How To Have A Dog-Friendly Home That Is Also Comfortable And Stylish
We consider our loving dogs as members of our family and we want to make them feel safe, comfortable and happy. However, our homes might not always be the safest place for them. They are naturally curious animals, so they often tend to get into trouble. The good news is that there are some things we can do and adjust to make their life carefree in our home. These things can also make us happy as well, you’ll see why! Take a look at some ways to make your home more dog-friendly.
Think about dog-proof furniture
As furniture adds to the style and comfort of our home, we need to choose it carefully – even more carefully when we own a dog. However, choosing pet-friendly furniture that is practical, functional and stylish is not easy. There are some things we need to take into consideration when choosing the appropriate furniture for our pet-friendly home. Even though not all dog owners allow their dogs on the furniture, sometimes we simply can’t resist when they look at us with those sad little eyes. If such a thing might happen to you, consider putting some specialized covers on top of your furniture. You can slipcover them in some washable fabrics or duvets. There are also special stain-resistant upholstery materials that you can use for reupholstering your furniture.
Consider dog-friendly flooring options
Flooring is yet another important factor when it comes to the general appeal of your home as well as your dog. The best type of flooring would definitely be some hardwood such as oak and mahogany, bamboo, or even tile. However, it is a costly investment that you should consider carefully. If this is not an option for you, carpets will work as well. You can perhaps consider changing them to some darker colours, if the already-existing ones are light in color. That way, signs of wear and tear will be less visible with the presence of a dog in a house. With the help of professional carpet layers, you’ll have new carpets in your home in no time!
Add a convenient feeding station to your dog-friendly home
Having your dog’s food and water bowls laying all around the house can create quite a mess. Not to mention that the dog itself can also create some mess while eating and drinking. And you and your family members can easily trip over them. In order to avoid this, you can designate one specific area that is only for eating, the so-called ‘feeding station.’ People usually designate a specific place in the kitchen to be the feeding station. One popular design option concerning the feeding station includes a bowl nook in the kitchen island.
Implement a comfy sleeping station as well
Like every animal, a dog also needs a quiet and comfy place to nap and sleep. As dog beds take up a lot of space and often don’t go with the design of our home, you can consider putting it in some tucked-away places. This could be under a big shelf, table, stairs, or perhaps an island.
Make some minor adjustments concerning the cords, plants and valuables
You might know this from your own experience: dogs do like chewing on things, especially electric cords. You understand the gravity of this problem. Not only that electric cords don’t look appealing lying around our home, they also pose a serious hazard. Consider hiding them or placing them in such a way that your dog can’t reach them.
As far as plants are concerned, some types can be poisonous to our dogs. Do your research on toxic plants before you bring them into your home. And as for valuables, don’t leave them lying around on a dog-reaching level. Put them away or find a more suitable place on them, for example, high up on a shelf.
Having a dog means having another family member, and we should protect them in the same way we do with other family members by creating a dog-friendly home. We should do it in such a way that will also bring us happiness and joy for being not only practical and functional but also stylish.
Author Bio
Maggie Holmes is a passionate blog writer who is extremely keen on writing about fashion, lifestyle, pets, and technology. Her exclusive hobby is to surf the net to find amazing articles that can inspire her with some fresh ideas for article writing. She loathes being a common person who wastes her time. Follow her on Twitter.
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