My mini helpers...or destructors?

I'd like to introduce you to my little helpers.  My girls Ruger (Black Lab) and Riley (Yellow Lab). They seem to be much more helpful with demolition than construction so far, but no matter what they do, I just can't stay mad at them, they're just too sweet. 



The Pups with their new toy on Christmas

They've chewed through many rope toys, 3 collars, 1 leash, a custom made curtain panel (welp), a button down shirt, a tapestry, a really cute bomber jacket, the plastic handles of their kennel, quite a few socks, and several rolls of toilet paper.  All in all they're pretty good dogs though. While my blog is mainly about interior design, I'm sure they'll pop up from time to time.  Just recently I had two sick pups within 24 hours of each other which meant a lot of cleaning up on my part, and then tonight a gashed paw which meant a trail of blood following my blondie.  After we got her all wrapped up...

She was a really good sport about it surprisingly, and the gauze is holding up so far.  Well it got me thinking about the durability of furniture.  I'm sure those of you with pets or kids have learned a lot about what will and will not work in your home.  I'm planning on a new couch for the living room and I am definitely leaning towards a slipcover or something dark.  I do love bright white couches though so we'll have to see if slipcovers win that tug of war.  I have removed the carpet in most of my home (I was lucky that i knew there were original hardwoods underneath), and am looking at area rugs too.  The fur from a dark and a light colored dog mix to a mucky gray color that shows up on everything, dark or light!!  My next project is a painted floor canvas in place of a traditional area rug (There will be a post on that in the near future).  It will be much easier to clean, and in the worst case scenario, a lot cheaper to replace if necessary.  

So along with slipcovers, dark furniture, and rug alternatives, here are a few of my other suggestions:

- Keep breakables above knee/thigh high. We have had many glasses knocked off of the coffee table by happy tails.

- Provide a designated spot for pets to lay, if you just can't resist letting them on the furniture just be prepared to vaccuum often, very often.

- Provide lots and lots of safe toys to keep them occupied, Every instance in which one of the above mentioned items was destroyed was when the dogs were bored in their kennel. I emphasize safe toys because i worry about leaving them with bones that splinter easily and can be a choking hazard or toys that they can easily get tangled in if left alone with it.

- Use Semi-gloss or satin paint.  The flatter the paint finish, the harder it is to wipe clean.  The glossier finishes are great for wiping clean when muddy dogs run through a room. 

- Keep nails trimmed short.  It helps prevent scratches on hardwood floors

- Most of all...Relax!  You can't control everything.  Messes happen, things break, items get damaged and have to be replaced, it's just a part of being a homeowner, pet owner, or parent.  But its always worth the sacrifice.

Hope these suggestions can be helpful to your future room planning.  I would love to hear any other suggestions you  parents and pet owners may have out there.  I'm sure there are many more situations I haven't yet encountered.