Dr Claire Stevens, a vet of 13 years and author of dog help book Love Your Dog, is mad about her golden retrievers, Frankie and Daisy. “They are the apples of our eyes, and big, important parts of our family,” says Stevens. “They’re super playful, affectionate, energetic dogs and they’re a full-time job in terms of their mischief.”
Mischief can lead to stress and exhaustion for owners so it’s best to jump onto these problems early. They might be adorable pets, but you’re the one in charge. Stevens takes us through some key steps to get your house in order.
Set some house rules
With dogs, establishing good behaviours makes cleanliness easier. “I think that house rules and training is one of the key things,” says Stevens. “No matter how hard you’re cleaning, if you’ve got a dog that’s running out into the muddy garden and all over the bed, you’re just not going to win.”
One easy option that Stevens recommends here is having a designated toilet area for dogs to use (cats will generally have one anyway), which keeps odours and mess contained and out of sight. Baby gates are another way Stevens likes to maintain order. “It just helps to keep them from making a mess, running through the rooms,” Stevens says. “And they often steal toys and pillows and chew them up so it’s nice to be able to separate that.”
Cleaning your home
“With vet clinics you have lots of chemicals as well as lots of animals so it can be quite a strong smell,” says Stevens. “It really helps to have a filtration device that captures air pollutants such as pet dander and odours for the workplace or home.”
It’s natural for pets to release pet dander into the home or cause things to smell a little bit off sometimes. You can help manage this by using an enzymatic cleaner to break down odour or use an air purifier, such as the Dyson Purifier Hot+Cool Formaldehyde. A purifier also assists with making sure the air inside your home is clean, making it less likely that you’ll be breathing in air pollutants from your furry friends.
Even well-behaved, healthy pets will drop fur or spill their food now and then, so regular cleaning is vital. “In terms of managing odour in our place, I do a vacuum every day. Then we’ve also got an electric mop and it’s got a water casket in it and it’s got a nice smelling liquid,” says Stevens.
Health and diet
Regular bathing and grooming are important, but if you notice pet odour still getting out of hand, it might be a health issue. “Infections and unhealthy skin smell,” says Stevens. “One of my dogs has a skin sensitivity and she gets a yeast overgrowth and [that] doesn’t smell nice.”
A vet should be the one to recommend any treatments there, but one thing you can do proactively is monitor your pet’s diet. “Diet is important. You need to make sure they’re on a really wholesome, complete, balanced diet with natural oils and omega-3 for their coat,” says Stevens. To put this into action, avoid the supermarket and head to the pet store or vet.
Be smart with storage
Another quick win: use storage containers to your advantage. Get yourself storage boxes that can double as seats so the clutter can truly disappear. Compartmentalising is also a helpful road to go down, for brushes, food and toys. “I like to have all their grooming equipment in a labelled box so when it’s time for baths I bring out all their brushes, and then there’s another one for leads and harnesses,” says Stevens. “Then, once a month, I throw them all in the washing machine and de-dogify everything.”
Keeping your dogs happy is just as important as maintaining some cleanliness and order, creating what Stevens calls a pet-friendly home. If you can make this happen, everyone can be at peace. “I see it as setting up your house with your furry companions front of mind, in an environment that’s easy to maintain but still really pleasant and enjoyable for people to be in. It’s so beautiful to have them in our lives but it’s nice to have some boundaries and routines that make it a really nice place to live.”
This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Dyson.
