I love my dogs to bits, but sometimes (just sometimes), I hate the sweeping and scrubbing and brushing and wiping muddy paws! It drives me mad!

Some things that make it easier for me are: raised water bowls (essential for spaniels), easily washable beds, blankets & covers, and sweeping the dog area (where they sleep & eat) twice a day. But it's a never-ending cycle, and I have to admit there are days when I'd do anything rather than tackle the cleaning yet again. If you have any tips or tricks, I'd love for you to share them below!

Is it really possible to have a clean house with dogs??

I bloody hope not! My house was always a tip with my 3 kids, the dog is my new excuse

Things I find help are a vacuum cleaner that copes with hard floors and a steam mop. Yesterday I got up to a complete disaster of a house at 6.45am and by the time the speech therapist arrived to work with my 3yo at 9.30 all the main areas looked fairly presentable, having been very quickly vacuumed and steam mopped and the bathroom and kitchen given a wipe (thankyou cleaning wipes!).

It depends on your standards I suppose. I find watching Hoarders type programmes makes me feel better

Define clean! Yes regular vacuuming daily can keep on top of dog hair.Mopping floors can get rid of paw marks.  Splash mats for food bowls yes but they need wiping down. I think every time you vac/mop you turn around a few hours later and it's looks untidy!
I do feel more wooden/laminate floors add to the feel of mess than carpet.I find the one cat a far messy eater than the dog.

We splashed out on a cleaner, very lazy but it's lovely to come home to the dog beds all vaccumed and clean, floor washed etc. We do vaccum and clean between visits of course but it never looks as good as that first half day after her visit!

I like this idea Lucy dogs!  Wish I'd had this with the boys when younger,dogs and two on shift work in house!  Think my other half might raise an eyebrow if I suggest cleaner help with 2 cats and dog! Mind you after my surgery I could say because of that

I find more of my loose hair around than the dogs (Thank you for non shedding breed) and as for mess OH makes far more mess than the dog

Everyone's idea of clean is different but I would say if you have two or more dogs, especially a bigger, hairier, slobbery breed then the answer is no, unless you are prepared to clean all day and every day!  I have 4 dogs, my house is only ever clean and tidy for a little while at the weekend   Hoovering every day helps and regular grooming of your dogs so that the majority of their dead hairs are outside the house and not inside.  I too watch OCD cleaners, it makes me feel so much better! 

Lol... With two big hairy monster bears and a builder husband and my work pattern my house is never really clean I also have a very huge oak tree in the garden and this time of year it sheds catkins which stick to the girls coats like velcro..until they walk indoors and then they fall of with gay abandon !! I also have a puppy lodging here at the moment (Temporary until her passport is done then she's off to France !) and puppy Bernese fur is like fluff and everything sticks to it, she comes in from the garden like a swamp monster with all sorts stuck in her fur !! Its a nightmare to brush out but falls out all over the carpets with ease !!! Not to mention the sticks, leave, feathers, bits of fur, old plastic bottles, toys and anything else she can find dragged in and chewed !!
I have given up until she moves out.....
Aileen

Short answer -No ! Not with the number we have .

I find watching Hoarders type programmes makes me feel better

My husband has banned me from watching them as every time I start throwing things out!!

The things that depress me are:

Skirting boards.  The dust that accumulates and unidentifiable particles of dirt. 

Kitchen cupboards.  When they are not ultra smooth modern material, it seems impossible to wipe the crevices of them and have them pristine.  Again there are always particles of dirt there.  How does it get everywhere?  Not just from the dogs, but every time my dearly beloved cooks something, it ends up spattered everywhere.

Yesterday I was sitting on the loo and I looked at the back of the toilet door and noticed that the bevelled indentations on the door were full of dust. 

ARG.  Generally I think all houses should have things with no indentations, grooves, or otherwise dirt-collecting physical attributes

With 8 double coated dogs in the house...no. I now only have carpet on the stairs, everywhere else is tiled or laminate flooring. Leather sofas with throws. Never wear black clothes. Whole of my back garden is hard landscaped so no mud.

I'm not sure whether to feel more depressed (because it's basically not possible) or happier (because I'm not alone)!! Thanks for the suggestions, guys!

And I agree about the hoarder programs haha!

> this time of year it sheds catkins which stick to the girls coats like velcro..until they walk indoors and then they fall of with gay abandon !!

How normal your house sounds. 

If you have two or more dogs, especially a bigger, hairier, slobbery breed then the answer is no

Thankfully I have two pretty easy maintenance breeds. I used to groom every day but I'm trying out just one thorough grooming session a week, so they're not excessively hairy. I could never have a really slobbery dog, though one is messy with drinking, hence the raised water bowls.

> I could never have a really slobbery dog

I no longer have her but one of my Beardie bitches loved to put her head on my jeans when I sat down.  Once it had all dried on my jeans it looked like slug trails. 

Must confess I'm a bit of a surface cleaner these days, if it's not visible then it's ok, nobody seems to have died just because they've been in my house, so I guess it's fine.

I'm always staggered how high GR fluff can get and how it ends up in places where they haven't been.

Not sure if I've told this story on this forum or not, but bear with me if you've heard it before.
When I went into hospital to have knee replacement surgery last year, I had a shower just before going down to theatre. So there I was flat on by back after having a spinal anaesthetic peering down at my toes. There, hanging off my big toe, was a single golden hair (not mine, went grey years ago) could only be one of Isla's, then they gave me a sedative and I dozed off. Often wonder what happened to that hair.

No but who wants a clean house. I have a flat coat who will roll in the most disgusting thing she can find and sheds hair everywhere. My GWP, with his beard leaves a whiskery dribble trail all around the house after he has had a drink. There are slimy nose marks on the patio doors from 4 feet down, scratch marks on all the doors, muddy splashes up the walls in the hall. Why do dogs shake the minute they come inside? Just before you have time to grab the towel left where you thought this time I'll get them dried first.....Don't even ask what my car is like!

The fight against tumbleweed is continual!

It's dogs' laundry day today, one crate yielded some leathery scraps of dark material, which when removed turned out to be an old banana skin torn up and buried under the vetbed.  My older dog is really quite restrained about bringing the outside in, but has sometimes brought in bits of wooden flowerbed edging in an advanced stage of decay, and hidden them in his crate.  The youngster's speciality is tiny black slugs, with which he adorns his feathers during the bedtime outing.  They dry there overnight ....

Depends what you consider clean, dogs or not it is a never ending cycle, even if the house is empty, there will be dust, cobwebs etc.

There is essential health and safety stuff, and then there is aesthetics (like dust and dog hair), and how much the latter bothers you will depend on how much work it all is.

Tips:

Use Vet bed as it doesn't harbour bacteria and washes and dries quickly. Minimise soft furnishings and absorbent flooring materials to washable sizes (get rid of wall to wall carpet in any dog access areas).

Outdoors keep dogs mainly on washable drainable surfaces (off grass and mud).

Groom dogs regularly to reduce the amount in the environment that will only have to be swept or hovered up.

Rabid I agree with you about skirting boards! I think they are the devils tools just attracting dust for the fun of it. They tend to get noticed when you have either parents visiting (mom compulsive cleaner) or its a special party then the s#@@£!g thing seems to quadruple dust and weird marks.

Kitchen cupboards always find a potato lurking with ghastly roots no matter how often its emptied and cans seem to leave magical rings too.

Don't get me started on the bath!  I swear it's gleaming 9ne day then full of hairs/feet marks ... The rubber duck just sits there with a twisted "you missed a bit cleaning" smile.

Some people I know who have multiple dogs do. They have a dog room which isn't so clean and try and keep the dogs out of the rest of the house.  Some are very ocd and also have kennels to help during the day too. I guess mine could be if I didn't work and spent all day cleaning the house.

Some people I know who have multiple dogs do. They have a dog room which isn't so clean and try and keep the dogs out of the rest of the house.  Some are very ocd and also have kennels to help during the day too. I guess mine could be if I didn't work and spent all day cleaning the house.

I love sunny days but....... It shows up all the grubby marks that I have been living blissfully unaware of!

Two of my dogs are double coated and shed copious amounts of hair. I view the layer of dog hair on the carpet as a carpet protector - saves the carpet getting worn and the tumbleweeds of hair that gather in the corners of the tiled floors and the laminate floors  are my contribution to the modern art scene   But their hair is easier to clear up than the dog with a short coat - his hair weaves it's way into the carpet and takes a huge amount of effort to remove it. Again in the car it is easier to remove the long hair than the short bristles that get embedded in the upholstery even though all dogs are crated in the car.

I think I could manage it if mine weren't allowed in most of the house.  But it's their house, so never mind

It is a lot better since my foster (GSD/husky) left though - from the moment he stepped through the door I have never had so much hair from one dog and he hadn't even started molting properly as he was still young!

they have a dog room which isn't so clean and try to keep the dogs out of the rest of the house

Yeah I have a utility room where the dogs sleep and eat. I keep them on there if it's raining or muddy and just let them out for toilet breaks. Under normal circumstances they spend half the day inside and half the day out, but when outside they have free access to the utility as I just jar the door open. They aren't allowed in bathrooms or bedrooms so that helps a lot!

I tend to buy things now with the mindset 'how easy will it be to keep clean?'

I had a new fitted kitchen with plain matt doors and no handles....dogs spend time in there and I didn't want grooves I had to scrub clean!

It's a chore with a multi dog household to keep it clean, but I top clean daily and deep clean once a week.

I'd hate people to visit and think it's dirty....I wipe marks away as soon as I see them so it doesn't build up.

Worst thing to clean with male dogs? Yep you've guessed the gunk that comes from their male parts, or whatever we can call it, when they shake.
That takes the most cleaning, hairs are a dawdle compared to that. It always amazes me how far a single drop can fly and once landed it takes some scrubbing while trying to both clean it and keep the paint on the walls!!

Gosh, I must admit I've never had gunk shaken off from any of my males' "gentleman's protrusions", although one of them did leave marks on his cushion (vet trip, ABs, regular at-home check and wipe with hibiscrub if gunky), but he's been the only "gunky leaky" one out of four.

My Mum had a Cavalier who used to get crumbs of her food stuck in her ear feathers:  when she shook her head she could stick the crumbs to the ceiling, as well as the upper parts of the walls.  Canine saliva is very adhesive!

To gunk from gentlemen's protrusions, I raise you blood from in-season bitches.  Which seems to end up at knee-high level up walls.... 

Anyone reading this who does not yet have a dog, it is worth it, I promise.  (!!)

Never had a bitch but have heard some stories Will stick, pardon the pun, with my boys. By the way I'm not talking about this stuff constantly dripping, just the odd time.

To gunk from gentlemen's protrusions, I raise you blood from in-season bitches.  Which seems to end up at knee-high level up walls

Phew thankfully not had to deal (yet) with Gentleman's profusion gunk from my boy or in season bitches (both girls spayed before season back then it was the advice given by vet)

Flattiemum, after all these long years with my boys you have just made me realise what the 'it' is -on the carpet/walls etc. It attracts the dirt so you get globular structures ( sorry, too tired to be more specific) on the flooring and walls  and beyond ,which seem to be impossible to remove . I can send photos if required but they may cause offence.

Thank you. Any suggestions for prevention /removal welcome - but boys will be boys , I guess.

Yep, inseason girls' blood can reach great heights. There must be some formula for this.
Perhaps :
Length of tail (LT)  + density of tail (DT)  + angle of elevation(AELV) ( when in full flaunting mode = FFM) = height of expulsion (HE)
Acceleration (M )  also plays a role when in FFM( Full Flaunting Mode) -evinced by spots on the ceilings as well as upper walls

LT +DT +AEL +M = HE

Hard to remove anyway.

Is it really possible to have a clean house with dogs??

Depends on how dedicated you are to keeping it that way...........I'm a little OCD in that everything has it's place, I hate untidy, I hate unclean......... and I couldn't cope with smelly.

I have to admit there are days when I'd do anything rather than tackle the cleaning yet again.

I feel your pain. I think maybe we all feel that way at times, especially in the winter, sometimes I can't wait to just have me to look after, no cleaning, no poo pick ups, because it is a continual cycle, if you stop you know you'll soon be living in filth, if you do it daily, your home stays clean and fresh.

My home has always been full of dogs, with my mums passing I've also inherited 5 of hers now too, but my home is spotless, I make sure it is. I could never let my home 'go to the dogs.'

My biggest tip is I turned one of our outhouses into a walk in shower for the dogs with all their brushes, towels etc there, (you could do the same with a shed)............. I believe a dog should be a dog, they can get muddy, they can jump in rivers, get full of grass seeds humph! Fox poo We go in there and it's a conveyer belt of dog cleaning, they get spruced up, feet and underbelly washes and a coat brush, they then come in and sit in the conservatory (heated in winter) until dry, then they are back in the house.

In the summer and good weather, I still wash feet, as the can still trail in dirt. All dogs get brushed every day outside, sometimes twice when moulting, stops the majority of hairs in the house.

I don't have dog beds, my dogs are allowed on the sofas to snuggle up to us, either in the day room or some like to sit on the sofas in the conservatory, it's up to them, at the moment in warm weather, most are prefering the floor.   (Sometimes I think dog beds can harbour smells, and the can get quite scruffy if not changed often.) I hoover, dust and wash floors every morning, Occasionally in the afternoons I may get the hoover out again, and I hoover the sofas pulling up the cushions too twice a week.

I don't allow my dogs into my best rooms or upstairs, which I think also helps to keep hairs and doggy smells at bay.

Everything is routine, has been for decades, and it doesn't take long, I always have time to work and socialise.....

It's a labour of love, I love my dogs, and I love a clean, tidy, family home too, you've just got to put the effort in, it keeps me slim that's for sure. If you have a dog you need to clean more, simple as that, whenever it gets you a bit down, just think well, it's your job as part of caring for an animal.

And 15 years down the line when you can finally relax...........here come the grandchildren.......

Any suggestions for removal welcome

Only works on paint NOT on wall paper...............the scrubby green side of a pan cleaner and a thumb nail for stubborn spots .........says she - having frequently crawled down the hallway scrubbing as she went

Love your philosophy Carrington :)

Doing a thorough 'morning clean' really spruces up the house for the day, I sometimes do it and I sometimes don't. I will just have to make that routine me thinks It takes an hour each morning to walk my dogs and then feed/clean the dog room, so I figure I then have time for another hour of general house cleaning. It's winter over here in Oz so yes, the garden turns to mud with the slightest bit of rain

Thanks for sharing your cleaning routine, you've inspired me!

You know Jessica, it's probably one of the many reasons people give up their dogs too, they don't realise how much hard work it can be to keep a nice home and a happy healthy dog, some people forget the home, some the dog, (sadly) most of us manage to do both.........

Whenever my boys asked for the next animal, I've always drilled in they pee, poo and need looking after and you'll have to do it, suddenly the thought of the next rabbit, guinea-pig, lizard, pony is not so appealing.

Hope you don't have too bad a winter over there in Oz............we all dislike mud, no matter where we live, well, except for our dogs.

That's what I use but carefully, nails are the best though! Great satisfaction once done.

Haha you have it easy, all that summer sunshine!

I have 4 of the breed commonly renamed as German Shedders. My long coated boy seems to shed the least whereas my short coated girl the most. I have always hoovered daily and I agree that a good cleaner makes masses of difference. I also steam my carpets every other day as I have found that a dampness lingers in the winter and doesn't help matters after I cleaned.

When we moved I breathed a huge sign of relief when I found a house without any grass and smaller borders. Had we not had sole access to the field behind it, I would never have said yes to it but it is great to be able to use something we do not have to pay for or work to maintain. The patio and gravel can get smelly but a regular pressure wash and jeyes fluid work wonders and this means there is much less dirt being traipsed in to the house.

I have a dog conservatory as well as another conservatory. Their's is more like a utility room with fitted units, a sink, their own washing machine and their freezers. I mop the floor after each meal and they are dried down in there after a long romp over the field whether it's been raining or if the grass has been cut.

The second conservatory links to my study and these two rooms switch job titles in accordance to need. They become whelping room and nursery, quarantine rooms, separating rooms and puppy viewing rooms when required but my study is my space and mine alone - the husband doesn't go in - it's an unspoken rule and the dogs don't go in either unless the space is required for them. Since moving in to a bungalow the dogs come into the bedrooms and even go through the kitchen (something that wasn't done in our previous home). Thankfully, I have never had to clean boy marks or even girls marks as they tend to keep themselves very clean and have on occasion clean up for each other.

I dust once a week and the kitchen and bathrooms get a scrub down every wednesday and saturday but I hoover and mop daily. I'd go mental if I had to eat in a room where I can see a fine carpet of hair. I find the husband makes more work than the dogs - one of him and 4 of them - give me the 4 of them any day...

Maybe I am this way because of my parents???

Yikes, nobody mentioned flying emissions from gentlemen's protruberances when I asked how having a boy differed from having girls. I haven't encountered any yet, will wait for the next sunny day to have a better look I won't tell my husband..... he's not keen when the "lipstick" appears as it is!

Flying emissions from gentlemen's proturberances! I woder what Google would make from that search
I dislike the lipstick to RozzieRetriever mines ok but not the dogs!

Oh my goodness, who are you people with outside dog showers and dog conservatories!! 

I guess I am going to sound as though I live in a hovel but what I hate most is having to hose the cow/horse/fox poo off the Golden Retrievers after almost every walk. NORMAL dog owners come home from a walk, remove dog's collar then sit down with a cuppa. Oh bliss!  I have 5 to clean up, remove wet collars & leads, dog coats in winter, hose all dogs or put through foot bath because of risk of Alabama Rot in this area, only then take off my own wet, muddy, Jack Wolfskin imitation clothes with paw prints all over and put somewhere to drip. Did someone mention housework? I hoover when someone is expected or the carpet (chose wrong colour) resembles a flat pack Golden Retriever. I bought kitchen ceramic tiles that don't really show the dirt as long as it is evenly distributed, hallway is Karndean-type so again, doesn't show the dirt (much.) Or do I kid myself?
I hope the place doesn't smell to the non dog people but I really only invite fellow dog owners in. The gang had 1.5 hours swimming today. When I got home, I left them in kitchen & hall whilst going to the village. When I came back............... oh G. the smell. Slung all the doors open. Hopefully the smell has gone.It will have to do. I often hoover at midnight but dog club tonight so I will be even more knackered after. Still the dogs are happy, fed, exercised and LOVED, so why should I count!

Today's master plan was to deep clean whilst OH was out with dog and cat was asleep.Mission accomplished I sat down for all of 30 seconds before the front door was flung open to the sound of the OH's voice saying 'move the dryers off the bath he needs a wash!' white dog was now sable,happy and VERY smelly.One bath,blast and brush later and the house now looks like the inside of a snowglobe! I give up!

Lol... I just love the flat pack Retriever G.Rets.. Mine some days looks much the same but in Black with rust and white trimmings !!
Aileen

Having owned GR's for the last 30 years there's a very good reason all the carpets and floors are retriever coloured. We have to stick with the same breed or totally redecorate.

Much as my daughter and son in law love my girls (grey with light undercoat) when they get their own dog once they have their garden dog proofed etc,

I have advised them to get a Black Labrador (he grew up with Labrador or Spaniel crosses), as the hair colour will be less of an issue on their work clothes.