Decorating Tips for Dog Lovers

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Are you like me and the sight of your dog waiting for you at the door when you get home with his tail wagging, legs high-stepping, and face smiling, just warms your heart? I have always loved animals, but dogs hold an extra special place in my heart. Even after the most difficult of days, there is something about a dog’s presence that is so comforting. It’s no wonder that so many of us choose to share our homes with canine companions, and my husband and I are no exception.

Meet Caesar. Caesar is our 9-year-old, 90-pound hound dog. He is full of love, with a personality as big as he is.

Caesar is a good dog, but has some stubborn tendencies that have remained over the years despite our efforts to train him otherwise. Caesar is also a very large dog, and that means a few things. For instance, he is notorious for leaving large wet nose marks across the bottom half of the windows and leaving puddles of water on the floor as he laps up a refreshing drink of water. He has been known to occasionally stamp the floor with large muddy paw prints as he trots back in the house from outside and will inevitably leave a heavy dusting of dog fur wherever he lays, which does occasionally include the sofa and all the throw pillows - every. single. one.

For the home decorating enthusiast like me who aspires to have a well-kept home at all times, dogs bring a few challenges, especially a big dog like Caesar. Challenging or not, in our home living without a dog just isn’t something we are interested in. So, if you’re like me, and you’ve tried all the things, but your hound is set in his ways, then you are in good company. Over the years of sharing my home with a large four-legged friend, I have learned a few simple tips that have helped me balance good design and my love for dogs:

1. Have a comfy spot for him to call his own. It may be obvious, but it is worth mentioning. If you’re like me and your dog still has a tendency to get up on furniture, ask yourself if he has a comfy, accessible spot for him to call his own. When Caesar was a puppy, I would always make sure his dog bed was in the room we were in. Once he got older, I got into the habit of just keeping it in the bedroom, and when I would leave for work I would shut the door to keep him out. Day after day, despite all the training to stay off furniture, I would come home to find him sprawled out on the living room sofa laying over the nice throw pillows and covering the entire couch in dog fur. When I started moving his bed out to the main living area again where he could access it during the day, he started to get back into the habit of being in his own comfy spot in his own bed. Whether you decide to do multiple dog beds or just one, having a comfy spot that he knows is his is key. We recently purchased this orthopedic dog bed for Caesar and it quickly become his prefered new spot.

2. Machine-washable curtains. If you have a dog, especially a large dog, you may be familiar with the struggle of selecting the best window treatments for your pet. Recently, I was updating the treatments on our front windows in our home which were previously covered with vertical blinds that I absolutely hated. Even worse, when the blinds were closed and Caesar was suddenly startled by something outside, he would ransack the blinds to check out whatever might be out there, which eventually lead to some of the blinds getting broken. When I decided it was time for a change, I had initially purchased off-white, heavy, velvet curtain panels. While these curtains were beautiful, the dry-clean only requirement was simply not practical, especially with a dog. Caesar’s face is always wet, and his wet face pushing the curtains around day after day caused discoloration that even dry-cleaning didn’t get totally out. I eventually purchased these linen-blend curtains that are machine washable, and they have been a game changer.

3. Pet-friendly flooring. We updated the flooring throughout our home about a year and a half ago and decided to go with luxury vinyl. This flooring is pet proof, waterproof, scratch resistant, and cleans so easily. Since putting the flooring in, we continue to be reminded of its durability, especially with a large dog. Caesar loves to do zoomies when my husband and I get home from work. He runs circles around our living room, dodging chairs and end tables as he races by at full speed. This floor has consistently resisted his large nails, and even holds up to damage from the occassional terracotta vase that he knocks over and breaks.

4. Consider the fabric of your throw pillow covers. Several years ago I splurged on beautiful woven pillow covers from a popular home brand. I have since learned that these were not a practical purchase, especially since I purchased them specifically for the sofa, which Caesar would often get on. The pillows would be covered in dog fur that just clung to the woven fabric. Additionally, these woven pillows were all spot clean only, which is not very dog friendly. Today, I try to buy pillow covers that are made of cotton or linen blends. In my experience, Caesar’s fur doesn’t seem to stick to these fabrics as much as the chunky woven pillows I was once drawn to. Additionally, finding pillow covers that are machine washable has been a life saver when the occassional smudge from his wet face is left on the pillow.

5. Aluminum foil. My cousin is the one who first introduced me to using aluminum foil to discourage dogs from getting on the furniture, and it has really worked in our home. You might be thinking to yourself that pieces of aluminum foil laying on your sofa doesn’t exactly align with good design, but neither does a sofa coated in dog fur that is sticking to your pillows and pants every time you sit down. For me, it is all about a little give and take. When we leave the house, tucking in a small piece of aluminium foil on each of the couch cushions keeps Caesar off the couch. When we get home, I simply put it away in the cabinet. It’s less time consuming than vacuuming the entire couch, and I don’t cringe when we have company over and they sit on the couch, fearing they will be covered in fur. When the aluminum foil is on the couch, he is significantly less interested in getting on furniture, especially when his comfy bed is also nearby. You know your dog best, so use your best judgement. Aluminum foil has really worked in our home.

6. Double-sided tape. As I mentioned, Caesar likes to do zoomies in the living room. He also occassionally gets startled by things outside, causing him to be a little uncordinated in his movement as he checks everything out. With him being such a large dog, sometimes furniture gets bumped when he is quickly moving around, and on one day in particular, it caused a vase to tip over and shatter. I was able to replace the vase, and ever since, I have used a small piece of this heavy duty double-sided tape on the bottom of the vase to keep it from rocking if the table is bumped. Even when I bump the table accidently with the vacuum, the vase doesn’t move now. At this point, I have used this tape for over two years and it has become my go-to adhesive for decorating. I use it to hang wall decor, hold picture frames straight, keep rugs and cords in place, and now to dog proof my decor in heavy traffic areas! A little bit goes a long way; it's strong enough to hold items in place, and doesn't damaged my walls and furniture.

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