As the old saying goes, a dog is a man’s best friend, and it has repeatedly been proven. They are the non-judgmental, unconditionally loving, innocent and steady companion that one wants. The relationship between humans and dogs have been a friendly one for a long time and if psychology is taken into account, people with dogs, or any pet for that matter, seem to be more happy and healthy. Even though you have the upper hand there, having a dog can have certain disadvantages, but it is not a problem.
First, you should accept the fact that if you have a dog, your house will be dirtier than normal. You may get used to the odor, developing a sort of nasal fatigue, but people coming from outside will register the smell immediately, and some may not find it comfortable. Thus, you have to make a little extra effort to keep your house clean with your dog around, and if you follow the tips mentioned below, your task is going to become a lot easier.
Regularly clean your pet’s things
It is natural that your dog will have a lot of toys and it is also normal that it will get dirty over time. Your dog cannot control the fur-shedding of your pet or its paws from getting muddy. What you can do is clean your pet’s stuff regularly. The pet bed, the toys, the towels you use to wipe them might catch on to the odor of your pet. It’s also vital to keep the hygiene of your dgo up to par. Be it with smooth dog toothpaste, or regular baths. Keeping your pet clean will keep the house cleaner!
Set aside a particular time of the day to clean these and you will see that the accumulated odor and dirt will be much lesser. If all these stuffs are machine-washable, you can dump it with your daily laundry, and else you can wash them with your hands using water and soap.
Choose the right tools
The armamentarium is very important here as there are a variety of breeds of dogs and all of them have variations in their hair growth, bulk, and pattern. The ones that are fluffier and hairier would understandably need grooming more often than their less-haired cousins. Even the shapes and sizes differ, and there are different types of brushes complementing them.
Using the right material for the bed and toys made of easily washable products are two other important choice that you could make to make your life easier while cleaning and caring for your dog.
Air your house
Are you apprehensive that your house will stink of your pet, something your guests won’t be very comfortable with? Well, the odor is bound to be there, but there are many ways of reducing it. Room fresheners are an obvious option, but nothing can beat the natural air. Open the windows and doors of your house for cross-ventilation and let the sunlight flow in.
Even if its winter, you should continue the practice for at least 10 minutes every day. The air is going to take away the smell, and the sunrays are going to act as a potent sterilizer, killing bacteria and other microorganisms.
Get control of the clutter
One thing you have to accept is that your dog is going to clutter. It doesn’t have the ability or the will to keep everything in place all the time. Cluttering makes the house look dirty and rugged. Therefore, do the next best thing, keep the clutter at a minimum by ably controlling it. Let your dog play throughout the day but take some time out to put back the toys at the right place.
Get rid of the ones that have been damaged or have gone out of favor by your dog. You could assign baskets exclusively for your pet stuff that will make it easier to segregate. You could also train your dog for limiting playful activities in a particular room or space, and even that is going to help to some extent. Overall, keep the clutter to the minimum.
Keep your pets clean
Your dog won’t keep themselves clean. As researchers say, they have the intelligence of a 2-year-old child. No wonder they are called your baby. Just as you have to take care of the cleanliness and hygiene of your child, you have to put in the same efforts for your dog as well. There is only so much that you can train them. Once your pet becomes too dirty, they start stinking. The odor might become uncomfortable for you too. You cannot restrict their movement inside the house; therefore, they will carry the dirt everywhere. This makes keeping your pet clean all the more important.
The most vulnerable areas are the footpads and the spaces between the toes and nails. Brush them every time your dog comes from outside. Give it a bath whenever required. Generally, three times a week is enough. You should not use shampoo or conditioner too often as it is not good for their fur but a wash with plain water will be as effective. You should take your dog for grooming sessions as well and get them cleaned and groomed nicely. Sometimes an expert opinion might be required. You could consult a specialist for the same.
Brush often
Like mentioned earlier, your furry friend is going to shed hair throughout the year. There is no foregoing the situation. Most of you must have faced the uncomfortable situation of having dog hair all over your sofa and other pieces of furniture. It becomes all the more evident when a guest comes and sits on one of them, and their clothes get embedded with the hair. It can be quite an embarrassing and uncomfortable situation.
Vacuuming is a remedy for it, daily, including all the nooks and corners, but if you have to stem the problem in its bud, you have to change the grooming pattern of your dog. Researches have shown that switching from brushing your dog once a week to once a day for a shorter period reduces shedding remarkably. Take your dog out and brush it for 5 minutes every day and the reduced hair shedding will be there for you to compare.
The tips mentioned in this article are going to be helpful to achieve the difficult, that is, having a dog and a super clean house.
Author Bio
Chad Rubin (Ecommerce Renegade) builds e-commerce businesses. Fresh out of college and Wall Street, he took his family vacuum business online and built his own direct to consumer e-commerce business called Crucial Vacuum. He grew it from 0 a $20 million dollar valuation in just 7 years. He happens to be a top 250 Amazon seller. He co-founded Skubana with DJ Kunovac and built one of e-commerce’s hottest operational software’s.
