My name is Breana and I have three dogs.
I married into a dog family and their love for dogs runs real deep. Real real deep, y’all.
I grew up in a pet free home. When I would sleep at friend’s houses who had pets, the moment I got home, my mother would throw all of my clothes in the wash. No fur in her house! Once my son was born, he had a fear of dogs for about two years … then I met my husband and his family. Thankfully, they pretty much nursed the fear out of him and now he calls the dogs his brothers (they fuss and fight like brothers too)!
So how am I coping from a non-pet home to a full-pet home? You know, not as gracefully as I would have hoped. Pets are a lot of work! They require almost as much attention as the kiddo.
There are a few things that have helped me with adjusting to this new pet life as a newlywed and new homeowner:
1. Roomba
It is worth the investment even if you do not have pets or tiny humans. We affectionately call ours “Sir Sweeps A Lot” because that is exactly what he does. He runs one or two times a day and is a total lifesaver … because really, who has enough time in the day to sweep up dog hair multiple times a day? (If you do, God bless you and your mad time management skills!) We really didn’t research brands and made a necessary impulse buy on Prime Day out of sheer desperation. These are a few brands that have been recommended among friends and family: iRobot Roomba (which has a ton of versions that have different features), Samsung, ILife, Shark, Bobsweep, etc. I’d recommend reading some Amazon reviews and asking friends/family their opinion!
2. Fence
Fence in that yard and throw them outside, yo! When I want to sit on the couch and not be a part of a literal dog pile – I can push them out for a little sunbathing time. They enjoy it even though they are spoiled inside dogs. We have had to repair our fence and chicken wire the bottom, because they are sneaky bad boys and helped each other break out. Luckily, fence boards and chicken wire can be purchased at a very cheap price at Lowes or Home Depot!
3. Lint rollers
One for the house, the car, my purse. There are large, medium, and small sizes are made for your convenience. Have you seen the giant ones that are made for furniture?! In the travel section at Target and Walmart you can find the tiny ones to fit in your purse! It’s a must and it speaks for itself.
4. Costco
You read that right. Costco. Their dog food is the best bang for your buck! You can get a giant bag for a way better cost than a little bag at any other store. We tried fancy food to help with shedding, but when feeding three little hungry beasts, we gotta ball on a budget. The big ole bag lasts us about a month where the small bag lasted a few days. Even if you only have one pet, I’d recommend it for cost saving purposes.
5. Baby Gate
We have a baby gate on our four year old’s room to protect his toys and stuffed animals. The dogs have eaten about thirteen pairs of my shoes since I’ve met my husband and we are down three sets of drumsticks. We have officially learned our lesson – pick up valuables that you do not want the dogs to take ownership of. This has been incredibly helpful for cleanup purposes in the house … because if we like an item or our food enough, we know to guard it with our life and pick up.
Three dogs mean that we have a lot of responsibility, a lot of fur, a lot of play, and a lot of love! They are a joy and truly a part of our family. I could not imagine life without them! They have given my son a sense of responsibility and have taught him gentleness and play in a way that I do not think I could have taught him without having pets.
