Is it possible to keep a clean home with an indoor dog?

[creekmom]

My dh has always wanted an English Bulldog. Well, we recently found an adorable one, and my dh wants to keep him inside. The problem is that there are dog hairs everywhere, and the drool is driving me crazy!!!! How do you keep a clean home when you're fighting dog hair and drool all day long? - Not to mention all the sand he brings in when he does go outside and wants to play in the sandbox with the kids (who also track in tons of sand!) I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle. Do I just wave the white flag? :confused:

[Mejane]

I'd say no. We have a lab, and I spend much of my day swiffering dog hair. Not to mention cleaning up muddy footprints, accidents, dumping of the water bowl, garbage raids... did I say no? I meant NO. :001_smile:

[Scarlett]

My dh has always wanted an English Bulldog. Well, we recently found an adorable one, and my dh wants to keep him inside. The problem is that there are dog hairs everywhere, and the drool is driving me crazy!!!! How do you keep a clean home when you're fighting dog hair and drool all day long? - Not to mention all the sand he brings in when he does go outside and wants to play in the sandbox with the kids (who also track in tons of sand!) I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle. Do I just wave the white flag? :confused:

 

I have the same issue....I have a Brittany Spaniel....she sheds like crazy. Ds10 and I are about to move to a new house and I've decided to let her be more of a total inside dog....I am going to keep her shaved to cut down on hair. No drool from her though...that might push me over the edge.

[Cindyz]

Dogs and cats (even mostly indoor) are a lot to clean up after. It's constant, every day. I'm an animal lover and have always had dogs and cats. When these two cats are gone, we are done. I will never have another cat. I'm DONE cleaning up messes. I will still probably have a dog around, but when they (dogs) get old, not only are they more messy but now they STINK!! My dog always smelled so sweet and she is going on 14 and you know when she walks into the room. :confused:

[StephanieZ]

Not really. LOL. (We have 4 indoor dogs and our house is quite messy within an hour of my housekeeper's departure.) I wouldn't ever get a drool-y one b/c it just grosses me out. Hair & dirt I can handle. . .

[Mom-ninja.]

No. :D

 

 

Kids and dogs....they are messy.

[Aggie]

****waving white flag****

 

All day every day we're cleaning up some dog-related mess. We have 3 non-shedders and one lab, so it's not the hair so much. It's the endless amounts of dirt, mud, grass, leaves, and twigs these critters bring in.

 

How old are your dc? Give them each a pet-related cleaning job and make your life a little easier. :)

 

Then sit back with your beverage of choice and wave your white flag with me.:D

[hornblower]

I have an 80lb malamute X GSD, a 50lb English Setter & there's a foster dog staying with me now - an 80lb newfie X.

 

 

I wipe their paws with their own towels when the come in from the outside. They get wiped down all over if we walk in the rain.

 

I use a swiffer or the swiffer vac daily. I use the big vac every 2 days.

 

I brush all dogs at least weekly; the malamute needs more brushing when she's blowing coat.

 

We also have an indoor cat.

 

My house is clean enough for me. Even if there are stray hairs in places, even if there's drool all over my sliding glass patio door, and several other windows which the dogs like to look out of, it's clean enough for me because I adore my animals & I take a bit of dirt and mess as signs of great friends living here with me.

 

But it's true that my on & off sig line is

'why yes, vacumming IS my hobby'

[astrid]

And as the mother of an only child, I would ask:

 

Is it possible to keep a clean home with multiple children? :D

 

astrid

[lovemyboys]

****waving white flag****

 

All day every day we're cleaning up some dog-related mess. We have 3 non-shedders and one lab, so it's not the hair so much. It's the endless amounts of dirt, mud, grass, leaves, and twigs these critters bring in.

 

How old are your dc? Give them each a pet-related cleaning job and make your life a little easier. :)

 

Then sit back with your beverage of choice and wave your white flag with me.:D

 

Then you've got the occasional flea or tick (regardless of those collars and sprays)......

 

 

Yes, it's possible, but it's a whole lot more work. And it was easier before dc too.

[GESTEP]

We are on our second golden retriever. She seems to know the worst places to get sick. A few weeks ago it was over a vent so it ran down into the duct work and it is never on the non-carpeted floors. I constantly sweep up hair but it helps to have wood floors and vinyl in her main areas instead of vacuuming carpet all the time (the tumbleweeds of hair are a different story). I don't think I could handle the drool though, fortunately she does not have that issue.

 

I never feel like my house is clean and if it was 5 minutes later it's all hairy again. It's a tradeoff in which you have to really love your dog or you just don't mind hair, mud, vomit, dirt and whatever strange things and smells they bring in. When we only had a dog it was not so bad but children and a dog, cat and turtle have led me to wave my white flag years ago:lol:

 

Gina

[Margo out of lurking]

We have a 55 lb. slug-of-an-indoor dog who we've had for 8 years. He was crate trained, although for the past three years, he just lays around on his giant dog pillow instead of a crate. He's usually indoors 22 hours a day. He has short, coarse hair, some kind of coon dog mix.

 

We have hardwood floors and need to vacuum every other day. No big deal, we'd probably need to without a dog.

 

We've lived in three homes with him. He's never been allowed in the bedrooms or other carpeted areas, and he's NEVER damaged the hardwood floors. He's also never allowed on the furniture. He doesn't drool, and he doesn't make a mess with his water bowl (also on the wood floor).

 

When his pillow was near the wall between the window (see picture) and the corner curio cabinet, the wall got a little grungy, so dh touched up the wall and moved the dog's pillow away from it.

 

My house is pretty spotless, even with a dog. I don't think he makes any difference.

[creekmom]

Thanks for all the replies. If it were just me, I'd never have an indoor dog, but it's not just me, and dh absolutely loves Socrates (our bulldog who has uncanny resemblance to the real Socrates). :001_smile: I have to remind myself that life is too short to worry/stress about dog hair/drool- especially if it makes the fam. so happy. -However, I do plan on adding more "daily" vacuuming/sweeping chores to kids' chore lists!

 

[Peela]

We have 2 indoor dogs and I cant say its really a problem at all. Perhaps the fact our living areas are upstairs helps- the dogs don't traipse sand in because by the time they do the stairs I guess its all fallen off their feet. They tend to live on the upstairs verandah waiting to come in. They both have baskets inside and after a cuddle we just send them to their baskets where they sleep or sometimes romp around together.

 

I don't think I would get a drooly dog just on principle. One of our dogs- the larger one- loses a bit of hair but never enough that its ever bothered us. The smaller doesn't malt at all. Neither are ever allowed on furniture.

 

So....2 indoor dogs here, very little mess. The kids however....

[hornblower]

, not only are they more messy but now they STINK!! My dog always smelled so sweet and she is going on 14 and you know when she walks into the room. :confused:

 

when people get old they stink too ;)

 

BUT my standard advice for any dog who smells, esp if they did not before is : Vet check.

 

-diet

-teeth

-allergies

-impacted anal glands

-infected ears

& some other more systemic issues can cause doggy b.o. If vet finds nothing wrong, work on diet - eliminate grains, change proteins, supplement with digestive enzymes and acidopholous.

 

best wishes ~

[Laura Corin]

We have an indoor dog, but she is a non-shedding 4th generation labradoodle. She doesn't drool. I'm not sure I could cope with a shedding dog, so I sympathise.

 

As far as dirt being tracked in: when we bring her in from outside she stays in the kitchen for an hour or so - most of the dirt seems to get dropped there where it's easy to clean up.

 

Laura

[TravelingChris]

My dog isn't any problem. He is a mini poodle and since we changed his bowls, even less of a problem My cat is who sheds and sheds and sheds. He is a medium haired cat which seems to be getting longer as he ages. But my kids are much worse and I have a way with paper.

[Mama2Three]

With 3 DC and a dog (weim), the swiffer is my best friend. :) We also don't let the dog upstairs where the bedrooms are located -- the wood stairs are hard on her hips -- so we don't have as much hair in our sleeping area.

[Carrie12345]

Drool could possibly be the thing that puts me over the edge. I'm a fan of several drooly breeds, but I haven't had that experience yet (my part-Rottweilers do not drool at all).

 

I vacuum the main carpeted area at least once during the day. I sweep the hard floor several times a day. In both instances, I'd really do that anyway, just because of the kids.

Our dogs are not allowed in the kids' bedrooms, which cuts down on the hairy areas. The cats are allowed in my girls' room (ds doesn't want them in his), so there's still hair, just not as much. The dogs aren't allowed on the furniture, and our cats have their favorite spots that are vacuumed or brushed as needed.

 

Muddy footprints don't get *too* crazy (at least, not the 4-paw kind) b/c my dogs are on a pretty routine potty/play schedule and not in and out of the house all day. Plus, they cross a stone driveway and walkway before coming in, which technically isn't good for their feet, but it lessens the mud/water content!

 

My house will never be completely free of pet hair, but I've certainly seen worse! Right now it's tough for many dog owners. My part-Shepherd is blowing his coat like nobody's business. I brush him nearly every time he's outside, and my yard has the "tumbleweeds" to prove it, and there's still excess hair in the house right now. Any other time of year, consistent grooming really does keep the amount down to a relatively manageable level.

[TammyinTN]

I think so with a little work. We have a border collie that sheds like crazy. I vacuum every evening. She gets a good brushing each day and a bath every two weeks. We wash her bed cover every week and she doesn't smell at all.

We was her bowls every other day and I keep a plastic mat under her dishes to keep water off the hardwood floors. We adore her and she's definitely worth the effort. :001_smile:

[Remudamom]

Two border collies, one ACD and five indoor/outdoor cats. The Furminator is our friend and the animals seem to like it.

[Danestress]

I have a Belgian Shepherd (in my avatar). He's a big, black, long haired guy. He does not drool, but he sheds a good deal. He likes to stay outside a lot (we have an electric fence) and supervise the people going by, and so he has dirty little paws sometimes.

 

In my front hall I have (1) a good sized, multicolored oriental rug that does not show a lot of dirt (2) A big fluffy potted plant, behind which I can hide cleaning supplies including (3) rags and a spray bottle of water or dog grooming spray.

 

When he comes inside, I immediately make him stop and roll over on the carpet. I say, "Show me your feet" and he sticks them up in the air for me to clean. Sometimes I need to clean more than his paws. He never gets past me without showing me his feet, and we have done this since he was a puppy, so he is totally used to it. Did the same thing with our Border Collie.

 

It really helps. You simply can't have muddy/sandy dogs running in and out of the house.

 

I have a "furminator" that I groom him with. It really pulls out the excess fur, so I can cut back on the vacuuming by grooming him well, but I still vacuum almost every day. It's crazy.

 

But yes, I think you can have a clean house and an inside dog IF you insist that the dog have nice household manners and if you are willing to clean up a lot.

[rafiki]

.

[Mejane]

And as the mother of an only child, I would ask:

 

Is it possible to keep a clean home with multiple children? :D

 

astrid

 

I'd say NO to that as well. :D

[manylilblessings]

Yes. We have a long haired cat, and a Golden Retriever. With a Dyson Animal, and commitment to vacuum every day, it's clean.

 

The 6 kids, they're another story! ;)

[Janet in WA]

Yes, it's possible. But as the others have said, it's a lot more work. My intention is that our next dog will be a non-shedder. Non-shedders need grooming, but I'd rather that than constant vacuuming.

[WiseOwlKnits]

Nope, it's not possible. And it's the same reason that we won't have another dog for a LONG time after our lab passes. I love the companionship. I love that she makes me feel safer. I love her face. But I feel like I'm drowning in dog hair. Between the dog hair, the vet bills, having to plan for her when we go on vacation, etc. it's just too much work with 2 small kids.

 

Right now, I vacuum my house twice a day...and I've been known to vacuum 3 times when our dog is blowing her coat. When it rains, we end up area mopping the floor at minimum every time we let her out. And washing her weekly to make sure our house doesn't have a dog smell.

Edited May 31, 2010 by Hill Country Classical Academy
forgot something

[KidsHappen]

I currently have five kids, five cats and two dogs in the house and I can honestly say my house is not exactly the cleanest ever. We keep the cat litter in the garage so that not a big problem and none of the shed terribly so that not bad either. But the Golden sheds tumbleweeds and drool everywhere we he drinks so that is a pain. The Pom-Chi is not completely potty trained yet but once he is I don't see him being a big mess maker. My children are by far the worst offenders. Luckily, I have amuch higher tolerance for dog hair than I do clutter.

[OnTheBrink]

I have 1 dog, 3 cats and 1 child at home. I gave up on keeping it clean long ago! I just don't have people over. LOL

[Remudamom]

Now that I think about it, the boys make about the same mess as the animals, but they're harder to clean up after. Should've crated them.

[MIch elle]

YES! But we have 2 terriers (20 lbs ea); all floors/carpets are colors that don't show dirt. I don't get dogs that shed a lot (BTDT).

[Orthodox6]

Even with meticulous housecleaning, eventually there will be a permanent animal odor in the home. You and your family will not notice it because you live there, and the scent will have increased gradually, accustoming you to it without noticing it. Someone visiting your home will, however, detect the odor.

[2cents]

You can have a clean and fresh smelling home and have indoor pets. I know because we've done it. :)

We have a Golden and kitties. It is a 24/7 job keeping the hair vacuumed, pets brushed and bathed (yes, including kitties). We vacuum several times a week , mop the floors at least 2x with bleach and once every 2 mos we do a steam clean of the rugs (that is my job today). It helps a lot if we brush on a regular basis with the "Furminator" http://www.furminator.com The Furminator is a lifesaver! One of our cats is a long-hair and he is regularly shaved in lion-cut style. I do the bathing and cutting myself. We have a dustbuster that is great for quickie pick-up jobs. It is a lot of work but our furbabies are worth it. The way I see it, if the pets are clean and well-kept then that helps a lot with keeping the house clean.

[Frontier Mom]

Well, at our house we pretend we live out west and the hair blowing around are really tumbleweeds. Too bad I can't saddle up to the bar though!!

 

When I was single, I had a perfectly clean townhome!! I worked all day as a CPA and had one Himalayan cat. I vacuumed about twice a week, dusted every Saturday and never made a mess in the kitchen.

 

Well, that was then...now we have constant messes ALL OVER THE HOUSE! My dh is a piler...piles of books here, there and everywhere. He has an office but works in the den, surrounded by piles. The dcs are just average kids, messy and all. It's in and out, in and out, in and out all day. We usually have many unrelated beings at our house at any time who love to hang out with us. You learn real quick not to run for clothes because it could prove quite embarassing.

 

Anyway, I wish I could just blame it on the Lab and the cat. They do add to the mess but they are not the only culprits. I am dreaming of the day when I have a clean house again....

[Impish]

Now that I think about it, the boys make about the same mess as the animals, but they're harder to clean up after. Should've crated them.

:iagree::smilielol5:

[LibraryLover]

I vac nearly daily, and sometimes daily. In summer, I shave the dogs as much as possible. They looks silly, but it helps a ton. Keeping them well groomed helps in winter, when you can shave them down (my dogs do go outside with us).

 

I don't consider dog hair from a clean dog 'unclean', but it is something that does need vac'ing. We do not let our dogs on the furniture. They have dogs beds.

 

As far as a smell, I had a baby shower at my place the other day and several people who knew the mom -to b-e, but not me, were surprised when my daughters let the dogs out at one point. (I had them in my room). "How cute! I had no idea you had dogs! Where were they?". They didn't bark, and I guess they were not stinking up the joint. We have hard wood floors, and I suppose that makes a big difference. OTOH, I like a tidy and clean home, so I take care of things, plus the dh and children help.

Edited May 31, 2010 by LibraryLover

[djsmom]

Yes, we have a mini-poodle and she doesn't shed, doesn't stink, and was very easy to house-train (just had to be consistent). We never thought we'd want or have an indoor dog but she's been a blessing:-)

[Denisemomof4]

And as the mother of an only child, I would ask:

 

Is it possible to keep a clean home with multiple children? :D

 

astrid

 

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

 

My four children make more mess than my three dogs BY A LONG SHOT. If I want to make my house look spotlessly clean and unlived in, I will vacuum the area rugs twice per day instead of once. But then again, if I want my house spotlessly clean and looking unlived in, the kids aren't allowed downstairs. :D

[Mejane]

I vac nearly daily, and sometimes daily. In summer, I shave the dogs as much as possible. They looks silly, but it helps a ton. Keeping them well groomed helps in winter, when you can shave them down (my dogs do go outside with us).

 

 

 

LL, may I ask what kind of dogs you have? (Sorry if I missed it somewhere.) I can't imagine shaving my lab or what he would look like after, but if it would keep the hair down, I'd be willing to give it a try! :D

[LibraryLover]

LOL I never do have to ask the dogs to put away their backpacks, shoes and clothing. I never have to remind the dogs to pick up dropped food from the floor. ;)

[Denisemomof4]

I have 1 dog, 3 cats and 1 child at home. I gave up on keeping it clean long ago! I just don't have people over. LOL

 

is that because your child is so messy? ;)

:lol:

[LibraryLover]

LL, may I ask what kind of dogs you have? (Sorry if I missed it somewhere.) I can't imagine shaving my lab or what he would look like after, but if it would keep the hair down, I'd be willing to give it a try! :D

 

 

I have a shep/lab/probably collie mix and she looks adorable/silly shaved. When we take her for walks after her shaves people always thinks she is a puppy. lol She is so adorable. I do have to put sun screen on her. The other dog is a Sheltie and she looks ridiculous if we get too aggressive with the shaving, so we try to limit it. She has a very thick undercoat that we have the groomer thin out as much as possible. All tail fur is shaved. ;) Thankfully they are not show dogs. lol

[Denisemomof4]

Even with meticulous housecleaning, eventually there will be a permanent animal odor in the home. You and your family will not notice it because you live there, and the scent will have increased gradually, accustoming you to it without noticing it. Someone visiting your home will, however, detect the odor.

 

that's absolutely NOT true!!! We have lived in our home for 14 years and I can tell you FOR SURE that before there was an accident recently, there is NO odor in my house. I have a nose like a hound dog and I would DEFINITELY smell if there was an odor, there is NOT one.

 

I also have people tell me when they come to the home that it's so clean you'd never know there were so many animals here. Just last week a friend came over, one I've gotten to know well at our homeschool group, and this was her first time at our house. She said she has the MOST sensitive nose so we had to blow out our candles. She said there was absolutely NO odor in the house at all, but I do know there was an accident somewhere so am going to get some Pet Miracle, or what ever it's called, to douse my area rugs. We were in and out through out the day so she would have smelled the odor, if there was one, because it was a really humid day. My sensitive nose picks up a slight tinge of urine when I'm in the balcony, but I don't smell it downstairs. Nobody else in the house smells a thing. About a week ago my old dog had a bm accident, but I now think it wasn't only bm. I'll just fix it but accidents usually don't occur here.

 

I make sure my house is spotless ALL THE TIME before someone comes over because of the misconception you've stated above about odor, coupled with the misconception that having animals in the home = dirty house. I can understand WHY you may think that way, but it truly is not a accurate statement. I hope I haven't upset you in anyway at all.

[LibraryLover]

I am married to my vac. lol

Edited June 1, 2010 by LibraryLover

[Orthodox6]

I hope I haven't upset you in anyway at all.

 

Of course you do not upset me ! :) I just have different life experiences across the many years, so can't agree with you, except to acknowledge your statements that it is true for your own case. :)

[Desert Rat]

There are several really good vacuums designed specifically for pet hair. They work! I don't have dogs or cats but I clean houses for a living. Dyson makes one (it's purple) and I know Hoover does as well. May be something you can buy to make yourself feel better. :) Good luck!

[Mom2J112903]

We have one dog, a Welsh Corgi mix, and one cat. The cat is mainly outside, he does not have a litter box inside. The dog is well, messy! I sweep two or three times a day and vacum the master bedroom weekly. Our entire home is hardwood floors, minus the master bedroom. The door to our bedroom is shut almost always. I try to keep J's bedroom door and play-room door closed as well, but that is easier said than done.

 

You can not tell we have animals, especially a cat. I keep a clean house, minus the mess that J and DH make, I am not kidding, they are messier than the animals!

[hornblower]

Yanno - I'm torn on how to respond to the smell issue.

 

I suspect my house does have "eau de chien" - esp on rainy, humid days (which is like, all the time in Vancouver!) when the dogs get wet. I don't use grooming dryers on them so I dry them as much as I can with towels after all their outings but there's a whiff of wet dog which even I can smell, & no doubt I'm acclimated to it.

 

One one hand I want to leap to the defense of my house b/e having it be characterized as stinking of animals is - um, icky.

 

OTOH, EVERY house smells. When a house is occupied, it smells of the people who live there and the activities they participate in. Your shampoos, your soaps, your laundry detergents. If you use the 'odorless' stuff - it still has a characteristic smell.

 

Your babies. Babies smell even when they're not poopy. That mix of Johnson & Johnson and disposable diapers is unmistakeable.

 

Cloth diapered & home made soap washed babies still smell.

 

If you cook meat in your house, I can smell it. Lamb? Beef? Liver? Salmon? I smell it when you've cooked it. For weeks and weeks. Game? I cannot even imagine b/e when I bring raw elk for my dogs they're only allowed to have it outside & I still smell it for days. Cooking venison as someone asked about a few days ago - gah. Those houses must smell.

 

Cauliflower & cabbage are both smelly when cooked in most recipes.

 

But nobody asks: Should I cook inside my house?

 

And nobody answers - well, just be warned that if you do, no matter how much you clean your house, it will smell.

 

And yet this is true.

 

I was just at someone's home recently. This person offers lessons & has a big sign in the hall about being scent sensitive & saying that the house is a perfume/scent free zone etc etc etc. Common enough sign. But the house - OMG, it SMELLED. Gross, weird smell, like if you put a raccoon, fish & musty old books & grandpa's pipe all in the slow cooker all day. :ack2: I was gagging & would have happily breathed Lysol straight up rather than spend a minute more than necessary in that home. My impression is that this is a very 'granola' natural type person, & though the place looked clean, the smell was bleh.

 

I don't know where I'm going with this. My animals, my babies, my ds's hobbies, our gardening - manure for the veggie beds!, some of my recipes, my dd's favourite shampoos - they all have some smell attached.

 

To me, dogs are wonderful, so their smell is pleasing to me.

[Hockey Mom]

It's a never-ending battle to keep the house clean. I have a yellow lab and an English mastiff. The lab sheds small puppies, and the mastiff flings drool. I give them a bath every other week to keep the shedding and smell to a minimum.

 

I have a Dyson for the dog hair, and a dog rag to wipe up drool as needed. And it's really needed after he drinks.

 

My DOGS aren't the problem wrt smell. It's the goldfish tank. I have to change the filter once a week or I can smell them. It makes me gag. I'm seriously considering giving the goldfish to another family member who has an outdoor pond.

[Denisemomof4]

Of course you do not upset me ! :) I just have different life experiences across the many years, so can't agree with you, except to acknowledge your statements that it is true for your own case. :)

 

I understand, really I do!

 

I think wood floors make a HUGE difference. We have only area rugs downstairs, all wood. The rugs are actually FOR the dogs, specifically my greyhound, so he doesn't slip on the floors.