Clean homes and dogs are by no means mutually exclusive. To have both just requires planning and a little effort.
Many dog owners feel like they are involved in a constant struggle to keep themselves and their clean homes and dogs happy at the same time. It really doesn’t have to be that way.
What is required is a plan and a strategy, and some particular techniques.
With a system and the right tools, it really is a lot easier juggling pets and home cleaning.
Ultimately, what you should find is that you are spending much less time cleaning and much more time having fun with your dogs.
Dog-Proof The Entrance
The door is where a lot of the dirt enters any home – but particularly one with dogs. So maintaining a clean and dog-friendly home needs to happen at the front and back doors.
If your dog drags in the dirt, mud, and anything else untoward from the outdoors, proactively stopping it entering the home will give you a much better opportunity of keeping the rest of your property clean.
To start with you can choose a pet-specific, highly absorbent mat. Casa Pura makes a Dirt Trapper Mat that is both ultra absorbent and non-slip. It will help keep your house both spick and span! It has an innovative design that is able to soak up as much as 2.8kg/m² of moisture.
You could also consider adjusting the route your dog enters the home. For example, instead of entering through the front door, you could come around the back if you have a side entrance – especially on particularly muddy or rainy days.
Whatever entrance you choose, you could place the pet-specific, highly absorbent mat outside so you catch the worst of the grime before your dog enters.
Keep Your Dogs Clean
Having a clean dog is a prerequisite for keeping your home clean and your furniture spotless.
To do this may require working to get a regular clean homes and dogs routine set up for bathing and grooming your pets. It could be done by yourself at home or you could organise a professional groomer like Louise at the Otto & Alice Mobile Grooming Studio. The benefit of this is that Louise offers priceless convenience by coming to your home to groom your pets in her purpose-built mobile grooming van. Find out if Otto & Alice grooms in your area.
To make sure your dog is clean and smells fresh it’s best to discuss this with your groomer or your vet. It may be that your dog has very specific needs due to allergies or another health-related issue.
But some specific instances where a bath is probably a good idea to harness clean homes and dogs include:
- When your pet has rolled in something smelly, to keep animal waste and anything stinky out of your home.
- When your dog takes on that “doggy smell” for which some are particularly prone.
- If your dog has dandruff. In cases like this be sure the problem has not been caused by too frequent bathing that can wash the dog’s natural oils away, and use a specially formulated shampoo that will help moisturize your dog’s coat and skin.
- If your dog suffers from allergies. A shampoo like Malaseb is highly recommended because it is is an antibacterial, antifungal shampoo for the treatment of seborrhoeic dermatitis and ringworm. You will need a prescription from your vet.
- When a dog has fleas, mites or lice. Your vet will tell you the best course of action but if you have the correct medicated shampoo for bathtime you can go ahead and sort out the problem. Make sure you have a strategy for keeping this issue at bay in future and in your home.
Dog-Bathing
If the thought of giving your dog a bath makes you want to give up before you even start, don’t let it!
When thinking about clean homes and dogs, it can be a really enjoyable way of bonding with your best friend. Start by brushing your pet before the bath and then use certain types of products to make your dog’s time in the bath as pleasant as possible.
Make sure you use a shampoo that is specifically intended for dogs. Huma shampoos have different pH levels and can be harsh on your dog’s skin.
It’s best to start bathing your dog when it’s still a puppy as it helps them get used to it.
Don’t expect the bath to remove mats. This needs to be done with a brush before bathtime. It will make the whole process so much simpler and easy. It not only removes extra hair but keeps mats from forming in the water and helps make sure the shampoo is evenly distributed.
Start at the dog’s neck and then move back down the body. This stops any potential pests heading up to sensitive areas like the ears.
In Conclusion
Keeping your home clean and enjoying your dog should go hand-in-hand. By following the tips here you can aim for both a cleaner home and a cleaner dog. They provide a foundation to make things a little easier.
Image by heathergunn from Pixabay
