Dogs are terrific housemates, but like all roommates, they may have annoyingly messy habits every now and then. Nonetheless, we still love them and may need to make allowances and adjustments that keep the house neat and clean. Furniture is a special case, however, and may need a little extra TLC to stay looking good after our furry friends take over. To help you keep your best friend happy and your furnishings intact, here is a selection of ways to protect your furniture from dogs.
Keep It Clean
One of the surest ways to keep furniture in undamaged shape is regular maintenance, and that’s never truer than when a dog has chosen to make a particular chair or spot on the couch his or her throne. When that spot is unoccupied by his/her majesty, be sure to vacuum up any hair, wipe down the frame, launder the slipcovers, and flip the cushions periodically to prevent a distinctive doggy dent from appearing in them. Hopefully, your dog is in perfect health, but if the time comes when an accident happens or their tummy gets upset, move swiftly to contain and clean it up before it sets. Planning to pick up new furniture? Better upholstery to buy includes leather or microfiber—materials that resist stains and are easy to clean.
Keep Things Covered
We’ve mentioned slipcovers already, but if you don’t have any, pick up a few and cover up any furnishings where your dog sets up camp. Double the protection by investing in comfortable, machine washable blankets that you can spread over the entire piece. Your dog will appreciate the added snuggly comfort of the blanket, and you may even be able to coax them off the furniture and onto a special doggy bed eventually if they grow to love the blanket more than the couch or chair.
Grooming Is Important
Want to keep your furniture clean and shipshape? Then do likewise for your pet. Bring them in for regular grooming with a bath and shampoo, nail trim, and the rest, or do it yourself. Designate an entryway for coming into the house whenever there’s a storm or after a particularly dirty romp in the park, where you can clean them up before turning them loose. Speaking of the great outdoors, brush them down regularly outside, so the fur flies in the wind rather than becoming compacted in your cushions. They’ll love it and love you for it!
Supervision or Spray?
Here’s one of the final ways to protect your furniture from dogs: sometimes, you do all you can, but they still can’t be trusted to simply loaf on the couch. If they can’t resist chewing up the wood—which can hurt them badly—or tearing into the cushions, it may be time to exile them from the living room. Close the door and only allow them in while supervised. You can also spray furniture with citrus-based air fresheners because most dogs dislike the smell of citrus. Good luck!