Friday, January 27, 2012

It's a Dog's Life


Minnesota Private Residence traditional kitchen
Houzz
Recently, my friend and fellow dog mom sent me a few photos of ways to integrate the family dog into the decor.
While I'm not going to give up precious real estate in my kitchen to carve out a dog bed for Dexter and Bear, these are great ideas!

Seaside whimsy in Centerville, MA eclectic kitchen
Houzz
Of course, this is the favorite photo, but not because of the feeding station.
You guessed it! Check out that gorgeous glass door Sub-zero.
But I digress!

John Bynum Custom Homes traditional
Houzz

Bathroom renovation Vancouver | bathroom renovations Vancouver traditional bathroom
Houzz
Having a pet shower in the laundry room would be so convenient!

bhg
If you've ever bathed a rather large dog at home, you know what I mean.

Pinterest
I'm sorry, I couldn't resist!
I mean, how cute is this Airstream dog house?

Beginning Monday, I'm pet sitting my daughter and her husband's dog, Bear for three and a half months while they go off on an adventure.
He is still a puppy and is super anxious when left alone. If I go to the store, he ransacks the house.
I bought a kennel yesterday, and I think he actually likes the security of the small space, so I'm experimenting leaving for short periods of time.
I welcome any suggestions....

In the meantime, Dexter is not amused by the young one!


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29 comments:

Unknown said...

I love the airstream doggie house... how cute is this! I think the pups need their own space, so I bought kennels, a little larger than their size, for all three of mine. It surprises me how they will go, on their own, and lie down in them. I bought sheets and baby blankets to make them cozy, changing them when needed. They love their dens! Hugs

Pinky at Designs by Pinky said...

Starting TONIGHT our daughter and SIL are MOVING IN with us along with their 2 dogs. The one is fine but the other is 2 years old and is VERY anxious when they even leave the room, cries and bellows like someone is killing her. They will be going to "doggie daycare" on the days that T and D are at work. If YOU come up with ideas PLEASE pass them on. I will be desperate;):):) XO, Pinky

Tammy said...

Love all the dog ideas! Our dog is kennel trained. When we are unable to take her with us (work/shopping/restaurants) she will happily go into her comfy kennel when we ask her to. We know she is safe and content in her kennel and is out being the family member that she is when we are home. I know some don't believe in kennel training but for us, it works very well for a certain period of time. Kennel size is key, making sure they can stand, turn around and stretch. What a lively time with the addition of another dog for three and half months! Dogs are the greatest and I can't imagine life without them with the joy and completeness they bring to a home! Best wishes~

Julie Taylor and Danni Greenwalt said...

O my gosh! These are the most adorable pictures. We did a post on dogs and decor. It was one of my favorite pictures..

a quiet life said...

some great ideas, we are putting in a pet friendly laundry room at the beach soon, some wonderful ideas to tuck in~

you are so sweet to take on a guest for 3.5 months! good luck to you, i have one bad dog, my solution is going to be therapy for years i fear...

gme said...

How funny about your daughter's puppy. I had the same problems with my son's dog. She had a terrible separation anxiety problem when he left. I agree that while she was still more of a pup, the kennel helped her calm down and settle in for some quiet. She is almost 6 now and does much better about tearing things up when left alone but still seems to slightly panic when he leaves her with us, she is so very attached to him. You have my thoughts and prayers on making it through 3.5 months !!!!!

Susan Freeman said...

Love that little doggie airstream. Your Dexter is a precious pup!!

Hugs,
Susan and Bentley

Liz@ HomeandGardeningWithLiz said...

Dog crates are great. Give him short visits with it and then extend them. Dog's are cavernous by nature and don't mind a cozy spot. It's supposed to be big enough for them to be comfortable but not much larger than they are. My dog loved hers- she would go in it to take naps all on her own. It gives peace of mind when you want to leave the house and not worry he will be on top of things or eating your furniture!! Good luck!

pastsoon said...

Bear is Gorgeous ~ LOTS of exercise will help with the separation anxiety and the nervousness in general. I'm not sure how or why it works but it was suggested to us when our sweet boy came to us via the golden retriever rescue. It's true, the kennel was his safe spot & a good way to comfort him during unfamiliar situations. When we had to leave the house he got a quick "PEEP" outside just to make sure his bladder was empty and then we'd say "lets go to your house" in a super happy way and with a treat too. I was told by the rescue staff to never make the kennel a punishment place but instead a safe place, so on the rare occasion he had to be on "punishment", he was sent to a corner within our eyesight but away from the immediate family area ~ which helped him realize that he was being scolded by having family attention witheld. His time outs became unneccessary very fast because he wanted to be near us more than anything. He had come from an abuse and neglect situation so at first I felt guilty about any discipline at all but the professionals had it right and before long we were leaving him out for an hour or 2, then 3 at a time and he was fine. When he came to us he didn't even know how to walk on a leash and now we rarely ever need to use one, he walks at the curb, picks up his toys and takes them to his toybox (WHICH he LOVES to do before walks and bedtime), he's even learned "impolite" which means no peeps on neighbors newly planted flowers, no mounting the puppy next door etc. People are amazed at how far he's come. We were blessed with him 3 years and 2 mos ago and now he stays in the house without the kennel during our entire time away ~ his "house" morphed into a big dog blankie and bed in a certain spot in the family room so he still has a safe place but his spot is now just a special open space just for him (right beside his toybox ;-) ~ We recently had a 4 day out of town visit with our daughter and new son in law and he was so well-behaved at the hotel, they could not believe it was a 114 lb dog and refunded a "non-refundable" deposit at checkout. With exercise, discipline, lots of love a treat or two ~ Bear will aclimate happily ! (The Caesar dog whisperer show on National Geographic taught us a LOT too). Sorry for the very long post ~ Always enjoy your blog & look forward to it every time. Happy Friday ~

Libby said...

By all means, stay with the crate. We finally started crating our dog when she was 6 (you CAN teach an old dog new tricks!) and she took right to it. The car was especially wonderful: instead of panting and shedding all over the place, she would lie down quietly and really did seem much happier! They do like their own little space.. but only if allowed to go in and out freely, and not forced. Keep at it Delores: you will need this!

Tretswelt said...

...:)Hund muss man sein.Schööön!Schönes Wochenende!Bussi.Luciene.

The Pink Giraffe said...

That red striped dog shower is so stinkin cute! love it with the light blue walls.

Calypso In The Country said...

Great photos and Dexter is just precious! We are getting a Golden Retriever puppy next week so I will be in the same boat! We will be crate training! Have a nice weekend!
-Shelley

Sarah said...

What a mom! I know Bear will be calm with you in no time. As for Dexter, guess he'll adjust to the extra friend taking the attention of his mom. ;-)

Michelle said...

Hi Delores,

I start crate training my puppies the first night that I get them. I put the crate next to my side of the bed, make sure that they've been outside first and put them to bed when I go to bed. They usually whine a little bit, but I let them know that I'm there with them and they usually settle down in about 10 minutes. Because they are next to the bed, I wake up if they need to go outside in the middle of the night. This really helps in housebreaking them.

If I'm going to leave them home alone during the day, I usually start with 10-15 minute increments and don't let them out of the crate when I return if they are crying, barking etc. until they are quiet and laying down. For safety reasons don't leave bedding in the crate with them if they are alone until you are sure that they won't destroy it and eat it. The same goes for toys.

This has worked very well for me with many dogs over the years and by the time they are young adults they are trustworthy in the house and ready to sleep on a dog bed at night or stay in the house uncrated during the day.

Michelle

helen tilston said...

Hello Delores

You have a big responsibility here and I am sure you will work it out. He looks like a charmer.
As your new follower, I am enjoying your blog and look forward to your visit and comments
helentilstonpainter.blogspot.com

Kathy said...

I have to say you are the best grandma in the WORLD, don't think I would take on that task...just don't have that kind of energy anymore..kudos my friend

Wyatt said...

Love the feeding station, what a GRAND idea! But, we do prefer just going to the public dog wash...if you have ever bathed an Airedale....the bathroom needs a complete remodel afterwards..BOL

Wyatt's mom

Vickie H. said...

You are getting some really good advice here on taking care of your "boarder". I agree with Michelle about not leaving bedding or blankets in the crate with them while you are gone. And if bedding DOES get chewed up when you aren't looking, one of the least expensive places to buy replacement beds is ROSS. They usually have a very good selection and it won't break the bank. Crating your pet while you are out of the house is safest for him and safest for your house. He will, indeed, grow to love that kennel. And if you fear he will be cold you can always drape a blanket or sheet over the kennel. But be prepared for him to chew on that too, if he is a chewer. Lots of that chewing is boredom and frustration. He may well be a beautifully trained pup when 3.5 mos is up!

The Polka Dot Closet said...

First you have to tell us what kind of adventure your daughter is going on for 3 months. I will leave it up to the dog people, I have cats, but I have heard they like kennels! Those doggie beds and air stream are fabulous!

Carol

Mary Ann Pickett said...

Our dog is so spoiled (and old) that he gets away with sleeping in our bed in spite of his cute and soft dog beds. Oh well. He adds a lot of joy to our lives.

Brigitte @ Evolution of a home said...

Love that airstream..need to look for one!
The only thing I can tell you is NEVER leave the puppy alone to roam your house until he is 2 years old. He will destroy it. Until they are 2 they are incapable of being left alone with your possessions. I have never know a pup that did not go berserk when left unsupervised. It's like leaving kids alone. If you kennel him and make sure he can not get out he should be fine. And yes, they do like their kennels, it's like their own bedrooms, the only thing you have to remember is to never go in after him, for whatever reason, always get him to come out, this way they always love their little space. I learned all this the hard way, after my lab pup chewed through the wall to get out of a room I had left him in, and so and wound up working with a dog trainer so that I would be "retrained" .
Now everyone is happy.

Stephanie said...

These were some great ideas, but our Riley would be in our bed no matter how wonderful the dog bed we created - ha!

liparifam said...

We had part a roll of carpet in the attic that was left over from a remodel - pieces of it cut to fit the bottom of the dog crate are great in place of cushions or blankets. I never had to crate my dogs during the day, but I do at night. It's all about routine. At 10 pm I call out "Ok, everybody outside!" and they jump right up and run outside to pee. When they come back in they run straight to their kennels and get right in, because they know I never put them in there without giving them a treat. They get milk bones and goldfish. They love bedtime! If I go past 10 without putting them up, they start whining and pawing at me. If I was going to leave them in during the day, I would give them some type of chew or a bone that can be re-filled with peanut butter. That would keep them occupied for a while... When first teaching them to crate, we would herd our dogs along saying "load up" until they got in. Now, anytime we say "load up" they'll run to their crates.

liparifam said...

Also, you might want to check out the Thundershirt, which is a calming, comforting shirt for dogs with fears and anxiety. I bought one for my oldest dog who is deathly afraid of thunder, and it helps a lot... I do disagree about not being able to leave dogs younger than 2 years alone at home - it depends on the dog. I had a foster dog who was fine all day and never destructive (I have a dog door) from the time I got him when he was just 6 months old. He did have my 2 other dogs for company...

Debby said...

Love the Airstram. My mother and brother used to work for them It was only a few miles from where grew up.
You are way too sweet to babysit a big puppy for so long.
YOur puppy is so cute.

Anonymous said...

Kitchen with the feeding station is so clever. Never would have thought of something like that!

peacelovedecor.blogspot.com

Ann E. said...

As the momma of a westie pup, that westie in the airstream was as cute as can be!

We crate trained our dog Barkley right from the first day we got her. We asked for everyone's help (the first few nights involved a lot of crying - both from the dog and me!) We gave Barkley a t-shirt that my husband had worn so that the smell was familiar, and we also got her a stuffed animal friend, a snuggly squirrel. She doesn't go anywhere without her buddy the squirrel. We also made sure to give her a lot of food and praise every time we put her in there.

It didn't take long for her to love her crate, she puts herself in there all the time when she needs a good rest.

Roman said...

I mean, how cute is this Airstream dog house? ... dogsoutside.blogspot.com

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