A house isn’t a home without a dog, is what they say. When you finally get your pooch into your home, you’ll hopefully know that it was the right decision. Still, it’s not all going to be plain sailing, at least not without a little bit of work, at least. This, after all, is a situation where you’re bringing in another species into a domain that is designed for humans. Even though dogs are prepped for this type of domestication, you can’t rely on evolution to take care of everything. Below, we take a look at a few essential tips that’ll make everything run more smoothly.
Be Committed
It’s important that everyone in the family is on board with the plan of bringing a dog into the home. The plan doesn’t really work if it’s, say, just the children that wanted a dog — and the parents reluctantly agreed. If you’re going to agree to adopt a dog, then you’ll need to have no doubts that it’s the right idea. Of course, don’t worry if one person isn’t as excited as everyone else. They’ll likely warm up once they see how cute and fun the pet is.
Washing and Grooming
Your dog will love to be in your house, but they’ll also love to be outside. And when they’re out there, they’re going to get dirty; it’s just inevitable. And then they’re going to bring that all that dirt (not to mention germs) back into your home. As such, it’s recommended that you set up a washing station for when you arrive back home. Ongoing grooming can also help to keep your dog looking (and, more importantly, smelling) at their best. There’ll always be a bit of smell, but it’ll help things a lot.
The Right Infrastructure
Of course, your dog is going to shed, they’re going to have accidents, they’re going to make their presence felt in the home. One way to combat this aspect of dog ownership is to kit out your home with the right infrastructure. There are dog-friendly alternatives for more or less everything in your property. There are floors that are suitable dogs. You can get artificial grass for dogs installed in your garden. There are linens and covers that reduce the number of dog hairs. Once you’ve got these things in your home, you’ll find that it’s much easier to keep things clean.
Ongoing Cleaning
It’s also recommended that you make a habit of ongoing cleaning in your home. If you’ve taken the steps above, then things will be kept under control, but it’s not as if you get to wash your hands of cleaning all together. If it’s allowed to build up, you could face an issue. Commit to five minutes of cleaning here and there; it’ll help you to stay on top of things.
Embrace a Little Mess
Finally, make sure that you’re OK with a little bit of mess. It’s just what happens when you have a dog, and you’ll go crazy if you get annoyed at every little imperfection.
