Owning a dog is a wonderful part of family life. Anyone who has owned a dog prior or currently owns one will agree that these pets aren’t just pets – they’re family.

However, just like any family member, dogs can cause a mess and so it’s good to be aware of what damage they could do to your home if they’re not well trained or they have a habit of scratching certain furniture out of boredom during the day.

There are many ways in which you can create a balance between keeping your dog entertained and your home in good working order. Here are some helpful tips that will keep your home in good condition and hopefully avoid any damage caused by your beloved pooch.

Ensure your dog is well-trained

Keeping your dog well-trained is something that should happen from the very beginning. Everything you do leaves an impression on your dog, whether that’s a positive one or a negative one.

For example, if you’re feeding your dogs scraps from the dinner table, they’ll be hanging around the dinner table, even getting on their hind legs to reach the table for food that might not be theirs to take.

It’s therefore important that you’re giving your dog all of the best training possible in order to avoid any problems.

If the dog is a puppy and you’ve only just got them, then it’s a good idea to look at introducing them to a puppy training course in their first weeks of living with you. If the dog is older, then the saying you can’t teach a dog new tricks, isn’t always entirely true. Dogs are smart, even if they don’t always display it.

Groom your dog regularly to avoid mess

When it comes to dog breeds, every breed is different from the next and one of the areas to consider is their grooming routine. Some dogs might require more dog grooming than other dogs, whereas other dogs might need very minimal effort because they’ve got no undercoat or they’re hypoallergenic.

Hypoallergenic dogs don’t shed or if they do, it’s very minimal. Therefore, you might not have a problem with much mess. However, if they’re going out and getting dirty, they’ll be bringing that dirt in with them.

Grooming your dogs regularly is going to help with protecting your home both externally and internally. Regular weekly bathtimes might be necessary to keep your dog clean, as well as taking them to the groomers to be groomed every six to eight weeks.

Again, some dogs might need more or less when it comes to dog grooming, so it’s worth knowing how quickly their coats grow and that will determine how often you take them to the pet salon.

Protect your upholstery

Protecting your upholstery is important because chances are, you’ve paid a lot for the furniture you have in your home. Some of that furniture might be sentimental, so it’s important that it’s protected from your dog where necessary.

Some dogs can end up chewing the ends of cushions when they’re bored, or as puppies. So with that in mind, you might want to put cushions out of reach when you’re leaving the home.

There are protective covers that you can put over your couches in order to keep them safe from your dog’s claws and teeth.

If you’ve got a dog that tends to roam around the home during the day while you’re out, then you could always close doors or put stair gates in places where you don’t want your dog to get into.

Have a dog cleaning station for wet and dirty dogs

A good dog cleaning station is helpful to have when it comes to wet and dirty dogs that come into the home after a long walk.

There’s nothing more terrifying than having cream or white walls and having a muddy dog come into the home. They’re more than likely to shake their coats dry, meaning dirt and mud are going to go all up those lovely – and often pristine – walls.

A dog cleaning station and these dog grooming tools can be helpful to keep your dog out of the places they shouldn’t be when they’re still wet and damp. When you have a specific place where you can dry off or bath and blow dry your dog, it’s going to make a big difference to how clean the rest of the home remains.

For some, installing a dog cleaning station in the utility spaces of their home is often a good option but doing this outside can also be helpful if you don’t have the ability to create this space inside the home.

Buy a good dog bed that’s washable

A good dog bed is important for your dog for the comfort of their sleep, as a place of security for when they want to be by themselves and to keep them away from areas you don’t want them in.

Dog beds come in all different shapes and sizes, as well as materials. Ideally, when it comes to your dog, if they’re somewhat active outside and regularly get themselves dirty, you should be looking at getting them a dog bed that’s washable.

If you’re not getting a washable dog bed, then you’re likely going to need to replace this more often than not because most dogs will end up getting it dirty and making it hard to clean.

Put stairgates in place to block entry where required

Stairgates are important to have in place when it comes to keeping your home in good condition.

While dogs might like the freedom of roaming around the home, you might not want them getting into certain rooms where they could end up doing damage.

Children’s rooms and walk-in wardrobes, for example, may be places that you want to keep your dog or dogs out of for the sake of safety for both your pet and your belongings. With stairgates, they’re not just effective for children but for keeping dogs out of specific rooms too. It’s worth putting these in place if you’re trying to avoid any damage in certain spaces.

Air Out your home regularly

Airing out your home regularly is important because ventilation is helpful in preventing things like dampness and mould from appearing in the home. 

You want to try and ensure your home remains as clean as possible and the quality of the air contributes to this. When you’ve got dogs in your home, it can easily smell like dogs and because you’re living in the space a lot of the time, you might not be able to smell it.

Therefore, it’s a good idea to air your home out regularly, opening windows and doors to make sure your home’s being aired out and fresh air is coming in.

It might also be worth getting a dehumidifier and maybe putting some scent diffusers around the home in order to keep it smelling nice all the time – without you needing to do much to achieve it.

Have good cleaning products for accidents

To help with the occasional accidents, it’s useful to have a selection of dog cleaning products available. When dogs are young, they often have accidents as you’re training them. At the same time, when a dog is older, they may struggle to hold their bladder, which means you’ll want to take them out more often.

However, sometimes, accidents happen and it’s therefore useful to have products on hand to clean up the accidents before they cause further damage.

For example, if your dog pees on a wooden floor, the liquid can often seep in between the joints and warp the wood. So it’s good to get on to these accidents as quickly as possible to prevent structural damage as well as cosmetic/surface damage.

Clean your pet toys and don’t play ball indoors 

The dog’s toys can create a lot of bacteria and dirt on them, so it’s always useful to clean your pet toys so that they don’t spread all that dirt around your home. It’s even more important when you have little ones sharing the space with them.

Another recommendation when it comes to keeping your home in good condition is to avoid having any balls or toys that they’ll throw around or fetch, indoors. Instead, keep these toys outside so that it protect your walls, floors and everything else that might be valuable.

Keep exterior areas fenced over where required

Finally, make sure all of your exterior areas are fenced over and off where required. For example, you might have certain patches of plants or shrubs that you want to protect from damage, so it’s good to have these fenced off in order for your dog to avoid stepping on them.

Keeping your home in good condition when you have a dog can prove a little challenging but it’s a good way of helping ensure your home stays tidy and clean so that all your family members can enjoy it.