5 Home Remodeling Tips for Dog-Owners

You’ve made your house a home for your furry family member. They have a comfortable place to sleep at night, a collection of half-destroyed chew toys and a designated area for their daily meals. In other words, you’ve gone out of your way to ensure your dog is happy and healthy in your home.

Of course, you can always go the extra mile, and not just on your walks. If you plan to remodel your home in the near future, you should consider making a few easy adjustments for your pet — that can improve everyone’s quality of life.

Here are five features and tips to keep in mind as you continue.

1. Keep Your Dog Secure and Safe

Dogs are used to certain routines, and a home improvement project might throw them off. Between loud noises, inaccessible spaces and potential hazards, it’s important for you to start by creating a game plan for your dog during any remodel.

Before the work begins, choose a room where you can safely contain your pet and help them get used to the new space. If you’re installing kitchen cabinets, for example, your dog might not understand why he can’t have dinner in his usual spot. Positive associations with the safe room can go a long way in keeping them comfortable with the chaos of a home project.

2. Choose Pet-Resistant Flooring

Homeowners with hardwood floors are well aware of the dangers of an overexcited dog. While they’re “man’s best friend,” they’re sometimes flooring’s worst enemy. If you’re looking to change up your home’s floors, it may be time to evaluate which rooms would most benefit from materials that are more pet-friendly than most.

It’s advisable to review the pros and cons of the different materials and decide on something that accommodates your dog’s behavior. While there are preventative steps you can take for any material you choose, one of the best choices includes high-quality vinyl, which provides traction for pets without showing scratches.

3. Go for Pet-Friendly Landscaping

One of the challenges dog-owners have to deal with is digging. It’s difficult to break this bad habit, and outside of constant scolding, few solutions actually help. Even so, you can preempt this type of problem with more significant alterations to your landscaping if you’re willing to put in the time.

Concerning these alterations, you should consider a designated digging spot. Just set aside an area of your backyard, layer it with mulch or sand and teach your dog to dig in that space, and that space alone. With time and effort, you can condition your dog to stop digging in your grass and garden.

4. Add a Dog Washing Station

After you’ve returned from a lengthy walk along your usual path, you might notice that your dog brought a bit of the path home with them. Normally, you’d handle this dirt, mud and debris with a garden hose, but that’s inconvenient and unwieldy. Neither you nor your dog is likely to enjoy the experience.

With the inclusion of a dog washing station in your home, you can bypass the circumstances of an awkward hose and an anxious animal. These stations are similar in appearance to a shower stall, but they’re half the height. If you’re remodeling your ground-floor laundry room, give thought to this addition.

5. Built-In Sleeping Area

On the subject of integrated features for your furry friend, you might like the idea of a built-in bed. It gives your pet a designated place to sleep — and expands the amount of space you have for furnishings and decor. That said, you should take certain precautions when you’re designing the space. Follow these guidelines:

• Keep the opening at least twice the standing height and width of your dog.
• Reinforce the bottom material so it can support at least 1.5 times your dog’s weight.
• Anchor the structure of the bed to the floor and/or wall to maintain its integrity.

Dog-Friendly Home Remodeling

Moving forward, research the subject of pet safety and home renovation. The noisy whirof power tools and noxious fumes aren’t healthy for your dog, and it’s often best to remove them from the premises until the project is complete. When youbring them back, they’ll feel all the more excited for the amazing changes you’ve made.

About The Author: Holly Welles is a home & garden writer. She shares more advice on creating beauty in your home on her own blog, The Estate Update, and on Twitter.