Thinking of adopting a dog? Before you bring home a new furry friend, it could be important to make sure that your home is suitably dog-friendly. Below are just some of the factors you should consider when determining whether your home is suitable for a dog.
Indoor space
There needs to be enough space for you and your dog to live comfortably in your home. This doesn’t mean that you need a large home, however there should be enough floor space for a dog to happily walk around without knocking things over.
Smaller dogs tend to be better suited to smaller homes like bedsits and apartments. A larger dog may just end up causing chaos in such homes – think twice before getting a great dane in an apartment!
Outdoor space
Your dog needs outdoor space for running around and doing its business. If your home doesn’t have private outdoor space, it could mean having to go for walks to a local park every time your dog needs to do its business or wants to play. This could become a real hassle. Puppy toilet training could be especially challenging.
A private backyard is the best solution. This should ideally have secure fencing so that you can let your dog out without worrying about them running off or getting stolen. If you have a backyard but it doesn’t have fencing or the fencing is damaged, consider hiring a service like Simpson fencing company to install a new fence. Some styles of fence may be better at containing certain types of dogs than others.
Stairs
Dogs ideally shouldn’t have to travel up and down lots of stairs regularly. Stairs aren’t great for dogs’ joints, plus it can make having to take your dog out for the toilet more of a chore. This could be something to consider when living in an upper storey condo or apartment (many upper storey apartments may not allow dogs anyway).
Bungalow houses are the most ideal homes for dogs as they don’t have any stairs. Of course, if you have a house with two or more storeys and you don’t want your dog to use them, a simple solution could be to install a stairgate.
Furniture
You may also want to consider the fabric of your sofas and armchairs. Certain delicate materials could easily become stained from mud, could be hard to clean hair off of or could tear easily.
Leather is the best option as it is tough and easy to clean hair and mud from. If you don’t want leather furniture, a sofa slipcover could be another option for protecting your furniture (check out this guide to dog-friendly slipcovers at The Goody Pet). Alternatively, you could ban dogs from sitting on sofas. Just make sure that you buy a dog bed so that your dog has somewhere to lie.
Flooring
Finally, you should consider your flooring. Carpet is typically the best surface on dogs’ joints, but it’s also the most difficult surface to clean. Laminate and vinyl are easier to clean, but can scratch easily. Overall, tile may be the best option when it comes to cleaning and damage resistance, however it’s not the cosiest flooring solution.
Using machine-washable rugs in certain areas may help to protect your floor and make cleaning easier. This could include placing a rug by the back door or placing a rug under food bowls.