If you have more than one dog...how do you keep your house clean?

[MyTrixie143]

There is 8 dogs in my household, well 11 if you count the pups but they are too young yet to be making a mess.

I have a routine that I do. I am very picky about the house being clean, I hate for it to smell or look messy.

I sweep the floors everyday, wash out dog bowls and water fountains everyday, change the pads twice a day,and I wash their toys and beds every week. The dogs have either been using the potty tent or going outside so we don't have accidents very often. But when we do I steam clean the carpets.
I also give the dogs a bath every week which helps the most. I can't stand a dog smelling like a dog so they are kept clean and nice smelling.
It is a lot of work but the result is great, I have a clean nice smelling house because of it.

You just have to find what works for you and stay on top of it and keep working at it.

[EmrldShdwQueen]

Well...as everyone else has mentioned...it's not easy...BUT it's possible! I have two at the moment, but have had as many as 8, including the cats. By the end of January I'll have 8 again. Mine aren't too bad actually, Maddie is completely trained as long as I take her out every 2-4 hours (depending on how hard she's playing), and Sophie is learning...so she wears a diaper when she has free reign of the house. The diaper comes off when she goes into her crate to nap or goes outside to potty with Maddie. She gets used to the routine and now she's not having any accidents in her diaper...it's just there to remind her to hold it. When I get my little boy in a month and a half or so he'll wear a belly band all the same (of course neither the diaper or this stop the poop...but I'd rather clean up poop any day than pee because you can actually see it). Then when I get my two more adult girls in January I'll have diapers for them so they'll get used to going potty at their new house and get the hang of "potty outside and reward". It sounds tedious and monotonous, but it really pays off in the long run. Yes, they look silly with the diapers on, and yes it costs money to buy the pads and/or the disposable diapers, but I would rather pay it now than pay for a new carpet later. We have a fairly new home so my boyfriend wouldn't exactly be too happy if they ruined the floors! BUT if they DO have the occasional accident, I immediately clean the floor with Nature's Miracle, followed by the deep clean Resolve. I'm also going to invest in a steam cleaner soon, and do that once a week. I think the worst is when it's raining, because their feet get muddy since our grass isn't seeded too well in the backyard... So the hallway from the back door is a little brownish/red...but I'd rather have mud on the floor than something smelly...lol

And as far as food and toys, etc. I always keep their bed by mine in the bedroom, and their toys are kept in a little basket. I just go behind them and pick up, and chewing on stuff is scolded with a loud clap and a NO! Their food is only out 2-3 times a day when they are fed (for no longer than 30 mins), and that keeps it not smelling, and also keeps bugs and mice away as well. I NEVER leave the food out all day. They're allowed on our furniture but not if they're dirty of course.

They are bathed anywhere from 3 times a week to once a week, depending on the weather and where they've been...lol, so they never smell (partly because it helps keep the house clean and partly because that's a pet peeve of mine...I can't stand the dog smell). I wash their beds/toys/crate pads/clothes/bowls/etc. at least every other day (on extra small load cold cycle because if you continue to keep them clean they don't need a heavy wash and it saves on water some). Annnd I also change their clothes every day, brush/comb their hair every day, wipe their faces with a washcloth or baby wipe, clean their ears and under their tail, clean their paws, and trim any hair that's getting in their way. Brushing daily is a LIFE SAVER!! We have three cats too who shed like crazy, and have to brush them all the time too. We still have a little cat hair on our furniture, but we use those roller brushes and the defurminator thing...and that works pretty well.

Probably the easiest thing to do is just to clean up after each individual mess immediately and stay on top of things the best you can. I know it's difficult, and it seems like I listed a lot, but it really doesn't take that much time once you're used to the routine. My babies are pretty smart, as are most Yorkies, and they pick up on things. They don't make NEAR as big of messes as they did as babies...I think they start to catch on for the most part!!

I knew before I got dogs that I wanted to have a house full, that I knew that meant CLEANING up after them constantly...but I'm willing to do it because I love my babies so much and they're worth it! My career involves working with children, so I'm certainly gotten used to cleaning up each mess as it happens through the years!

Hope this helps!

[BubblPopElectrc]

Swiffers are the best! I use both the dry and wet ones once or twice a week. I also change the linens (bed sheets, their blankets, etc.) once a week. It's also key to change the pads often! I think they are the worse things for smelling.

Also candles are great! I was them once a week as well.

I've never had any problems with smells! I think maintenance is the best way to prevent it.

[Dior'sMom]

First of all, I open my windows at least for an hr a day (I love fresh air). I wash their bedding weekly. They are currently on Canidae dry so there is no food smell. They also get weekly baths and they are not allowed on ANY furniture (they have their own). Wallflowers are my friends. I am also a Clorox Clean Bleach fanatic. Our home doesn't have any indication that pets live there (except from the chewed walls in the master bathroom ). Hope this helps

[Brooklynn]

I have 9 yorkies and we've pulled up our carpet and have concrete floors but we are planning on getting tile in the future but we've accepted that they are part of our family and if anyone that visits doesn't like it well they know the door they came in and turn around and go right back out it coming home and taking care of my dogs is my second job with no pay (money wise). I sweep and mop when needed, wash bedding "DAILY" laundry has become a daily chore but they are worth it and it works for us. I can't imagine anything less than 5 dogs in my house LOL
Donna Bird
Brooklynn's Yorkshire Terriers

[mizzwanned]

They pretty much only pee and poop on the paper and outside when i walk them. Sometimes Teddy will have accidents cause he is not neutered but we have tile floors and i hate them. When he pees on the floor i mop it and spray it with clorox. I want to change my floors to wood floors but my mom doesn't want to. There's no hair around cause mine don't shed.

[Yorkiekids]

Clean, clean and clean again. I'm a neat freak so I'm forever washing and vacuming the floors. Not to mention all the little nose prints on the windows.

[Yorkiedaze]

I suppose I'm just lucky. I've been reading how most of you have to clean and shampoo quite a bit. I have two Yorkies and not one tiny bit of problem. I vacuum once a week and never have to clean up any "accidents". I never have to do any more cleaning with two dogs than I would with no dogs. I'm thinking it's in the training. First and most important is getting them house trained completely before they are allowed more freedom in the house. Second, either train them to their own beds or sleep with them. That's your preference. Second is to bathe them at least once a week and brush them each and every day. No hair in the house and no doggie odor!

[hha]

Luckily you don't live down south where we have red clay.
I have 4 running around in the house, of course, all of mine are trained to piddle pads, of course, there are stains
in my family room carpet from pee, I clean it up with natures miracle, but you can still see the stain..I also use those febreeze fresheners in my wall plates, don't know why their food bowl would stink...you know, I guess none of this bothers me, I will replace the carpet one day, but these little dogs have such short lives, and they bring so much happiness, that these little things in life don't bother me in the last bit

[autumn star]

I have serious OCD especially when it comes to my house. I have been told that you could eat off of my floors. I have a routine that I live by. I have my children and hubby on this schedule w/me. I mop every other day, I vacuum daily (sometimes 2x's) upstairs and down. I clean my bathrooms everyday. I dust 2x's a week. Change sheets 2x's per week and towels. My home never smells and is 99.9% of the time very clean. I could not have it any other way.
I wipe Autumns feet when she comes in and I bath her every friday ontop of her every six wk grooming that she gets from the groomer.
When you have animals you have to be ontop of it and have a routine and try to have the whole house hold members on that routine because if they are not you will be fighting a losing battle.
We at one point had 4 pets 2 dogs and 2 cats. We had 2 pugs and for anyone who knows anything about pugs they can tell you they shed like nothing you have ever seen.
Good luck to you!

[periwinkle]

I have two, and it's a never ending battle to keep the house clean. I purchased a small shallow plastic storage container from Ikea. I put about l inch of warm water in it. On muddy days, they go in it as soon as they walk in the door. I take a tooth brush or scrub brush and gently scrub their foot pads and nails. This helps a lot. I always have a towel ready and they know to step on the towel and get wiped off. They accumulate a lot of dirt in their nails. I vacuum just about every day to keep up with the crud they bring in!

[davis]

I hear ya. I can top that because I have a 7 year old yorkie, a 4 month old yorkie and 5 cats. I do the best I can but there will always be cat/dog hair and I have ruined more than one vaccuum but I wouldn't take a million dollars for my pets so I just do what I can and if my guest don't like it they can always go home. My animals are my life and my yorkies mean everything to me since I don't have children. I am going to have knee replacement surgery next month and I am worried about trying to keep up but I just do the best I can.

[flgurl69]

Well I have 2 dogs, 2 cats, and 1 bird so I'm constantly cleaning. I vacume every day. I sweep the kitchen a lot. I clean crates every day and spray Natures Miracle on the dogs' crate trays even if they don't have an accident. The dogs get bathed once a week or more if they get into something. The bird gets a bath too. Lol! When I take my furbabies out to potty I always wipe their feet off if their feet are wet. I have towels just for their feet. When I feed them wet food I put it on a plate and set the plate on a paper towel to keep the food off the floor. As soon as the furbabies are done the food goes in the garbage and I wipe their faces off, wiping up food or any eye boogers at the same time. I don't even give them a chance to go on the carpet and wipe their mouths on the rug.

I am really nuts about cleaning so I clean every Friday night without fail. I mop the floors and make sure I clean well around their crates and food area. I also use a carpet steamer and clean the carpets every 4-6 months depending on how bad I think it is. I have my hallway leading to the 2nd and 3rd bedrooms blocked off with a gate so no one can go in there and mess up anything up.

I keep Yankee Candles burning a lot because I'm so paranoid my house smells like animals. I use Carpet Fresh once a month too and I use plugins. I would die if someone came over and said my house smelled. Thank goodness everyone says my house is spotless and there is nothing ever laying around, which to me is great to hear.

[flgurl69]

Originally Posted by autumn star

I have serious OCD especially when it comes to my house. I have been told that you could eat off of my floors. I have a routine that I live by. I have my children and hubby on this schedule w/me. I mop every other day, I vacuum daily (sometimes 2x's) upstairs and down. I clean my bathrooms everyday. I dust 2x's a week. Change sheets 2x's per week and towels. My home never smells and is 99.9% of the time very clean. I could not have it any other way.
I wipe Autumns feet when she comes in and I bath her every friday ontop of her every six wk grooming that she gets from the groomer.
When you have animals you have to be ontop of it and have a routine and try to have the whole house hold members on that routine because if they are not you will be fighting a losing battle.
We at one point had 4 pets 2 dogs and 2 cats. We had 2 pugs and for anyone who knows anything about pugs they can tell you they shed like nothing you have ever seen.
Good luck to you!

Me too! I'm so OCD I vacume my way out of rooms just so there are no track marks on the carpet!! All you can see are perfect lines where the vacume cleaner was!

[makemepretty]

I clean every single day. I vacuum every single day. I make sure the dogs are brushed and let out whenever they need to go(that way...no accidents). Yes, even if that means at 2 a.m. they need a potty break. I use glade plug ins throughout my house. I feed dry dog food and use the left over bottled water for the dogs dish so really, there's no food messes from them.

Cleaning is hard work and it is non stop. I have kids, pets and a husband who's always working on something. Everyone always comments on how clean my house is. That's because I'm always cleaning it