CasaSugar

Ask Casa: Decorating With a Puppy in Mind

CasaSugar — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:00:34 -0700

Hi Casa,

We've just recently adopted an adorable puppy, and we're having a great time with her. The only problem is she's taken over the house! We had to move and hide anything she might eat or chew, so our living room and bookcases look empty.

Our kitchen is overwhelmed by her dog bed, and her doggy toys are scattered all over. Plus there's always that dog "smell." I know we need to just find the right system of organization and storage that will be safe for her and attractive to us, but I don't even know where to start! Any suggestions or tips?

Thanks!
Alex

To see my suggestions, read more.

Hi Alex,

As it happens, I'm pretty well-versed on this one, since my husband and I adopted a puppy back in June (that's him lounging on a friend's sofa a few months ago). It's been eight years since I dealt with a puppy, and I'd forgotten how much work it is! Here are the most helpful things that I've gleaned from my experience of living with, and decorating around, a puppy.

During the day, the puppy is crated, so I usually air out his dog bed on our deck, to keep it smelling fresh. This helps cut the doggy smell.
To organize his toys, I placed a blue tin bucket in one corner. It's actually a really cute container in itself. While Haiko, our puppy, will take his toys out (and won't return them, sigh), it's easier to just toss them all in this bucket once he's abandoned one. This keeps us from tripping over bones and balls, and also keeps the house tidier.
Try to teach your puppy to enjoy one place in common areas as her spot. You can do this by placing her bed in that area, and then rewarding her with praise and treats when she stays there. Eventually, she'll settle in that spot.
I sympathize with you and your empty bookshelves, but don't worry, your puppy will grow out of the chewing stage. I'd try replacing your books little by little. Make sure to sternly tell your pup "No!" if she tries to chew on them, and give her a Kong or bone when she approaches your books. Our puppy went through a long chewing phase, but with simple reprimands and redirecting, he's now left our books and records alone.
To cut down on the doggy smell further, air out your house by opening windows. You can also try a natural air freshener or Nature's Miracle to eliminate odors.
Since doggy smells tend to stick to upholstery, keeping your pets off of furniture will reduce doggy smells as well. If you can't bear to keep your pup off the sofa or bed, you can try laying down a fleece blanket where your puppy usually rests. Make sure to regularly wash the blanket to cut down on smells.
You might also want to look into investing in a dog bed that will fit into your decorating scheme easier. Check out these dog beds on PetSugar for more ideas.

Anyone else have a great puppy strategy? Tell Alex about it when you leave a comment.

Hope this helps!
Casa

Open House: What's Your Home's Pet Policy?

CasaSugar — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 05:30:02 -0700

My husband and I share our house with two dogs, which means a lot more vacuuming and dusting than nonpet people experience in their homes. We try to keep things tidier by keeping the pups off of furniture. However, they have full run of the house, hang out in every room, and even keep us company while we're cooking in the kitchen.

Since they have good manners, I don't mind having them underfoot, but I know that some families keep their dogs relegated to certain areas of the house or even crate them for much of the time that they're home.

So tell me, do you have dogs, cats, or other indoor pets? Do you let them up on your sofa or bed? What's your house's pet policy?

Source: Flickr User Emery_Way

Do You Let Your Pets on Your Sofa?

CasaSugar — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 05:30:18 -0700

Many of us allow our pets up on the sofa, but all that pet hair can add up to a lot of cleaning. Do you let your pets on your sofa, or do they stay on ground level?

Source: Photo by ansik

Open House: How Do You Deal With Pets in Your Garden?

CasaSugar — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 05:30:00 -0700

My mother-in-law has amazing flower and edible gardens at her cabin on Whidbey Island, off the coast of Washington. She also has a very exuberant ball-fetching standard poodle named Zoe. When I visited the cabin last weekend, I walked around her property, stunned by the bursts of color from her rhododendrons, peonies, roses, lilacs, honeysuckle, and numerous other flowering plants. And then there was Zoe, who diligently followed me and dropped her ball at my feet whenever I'd pause.
Even though Zoe is a big, active dog, her damage to my mother-in-law's fabulous garden seems minimal at worst. There are several gravel paths, upon which Zoe usually travels when outside. Two grassy patches seem to be her preferred outdoor lounging spots, and she's well-trained enough not to tramp around in the surrounding flowering gardens or strawberry patches.

Do you negotiate the issue of shared garden and pet space? How do you deal with pets in your flower garden? Do you train Fido to stay out? Do you use fencing or natural deterrents to keep your pets away from your favorite plants? Tell me all about it!

Ask Casa: Cat Hair on Curtains

CasaSugar — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 10:00:29 -0800

Dear Casa,
You recently posted a story about hanging curtains. All of my curtains have been hanging happily for a while now, but they get a lot of cat hair on them! Taking them down is a pain because the curtain rod has a little screw to keep it from moving around. I live alone, so using the vacuum was scary and I thought I might pull them down. Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks,
Scissorz

To hear my suggestions for Scissorz, read more.

Hi Scissorz,
Good questions! I'm assuming shaving your cat (kidding!) is out of the question, so I have a few other suggestions for you.

First of all, you might consider replacing your curtain rods with some that don't screw in. Check out Shopstyle for a range of choices.
If your vacuum has a long wand with a brush at the end, you should be able to safely vacuum your curtains hanging.
You can also just use a lint brush or a fur fighter to remove your pet hair directly from the curtains.
I'd also recommend purchasing curtains or shades with button tabs like the PB Solutions Button-Up Shade ($48), which you can just unbutton to remove without having to unscrew your curtain rod.
If you're partial to the curtains you own, you can just have a seamstress add button tabs to them, or do it yourself if you know how to sew.
You can also unstitch the foldover part of your curtains, and iron on velcro where the curtains were stitched together. So, instead of running the curtain through the rod, you just keep it wrapped around the rod with the velcro. Then, you can easily pull them off when you vacuum them.

Hope that helps!
Cheers,
Casa

Do You Allow Pets on Your Bed?

CasaSugar — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 10:00:56 -0800

As much as I try to resist letting my pup on the bed at night, I always seem to allow her up for a little bit. If I could resist, I'd definitely have an easier time keeping my duvet cover dog-hair free. What do you do at your home?

Source

Love It or Hate It? Pets in Shelter Photos

CasaSugar — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:00:08 -0700

I've been inspired by a lot of the Apartment Therapy Fall Colors 2008 Contest entries, and it seems like my favorites involve homes with pets in the photos. Of course, this is a reflection of my pet love in general. However, I really do believe that a cute pup or kitty in a photo makes an appealing home look 10 times better. Are you with me, or do animals in shelter shots leave you cold?

Source

How-To: Protect Your Plants from Your Pets

CasaSugar — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:00:13 -0700

It's no secret that pets like to go where they're unwelcome. Digging up soil is often a favorite activity of theirs. Sometimes they just like to make a mess, and in other cases, the scent or texture of your plant's leaves attracts them. In Lady in the Tramp, it was cute and all, but not when it comes to the plants you've painstakingly grown from seeds during Good to Grow month. But don't worry: There are several ways to protect your plants from your pets. To see them, read more

Here are several solutions, from Martha Stewart:

Sticking toothpicks around the plant, with about 3/4" out of the ground, will deter your pets. The sharp points will scare them!
Covering the soil with chicken wire and rocks will make the soil inaccessible. Wrap the chicken wire around the plant or tree first. Secure it in place. Then, place large decorative rocks on top.
Misting your plants with a garlic and pepper spray will deter your pets by scent. To make the spray, mix 1 quart water, 4 tbsp. of red-pepper flakes, and 2 tbsp. of garlic powder, strain the mixture so it's just liquid, and pour into a spray bottle.

Also, be sure to check out these solutions from PetSugar, and learn to pet-proof your home by avoiding poisonous plants.
Source

Double the Frames for a Dramatic Effect

CasaSugar — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 04:03:31 -0700

Sgdish writes on Su Casa that she "found this adorable oil painting of a Yorkie on eBay, but it needed a little 'something something,' so I came up with adding an extra antique frame around the picture to give it more presence. Try it with a piece of art that just isn't big enough."

I love this idea, and I love that painting, too. Sgdish, by the way, is a proud owner of four Yorkies herself, so the painting has a lot of personal meaning, I'm sure.

Open House Recap: Pets and Your Home

CasaSugar — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 04:14:57 -0700

Those of us who live with pets struggle to varying degrees with how to keep our homes clean, organized, and pretty, even with a 60-pound dog underfoot or a kitty who likes to use your favorite chaise lounge as a scratching post. So for last weekend's Open House, I asked readers to share your secrets for living happily, healthfully, and beautifully with pets in your home.

Not only did you guys give me some great ideas, but you're also inspiring me to rethink my current practice of not crating my dog. Check out some of my favorite words of advice below.

Pez4Pres: I used to use flushable litter until I found out that cat litter has a parasite that survives sewage treatment and ends up in the ocean where it can kill sea otters I like otters more than flushable litter so now I clean it out every night and use the littermate. It's basically a diaper genie for cats. It works pretty well, and helps keep odors down.
SDJackson: If you buy a kennel, make sure it's big enough for them to turn around in it, stand in it, and lay down in it. And I refused to put it outside...that seemed a little extreme for our tiny dog. Of course, that meant I had an ugly black cage in the corner of my living room, but I whipped up a couple of rectangles using a really nice upholstery fabric and attached them to each side of the kennel with ribbon. Then I added some pockets for dog toys. It was a super easy way to fuse my love for my dog with my love for clean carpet.
MellyBChappyChap: To keep my cat Napoleon content and entertained I put his scratching tower post by the big picture window. He sits on the top perch and watches the people in my apartment go by. Now, I hear people call up and say, "Hi Napoleon!" and most times he'll meow back. Because of his supreme cuteness, I've already had someone in the complex say anytime my boyfriend and I go out of town, he'd love to cat-sit. I almost didn't put his post there because it's not the best living room design, but seeing how happy it makes Napoleon and my neighbors, I wouldn't put it anywhere else.
Daisie: Kitty isn't allowed on the kitchen counters. It helps that they are too high for her to jump on, but if she ever jumps where she shouldn't, it's best to catch her in the act and say "NO" a few times while removing her. Clapping your hands and saying "no" loudly works now-she knows if that happens it is a no-no and to stop.

For lots of other ideas, read more

Stefsprl: We had lots of problems with our cats getting up on our kitchen counters as soon as they got big enough to jump up there. We put double-sided Scotch tape in rows (with about two inches in between strips) across the counter, and it worked like a charm. It became an unpleasant experience for them, so they stopped doing it (cats associate discipline with the person, not the actual act itself-essentially, they just learn to not do whatever they're doing when you're around rather than learning it's wrong).
Sweetpeabrina: To keep [my cat] Gadget from snacking on plants, when I first bring plants in, I spritz them with a mixture of vinegar and crushed red peppers.
Chancleta: My advice for renters with dogs: If you're a big dog owner like me, you know that landlords flinch when you mention your baby weighs more than 25 pounds. Some landlords find it hard to believe that bigger doesn't mean worse. So a couple of years ago I started getting a letter of recommendation for my baby. Yes, sounds crazy, but it works! When you move out and the landlord sees how your precious baby didn't do any damage, ask for a letter of recommendation for your pooch. Just a letter saying he didn't do any damages. That way you can show the next landlord a letter from the previous landlord as proof that your baby isn't "that kind of dog."
Verily: My cats don't hang out on my counters (thank god!), but one of them discovered that my Bunn coffee maker is very nice and warm at all times. To deal with that, I put two pieces of duct tape on the top of it. Cats totally hate the feel of it and it's way more durable than Scotch tape.
Arienne: To deal with dog hair, sticky lint rollers are are a lifesaver. My Dyson vacuum is a must-have for me too.
Brendelwoman: I agree that kenneling a dog is a good thing. They really do look at it as their safe place. We got a puppy eight days ago and he is already adapted to going to the crate when I cannot keep a watchful eye on him. It also helps to have an older dog to model good behavior.