In just a few days, thousands of dogs will compete at the ‘world’s best dog show’, Crufts, and dog lovers across the UK can admire some of the most beautiful and well-behaved dogs in the country. Regardless of how well-behaved your dog is though, dog-proofing your home can sometimes result in your home’s once-beautiful décor and design features having to take a back seat. So, is it possible to dog-proof your home and still make it stylish?
Expert carpenters and handypeople at the find-a-tradesperson platform Rated People have shared their advice on how you can create a home that’s safe for your beloved four-legged friends, without compromising on style.
How To Create A Dog-Friendly Home That’s Stylish Too
If you’re lucky enough to own your own dog, you’ll know that dog crates and beds can take up quite a bit of room, and dog toys are often scattered around the home. You might have also removed things like plants, baskets and lamps – these are great ways to add style, but they can also be mistaken for chew toys.
So, here are seven top tips from the experts at Rated People on how to create a beautiful interior that’s full of character, yet won’t get damaged, and won’t pose any danger to dogs:
- Build bespoke, fitted dog crates – Having a place for your dog to sleep and relax is important so they can feel safe within the home. A great alternative to large metal dog crates that stick out, and big fluffy beds on the floor, is to get a local carpenter to create an in-built, wooden dog crate instead. This can be painted to match the interior’s colour scheme, and if you have unutilised space such as under the stairs, it can seamlessly slot in and not stick out into your room. Depending on the space that’s available, you could also plan for shelves above it, to store dog toys and equipment.
- Cabinets instead of open shelves – If you have floor-standing shelving units in your living room, replacing them with cabinets that have closable doors is a great way to prevent any precious belongings from being snaffled. You can either buy cabinets to fit your space, or build fitted cupboards instead.
- Match pet gates to your colour scheme – Baby and pet gates are a great way to keep your dog confined to a safe area of the house where you’re happy for them to roam around and explore, and it helps to keep the rest of your home clean and free from potential accidents or destruction. Whilst the design and colour of some baby and dog gates might feel a little out of place in your home, you can always opt for wooden gates, and paint them a similar colour to the room, to help them blend in more easily. Alternatively, if you find your dog is prone to chewing or scratching, then opting for a metal pet gate is a better idea. Whilst they might not be able to blend in as well as wooden pet gates, picking one in a darker hue such as black, can make it look a little more expensive and stylish.
- Opt for hanging plants instead of plants on the floor – Whilst house plants can look amazing, many varieties can actually be harmful to dogs. So if you have any on the floor, or at a low level, install some hooks in the ceiling and swap to hanging plants instead – this means you can still enjoy your greenery, safe in the knowledge that your dog can’t get to the plants.
- Choose wipeable paint – It’s inevitable that you’re going to have to do some cleaning up after your dog, especially after a muddy walk. Consider giving your rooms a freshen up with some wipeable paint, so you’ll be able to easily wipe down the walls and make the place look as good as new in no time.
- Install wall shelving – If you have books on the coffee table, or anything else that’s at grabbable height, fitting shelves to walls is a good solution for keeping your personal design features out of reach, without needing to take them out of the room altogether. Just make sure they’re not above sofas where your dog could gain some extra height.
- Use cable protectors and build storage to safely house wires – It’s really important to make sure that electrical wires near TV units, side tables or working areas are kept hidden. Placing cables behind cabinets and big pieces of furniture will ensure they can’t be accessed and chewed. For anything that can’t be hidden, cable protectors (that encase the wire) will keep your dog safe. You can also consider getting some bespoke units built in keeping with your interior style to help conceal wires and plug sockets from curious dogs.
If you need help to dog-proof your home, or help repairing any part of your home after the puppy phase, you can find thousands of local tradespeople to help bring your designs to life at Rated People.
