I get a lot of questions about my dogs and how we live with them. After all, a pet is an animal and living with an animal can sometimes be a bit challenging. There are plenty of gross moments and times I have to shrug it off when they get into something they shouldn’t. I thought it might be helpful to share some tips for living with dogs… it doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice style or your interior aesthetic, it just means doing things in a different way. I’m sharing my advice on the Interior Collective today!
First of all, you can read all about my fur babies here. Most of you already know I have a giant schnauzer (Finn) and a wire fox terrier (Johnny Cash). The two are best buds. They also instigate and get each other into a lot of trouble. That brings me to my first point…
T H E B R E E D
If you don’t already have a dog or are considering adopting one, some breeds are easier to live with (from an interior perspective). We’ve had Finn since he was a puppy and one thing we immediately loved about giants is their hypoallergenic and non-shedding qualities. Unlike a lot of my friends, we don’t suck up mega fur balls floating around the house on the daily. It definitely makes things easier! Both of our dogs have a hard coat and that means less hair to vacuum. Notice how I said less? Don’t be fooled… just because a dog breed is labeled “hypoallergenic and non-shedding” doesn’t mean they don’t shed at all. A dog is a dog, and they’re furry by nature. That means it still requires work to keep your home in a tip top, clean state.
T H E C L E A N I N G S C H E D U L E
My cleaning routine is a little out of wack due to our renovation, but typically I have a strict cleaning schedule and I stick to it.
- I like to vacuum every other day, or at least 2-3 times a week to control the pet dander and dog hair.
- Dusting is my least favorite thing to do, but it’s another frequent chore to tackle if you’re a pet owner. I try to dust once a week.
- Both dogs get regular baths. This is KEY. Clean dog = a clean house. Since Cash is much smaller and easier to bathe, he gets a bath at least once a week… sometimes more often. Finn’s baths are either weekly or once every two weeks. Keeping your dog clean makes a huge difference in keeping the rest of the home clean!
- Along with regular bathing, they both get brushed often (2-3 times per week). This pulls out and detangles any hair that will be shed. It’s healthy for your dog and better for your home.
- In addition to brushing and bathing, they also get coat spray in betweens baths that keeps them smelling fresh and their coats shiny.
- Before the dogs get their baths, I always wash all of their bedding. This makes a huge difference in smell. You’d be surprised how quickly their bedding gets stinky and gives our house ‘the dog smell’. In between baths, I’ll spray the bedding with febreeze or fabric freshener.
For the entire post, as well as dog-friendly DIYs and decor, click over to the Interior Collective. I’m sharing much more about my routine and life with pups.
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Sarah
August 16, 2017 at 4:53 pmWhat vacuum do you use to get all the dog hair?
Sarah
August 16, 2017 at 4:57 pmAwesome question!! I have the Dyson Animal (cordless)… find it here: http://bit.ly/2waOhan
It gets all of the dog hair and they have the BEST customer service. They totally replaced it for free in the past (even when it was 4 years old).
Rachel
August 16, 2017 at 7:42 pmDo you bathe Finn in the bathtub? We have an 80 pound dog who doesn’t get regular baths because she’s getting older, and getting her in and out of the tub is tricky. Suggestions?
Sarah
August 16, 2017 at 7:44 pmGreat question! Finn seldomly gets bathed in the bathtub, but when it happens, I always make sure to put a beach towel down first… so he doesn’t scratch the tub. In the spring and summer, we bathe him outside with the hose (we have hot and cold water). In the fall and winter, we take him to a local self serve dog wash. It’s so much easier on your back. We are thinking about adding a dog bath station when we add a garage. I’ll definitely post about it if we do! xo
Sarah
August 16, 2017 at 7:46 pmI should also say… they do make ramps that make it easier for dogs to get in and out of the bathtub / car, etc. I once had an old lab who relied on the ramp for situations like that. The self serve dog wash has all sorts of different tubs- ones for senior dogs too, with a rubber ramp so they can grip it without sliding.
Rachel
August 16, 2017 at 9:39 pmThank you! We do have a mat for our smaller pup but I’ll have to look into the self serve places for our old girl. A ramp is probably in her future as well. A dog bath station sounds amazing! #dogmoms