Do you want a dog but you’re afraid that you’ll have trouble keeping your house clean? Or do you already have one (or more) but you’re struggling to keep your home clean?
If you answered ‘yes’ to one or both of the questions above, you are in the right place. Having dogs in the house can add up to your weekly responsibilities. If you’re ready for it, that’s great!
If you are not sure, you’ll be able to make your decision once you’re done reading this. This article will give you some tips and tricks to have a spotless home despite it being co-occupied by additional mammalians.
So, enjoy!
1. Train Your Dog
Adopting a dog may sound like a good idea at first when you’re still in the infatuation stage. However, it’s just as important to check beforehand if they have adequate training or not.
Both you and your dog need understanding and flexibility between each other to co-exist.
First and foremost, you can purchase guidebooks (great list here) to learn about training your dogs. You should also read books that teach you how to take care of them. This way, you will be well prepared for what is up ahead.
On the other hand, if you are already sharing your home with one or more dogs, you can read some articles and books to polish up your skills.
2. Vaccinate them
It’s important to have a neat and tidy home, but it’s also important to have a safe and hygienic one. Dogs bring with them a number of bacterias that can eventually harm the people living in the household.
Your vet can definitely keep you up-to-date about the vaccines your mutt needs to take. They will suggest the type of vaccines your dog needs to take depending on the type of health condition it has.
Core vaccines cure Leptospira, Borrelia burgdorferi and Bordetella bronchiseptica. Whereas non-core vaccines cure canine parvovirus, distemper, canine hepatitis and rabies diseases in dogs.
3. Bathe Them Every Month
Although some people may prefer to bathe their dogs every fortnight. However, you must know that dogs are different from us humans. They have bushy fur instead of bare skin.
If you bathe them too often, it can damage their coat and deprive their skin of moisture and natural oil. As long as your house doesn’t smell like dog sweat, they don’t need a bath immediately.
You must also be careful about the type of shampoo you chose for them. If your mutt friend has skin rashes or other similar conditions, you must get the shampoo your vet recommends.
4. Groom Them Every Week
Can you imagine how your hair will be like if you don’t brush it every day? If you forget to brush your dog once in a while, all hell will break loose!
You’ll have pet hair everywhere, and you don’t even want to think about what those fleas can do! To avoid such a disaster, you must brush your dog’s coat every week. Some may recommend that you brush them every day, but only if you can make that time.
By brushing them often, you help your pooches retain healthy skin. This will also prevent them from having a flea infestation. Purchase thick, soft brushes to groom your dogs. Yes, the ones that make them fall asleep.
To fight flea infestation, consult with your vet for a good medication.
5. Have All The Essential Pet Cleaning Tools
You may think that you have all the best cleaning tools to keep your house clean. But when you have dogs, you have to up your game. Ordinary cleaning tools just won’t do for them.
Having a dog requires you to add some extra chores to your home cleaning routine. You need to make sure that your curtains, carpets, bed sheets and furniture are both fur-free and odor-free.
Make sure to add separate gloves, soap, and sponges to keep dog’s pots and potties squeaky clean as well.
In order to keep the fabrics and carpets clean, you should invest in quality pet carpet cleaners. These will keep pet hair and bad odor away from your home.
6. Give Them Their Own Space
As much as you love your dog’s company, you also need to give it its own space. It needs its own privacy and solitude.
Prepare a small space in the house for them, where they can sleep, eat and spend some ‘me’ time in. By giving them their space, you are actually letting them calm down.
Provide them small comfy beds and blankets. Have some drinking water by the side, and make sure the temperature of that area is moderate. Dogs will spend less time messing your house if they have their own space to lounge in.
For food, water or rest, they will choose their private havens instead of the other rooms. Leave their toys in that space, so they can play over there as well.
7. Wipe Their Paws
You can’t expect your dog to stay at home and stay clean all the time. Dogs were born wild, and they love the wild. So, expect to have them running about the house and the backyard all day.
Also, expect them to come back inside the house with dirty paws. Tsk, tsk.
Have clean wet towels soaked in soap, and use them to wipe their muddy paws. Timing is everything here. You need to clean those paws before they step on your carpet!
In the event that it is too much for you, you can give your little canine friends some schooling with the help of a professional dog trainer.
8. Ventilate The Rooms
Having dogs in the house will make it smell bad, no doubt. It’s also a problem if any of your family or a guest is allergic to pet hair. Even if you brush them routinely, they will shed.
In fact, some dogs shed heavily. The best solution is to ventilate the rooms every day. Keep your windows open for at least two hours daily for some fresh air.
We don’t recommend artificial fragrances to clean the rooms, as they are harmful to health. But if you don’t want to leave the windows open for too long, invest in air purifiers. They will get rid of the bad odor, air particles, and allergens.
Lastly, even though you know they will bring back muddy paws, let your dogs stay outside during the day. That way, your home will smell less like them.
Final Thoughts
If you were planning to own a dog but needed some more information before making the final decision, we hope you have made up your mind by now.
Having an extra member of the family will increase your responsibilities. But it will also give you a lifetime companion that you can cherish and love.
If you think cleaning after your dog is bothersome, think of all the ways dogs have helped humans. Besides, you can always train your dogs to clean up after themselves.
Dogs are loyal animals. Take care of them now, and they will reward you with a lifetime of love.
Author Bio:
Shawn is a content writer at FeedFond. He’s a doting father not only to his two children but also to his two Golden Retrievers. Check out more of his articles atFeedFond.com.
