Designing for Dogs
My family includes two dogs and a cat and, while I cherish them, it does make it more difficult to keep the house clean. If
I had the ability to go back and redesign my home, there are a few
things I’d do differently to make living with the dogs a bit easier. Here are some thoughts:
Flooring material. Dogs can cause a great deal of wear and tear on floors - without the right type of flooring material they will soon leave their mark – one way or another. Most types of carpet are poor options, trapping pet dander, hair and odours.
Good: Area rugs or carpet tiles (which can be replaced easily) are good options.
Better: Wood floors are more resilient than carpet, but can become scratched. Some very hard woods are good choices.
Best: Tile is the best choice of flooring for houses with dogs. It can be cleaned easily and is hardy enough to stand up to rambunctious pets.
Pet bowls and food. Pet food and bowls can take up a lot of space depending on the size of your dog and the size of bag their kibble comes in.
Good: Invest in large plastic containers for dog food so you don’t have to go reaching into the bag at every meal. Put a rubber placemat on the floor to aid in clean up.
Better: Customize a dog food bin. In our house, we had a tall but narrow cupboard that would only have been good for trays or cookie sheets. We converted it to a pull out bin for dog kibble. Call a handy man and see if he can do the same to one of your little used cupboards.
Best: Some of the latest kitchen designs take dogs into consideration, for example by creating an out-of-the-way space for them to eat such as under a counter or building feeding dishes into a bottom drawer that can be slipped away when not in use.
Coming in. Dogs go out in all types of weather and frequently come in wet or dirty.
Good:Put down a rubber mat and keep a towel by the door. Teach your dog to wait until he gets the “All Clear “ before he heads off the mat.
Better: If possible use an entrance through a garage or mudroom where wet footprints won’t matter as much and you can wipe down your dog before he heads to the rest of the house.
Best: This is one of the latest design trends in luxury homes but you could do it in any home with space in the mudroom. Invest in a doggie shower with running water and a hand-held shower wand. I wish we had the space!
Last, but not least, provide your dog with a comfy cozy and WASHABLE dog bed so he won’t be tempted to get up on the couch - unless you want him to, that is.
Flooring material. Dogs can cause a great deal of wear and tear on floors - without the right type of flooring material they will soon leave their mark – one way or another. Most types of carpet are poor options, trapping pet dander, hair and odours.
Good: Area rugs or carpet tiles (which can be replaced easily) are good options.
Better: Wood floors are more resilient than carpet, but can become scratched. Some very hard woods are good choices.
Best: Tile is the best choice of flooring for houses with dogs. It can be cleaned easily and is hardy enough to stand up to rambunctious pets.
Pet bowls and food. Pet food and bowls can take up a lot of space depending on the size of your dog and the size of bag their kibble comes in.
Good: Invest in large plastic containers for dog food so you don’t have to go reaching into the bag at every meal. Put a rubber placemat on the floor to aid in clean up.
Better: Customize a dog food bin. In our house, we had a tall but narrow cupboard that would only have been good for trays or cookie sheets. We converted it to a pull out bin for dog kibble. Call a handy man and see if he can do the same to one of your little used cupboards.
Best: Some of the latest kitchen designs take dogs into consideration, for example by creating an out-of-the-way space for them to eat such as under a counter or building feeding dishes into a bottom drawer that can be slipped away when not in use.
Coming in. Dogs go out in all types of weather and frequently come in wet or dirty.
Good:Put down a rubber mat and keep a towel by the door. Teach your dog to wait until he gets the “All Clear “ before he heads off the mat.
Better: If possible use an entrance through a garage or mudroom where wet footprints won’t matter as much and you can wipe down your dog before he heads to the rest of the house.
Best: This is one of the latest design trends in luxury homes but you could do it in any home with space in the mudroom. Invest in a doggie shower with running water and a hand-held shower wand. I wish we had the space!
Last, but not least, provide your dog with a comfy cozy and WASHABLE dog bed so he won’t be tempted to get up on the couch - unless you want him to, that is.
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