and it’s harder to clean should they walk over it with their muddy paws, or have an accident. If you aren’t sure about the type of flooring, then take some inspiration off pinterest, there are many interior shots.
Invest In A Good Hoover
Dogs continue to malt throughout the year leaving many hair laying about. If you opt for a breed that is known for shedding its hair, then you will experience this more than others. You will want to make sure you are going over your property a couple of times a week to make sure you are capturing all the hair and dead skin around the property. This is why it is important to buy a good hoover that will pick up all the dirt, efficiently and effectively.
Move Anything Low To The Ground
As you can imagine dogs are lower the ground, but they can jump and go onto their two legs. This means that if you have anything that is on show that they can reach, should either be removed or placed at a higher level. If you have any low shelves, it’s easy enough to move them up and fill in / paint over the gaps that are left. If you have any cleaning products that you leave on the floor next to the toilet, make sure you put these in a safer place. The last thing you want is your dog finding them and getting into the bottles as they are dangerous. You should also consider moving any plants that could be toxic to a higher level as well. If your dog accidentally takes a bite, it could potentially make him or her very ill. If they are too big to move, then put them in a room that the dog doesn’t have access to.
Baby Gates Can Help
If there are certain rooms that you don’t want your dog to get into, but you also don’t want to have the door shut constantly, then baby gates are perfect for this. You can install baby gates around the house which will stop your dog from gaining access to this room. Not only are they particularly affordable, but they can easily be removed when you no longer need them anymore. By using a baby gate your dog can also still see you, reducing the chance of them getting upset or stressing that you are not there.
Depending on your requirements there are a whole plethora of changes that you can make to your property to make it more dog friendly. With a smaller budget you should consider changing the gate, or hiding your eclectic cables. If your budget is larger, the flooring is a good option to go with. One of the easiest changes you can make is to have a declutter and get rid of anything that you don’t need anymore. Over time you are bound to have collected things that no longer need to be on show or in a place that could potentially hurt your dog.
What changes have you made to your property to look after your furry friend? Have you tried to apply any of the above? Have we missed anything that you would like our readers to know about? Let us know in the comment box below, we look forward to hearing from you.
