If you’re like me, a clean house lifts a huge load of stress off of your shoulders. This can become more challenging when living with friends–specifically the four-legged ones! Communicating who fed the pup last and when, keeping track of the leash, stocking up on poop bags – all of these big, “little things” can be alleviated with the right tools. There are a few additions to your house that you can make that will keep everything organized and make your home that much more dog-friendly.
Here are my picks for keeping your house organized as a dog parent.
Feeding Schedule Magnet
“Babe, did you feed the dog?” A phrase that’s commonly thrown around in our household. My partner and I live on varying schedules so communication is imperative. However, we both work from home and see each other often enough to verbally communicate quickly. This may not be the case for you and your human housemate. If you leave or return home before your housemate, this little tool can be helpful to communicate who fed the pup last.
Food Storage Container
Let’s face it, dog food bags are a hassle. Since it’s conception, the dog food bag hasn’t evolved much. To this day it remain clunky, loud, and inefficient. How would you like to eat stale kibble for half a month until the next bag? Preserve the flavor (and arguable nutrients) of your dog’s chow with an airtight dog food storage container. It doesn’t have to be a fancy or expensive! There are lots of affordable options that can compliment your home decor and that don’t take up a whole bunch of space in your pantry.
Toy Box
Like babies, dogs should only have a few toys available for play at a time. The purpose of having toys is to keep your pup occupied. Having one or two out for them to play with while the rest are put away can help prevent boredom. Side note: Don’t hesitate to rotate the toys and remember to wash toys that are out of rotation. Having a designated container for your pup’s toy collection can also help keep your floors clear of clutter. You can use any tub or container that’s large enough to fit the toys (we painted an old popcorn tin for our dog’s toys), but there are lots of inexpensive custom containers out there as well!
Dog Walk Station
You need to leave for work in 15 minutes and can’t find the dog leash. Fido is giving you those eyes like he needs to go NOW. Great, you’ve found the leash…dang it! You’re out of poop bags! We’ve all been there. Having a little walk station with walking accessories can make walk times a little more efficient. Installing a simple set of hooks for leashes, collars, harnesses, with a small shelf above for poop bags and doggy water bottles by the door makes a huge difference.
Treat Jar
Remember the cookie jar on the top shelf in your parents’ or grandparents’ kitchen? Having a similar concept for your pup’s treats keeps the pantry organized and prevents mixing up human snacks with dog snacks (Don’t lie, you’ve absolutely picked up a bag of beef crunchies thinking they were yours!). Using a cute, airtight jar adds aesthetics to your kitchen space while keeping the dog treats fresh.
Grooming Caddy
A shower caddy was mentioned earlier – a grooming caddy is just that, but for doggy shampoos, conditioners, brushes, and anything else you use to bathe your pup. Have y’all heard of doggy perfume? I’m not that fancy, but go off! The theme is organization–you’ll want to store your pup’s belongings in the room it belongs in without cluttering the space. Keep the caddy under the sink or in the linen closet until bath day comes along.
In the mood to get you and your pets organized this fall? Check out these other posts for some new season home inspo!
How to Make Your Home Dog-Friendly
