[cookieface]

For folks who allow their dogs on furniture and beds, any tips for keeping things clean? Or should I just get used to sleeping with dirt?

We try to wipe paws after every trip outside, but she still tracks an unbelievable amount of dirt in the house.

Thanks!

 

[lisaj1354]

My couch is leather, so I just wipe it down if I need to. I keep a towel at the front door for paws, and the dog is not allowed on the bed.

The biggest "dirt" issue comes from 2 throws that I have on the couch - they throw off more fuzz than you can imagine.

 

[Canaqua]

Same here. Leather couch, which cleans up easily. No carpeting on the ground floor. We keep a towel by the back door for cleaning up really muddy feet. The dogs are allowed on the beds, the key is to make them every morning...that way it's just on top. The bedspreads get washed more often than they might otherwise, but it's not a big deal. My mother keeps old sheets on top of her made beds, except when she has guests, she can just toss the sheets in the wash when they get too dirty. My house isn't all that clean anyway, dogs are less of a problem than all the little boys that some over here to play .

 

[Greater Swiss]

Heh....slightly incompatible. There's a couple of things I've started doing that have helped a bit.
I don't have leather couches so either couch covers (heavy material or they could get ripped by nails), or a quick and easy cheap solution is a double or queen sized fitted sheet depending on the size of your couch. Slip it over, tuck it in and voila (if you get a good colour it actually doesn't look bad!). I clean mine every week or two. Take it off when I've got guests.
I have a heavy fleecy blanket that I put over the bed to protect it from roving paws...even before we had the dog the cats would hop up there. Again, wash often and ALWAYS make the bed!
I've also got a small upholstery cleaner Its for cars, but it works just perfectly fine on couch arms that have been slobbered on Only good for small spots, but very handy and relatively inexpensive.
I THANKFULLY don't have carpet, so I can't give you any tips on that.
Another thing you could consider is booties on your dog whenever you take her out and take them off coming in....mud on booties only.
That's all I've got for tips. My house is still WAY dirtier than it was pre-dog, but I don't have to spend hours trying to extract fur, drool and mud from furniture.

 

[Vicky88]

I say get used to it, i have throws that are suppose to go on the couch, but often don't, and as for my bed, i often sleep with dog hair, sometimes if i am really lucky some mud too, not forgetting the dog, dog hair gets everywhere be warned, but i would rather have her dog hair all over the place than not have her.

 

[cookieface]

Thanks for the tips. Sounds like we're doing everything we can. I can deal with dirt on the sofa (it's covered) and the floor, but grit in my bed will take some adjustment. Like Vicky, I'd rather adapt to a little dirt than not have a dog to cuddle. I suspect our biggest problem is that our backyard is mostly mud and it gets trapped in the fur on her paws (she's a few weeks away from her next grooming appointment), dries, and then falls out where ever she happens to be.

 

[Abbylynn]

Two of my dogs do not shed and one does. I use the vacuum attachment on the couch as Abbylynn still puts half her body up on it. Lol. If the dogs have mud between their toes ( we have a mud mess outside also) I just put them in the bathtub with just a couple inches of warm water and wash them off, dry them with a small hand towel and they are good to go for bedtime.

 

[Amaryllis]

Like my mother told me, you can have kids and dogs OR a perfect home, but the only way you're getting all three is by having miserable dogs and kids. She's right.

 

[sassafras]

We have laid in a supply of cheap flat sheets that we use to cover the couch. We rotate/wash about once a week, depending on the season. Keeps the hair and dirt off.

 

[3doglady]

No magic potions for clean furniture, if you don't have leather. I use sheets, duvets and even made a brown vinyl fitted cover for the composite leather sectional. My setter seems to have pockets in her pads where she stores dirt and mud. I do what Abbylynn suggested, fill the bathtub with a few inches of water. I do lots of cleaning and allergy pills.

I'm always amazed to see dirt spattered high on the walls too. What on earth do they do when I'm not home?

 

[NRB]

keep the dog clean. mine is a low shedder, which means dirt sticks to her more than it does to a double coated dog. So I will hose off muddy legs and let her dry in the dog room before joining us on the furniture. Muddy paw pads get cleaned in a bath like mentioned above. I keep a flat sheet on top of the bed comforter so it's easier to wash that, and not the comforter. The sofa is a non issue, she really doesn't shed so I don't see hairs.

 

[Sasha1/2]

We have trained our adult dog, Corky, that he is not allowed on either the bed or the sofa if "his" blanket is not there. He will sit on the floor and whine until we lay the blanket out for him. Sasha is learning the same rule. It helps, but dog hair and dirt is not a big deal to us and if its a big deal to our friends than they can invite us to their house instead.

 

[cookieface]

Thanks for the additional advice. Katie is a standard poodle, so hair isn't an issue. It's more the dirt in our bed. Washing her paws more frequently seems like a good solution. Of course, the tick I found on sofa is a whole different issue - ick!

 

[spotted nikes]

Leather couches. For bed, I throw a king flat sheet over the top, so dogs keep hair off comforter. I wash it every few days, to keep dirt/hair off it. It keeps the dirt and hair from getting IN the bed.

 

[lully123]

Many multi-dog homeowners found that removing the carpet and replacing it either with a good grade of vinyl, tile or laminate wood flooring saved not only cleaning time but frustration. The frustration comes from having a puppy and cleaning up housebreaking accidents off the carpet more than once a day.

The second step, I think, is teaching simple obedience as soon as possible. Teaching your dog to "sit" and "stay" can save you oodles of work, how, by having them wait at the door after a romp in the dirt outside. Having some old towels stacked in a container by the door and having your dog sit or stay for the first moment, gives you time to wipe dirty paws and clean off a muddy body. Sure saves having them track the dirt into the house.

Minimizing clutter on the coffee tables and end tables will save you time and energy too. Tails can cause much damage, dust and dog hair need cleaning, much easier to do a clean swipe with a cloth then to take the time to clean each item on the table.

Things that enjoy holding dog hair should be removed. Drapes that are made of material that will not shed dog hair can be replaced by shutters or by drapes made of less absorbent materials. Slipcovers on furniture that can be washed are a neatness freak's dream. Have several sets so when one comes off to be washed, the clean one goes on. Today slipcovers are easily found and are not too expensive and look so much better than the "old sheet thrown" over the sofa or chair.

 

[samshine]

Here's an easy way to rinse dog paws before they come in on those muddy days. Get one of those hanging bags they make for showers when you are camping. Fill with warm water and maybe a tiny bit of dog shampoo, hang it up near the back door and rinse those feet then dry with a towel.
http://www.hotcampshowers.com/solar_bags___sinks___pumps

 

[Abbylynn]

Here's an easy way to rinse dog paws before they come in on those muddy days. Get one of those hanging bags they make for showers when you are camping. Fill with warm water and maybe a tiny bit of dog shampoo, hang it up near the back door and rinse those feet then dry with a towel.

Even though I am not the original OP ....I like this idea! ... Thanks ... might be better than a dish pan as far as convienience and won't be near as dangerous for tripping over and the dogs accidentally or trying to drink out of it.

 

[samshine]

Even though I am not the original OP ....I like this idea! ... Thanks ... might be better than a dish pan as far as convienience and won't be near as dangerous for tripping over and the dogs accidentally or trying to drink out of it.

Thanks, I just came up with this one myself. :clap2: We've been doing the large bowl of water too and it's a pain. Plus it gets filthy so quick... Actually, there is a plastic unit marketed just for dogs that works on the same principle that I have been wanting. Just went to google it so I could post a link and recommend it when the camp showers popped up and I realized that they are the same thing really. And cheaper.

 

[Red Fraggle]

If they're sleeping in bed with you, a good brushout right before bed will help to shake the dirt loose.

 

[Greater Swiss]

If they're sleeping in bed with you, a good brushout right before bed will help to shake the dirt loose.

Yup, I agree with this, if Caeda's coat has gotten muddy she always gets a brush or at least major wipedown. Always making the bed (and pulling the blankets up really high) has made a difference for us especially with the additional dog blanket on there. Another thing you can do to keep the bed closer to dirt-free is a fitted sheet over all of the blankets when you're not using the bed.
I got indoctrinated into the messy pet-house when we had the cats as indoor-outdoor cats, coming through the cat flap all of the time with REALLY muddy paws. They were actually worse than the dog!