EnvironMental Monday: Claiming a Fur-Free Zone

It's shedding time in my household at the moment. Truth be told, with two long-haired, VERY active dogs, it's pretty much always shedding time. Fur flies behind my doors, gets stuck in nooks and crannies, and I'll inexplicably find a stray Killian hair in my soup every so often. It's not pleasant, but unless I'm willing to vaccuum every day (I'm not), it seems to be an inescapable part of having hounds. I can be a bitter woman with a cleaning fetish, I can get rid of my canine compadres, or I can suck it up and deal.

I've chosen to deal.

HOWEVER, over the past month, I did come to a rather revolutionary (for me) decision: I made my living room sofa a fur-free zone. There are two dogs beds on the floor, but for the past two years, both dogs have become accustomed to reclining on my aged sofa whenever they had the yen. Killian, in particular, loved to stretch waaaay out with his belly in the air, and snooze the day away. The result of that particular habit was that I almost never spent any time in my living room, because the couch was always covered with fur. Which meant that anytime I wanted to hang out and watch a little TV, by the end of the evening I would also be covered with fur. Having guests was always mortifying, as I'd frequently find myself explaining that the sofa wasn't so much my sofa as... well, the dogs' sofa.

So, last month I decided enough was enough. The dogs have the run of the rest of the house, they can sleep on my bed, I spend more on their groceries each month than I do on my own... I should have one place that's just mine, right? Indeed. I washed the couch cover, cleaned the living room from top to bottom, bought myself a handy-dandy little shelf for my TV and DVDs, and now keep a broom stashed lengthwise over the couch whenever I'm not there, to discourage any trespassers. The dogs don't seem inordinately distressed by this arrangement, and neither of them have attempted to get back on the couch since I passed the No Dogs on the Sofa decree. And me? I get to snuggle up and watch TV or read while the dogs are happily snoozing on their beds on the floor.

The Fur-Free Zone has definitely made my world feel much more human-habitable - and, I'm much more likely to take a little time and lounge with the hounds, now that there is a space I feel good about. And that's something everyone in the house can woof about.

EnvironMental Monday: The Shedding Conundrum

For the past couple of weeks, coming home has been a little less of a pleasure than it once was. The reason? A hot summer and two very hairy dogs means we are shedding to beat the band. I have hardwood floors, which technically should make things easier, but my oh my... how the fur does fly. Killian's hair comes out in great, thick clods, while Adia's is fine and wispy and tends to accumulate behind doors and in darkened corners. This past weekend I decided I couldn't take it anymore, and laid waste to every stray hair, every errant furball I could find. Here's what I learned about de-shedding a shed-upon house:

(1) The Swiffer is a brilliant invention. I've had vacuum cleaners that were supposedly made specifically for pets, but I have yet to find one that's actually all that effective. In my experience, the most thorough way to go is to do a clean sweep first, and then follow up with a Swiffer. I honestly didn't think my floors would ever be that clean again.

(2) I'm not sure what it is about glass that makes it so appealing to pups, but my dogs have licked every single window, mirror, and picture frame within reach. If you're a friend to the environment and thus try to stay away from commercial cleaners, try 3 tablespoons of lime juice, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar, and 3/4 cup water mixed together in a clean spray bottle.

(3) Dog beds are your friend. There's something about having a fresh, clean dog bed in the room that - to me - just makes things nicer. It also helps ensure that your pups aren't shedding all over the couch, and makes the atmosphere more pleasant when you just want to hang out. I recommend having a bed in every room you spend time in - I splurged and bought five this weekend, which was pricey. Though I would love to say I go high-end on this stuff, I just don't have the money. If you have a Costco or Sam's Club nearby, that's the way to go. You can get a good bed for about $20 at either place; the covers are removable for easy cleaning, and they last a good, long time (provided, of course, your pup doesn't chew them to pieces).

(4) De-clutter your dog's toy box. For some inexplicable reason, I have a really hard time throwing out my dogs' old toys. It's not as though I have any sentimental attachment to them, but they do pull out that old, decapitated stuffed bear now and again for a game of tug... As a consequence, headless Charlie stays in the toy box, along with a whole slew of other, equally maimed puppy toys. This weekend, I started fresh. I threw out everything but the high-end toys, and paid a visit to the local Goodwill to restock on the stuffed toys that they go through in a matter of minutes, avoiding any toys with beaded stuffing and removing the eyes myself to avoid any potential choking hazards.

I'm always amazed at how much more content I am in a clean house. My entire outlook changes - making dinner is a pleasure without a sink full of dishes, and bedtime feels almost luxurious with fresh sheets and fluffed pillows. I don't know whether my pups are merely responding to my change of mind, or whether they genuinely prefer things tidy themselves, but either way they seem more at ease at the end of the day. So, if dog fur and window streaks have you feeling down and out, take a day to regain control. A few hours of cleaning can make a world of difference to your state of mind - and that's great news for you and your pup!