There are a lot of topics to cover regarding large breed dogs, but one of them I find important to share with you is ‘Living with your Large Breed’ from a woman’s perspective.
Background
As much as I wish I had known our pups from when they were little, I have not. I first met our two English Mastiffs when they were seven years old. Many would say this is an old age for large breed (granted they are ~71 in human years now), but I think of them as my little babies still as I have never had dogs of my own (I’ve had family dogs, but none that have actually been mine to raise from the very beginning).
I was living in a two bedroom apartment in the city of Chicago with my nine year old cat when M and I decided it would be a good time to move in with each other. LET ME TELL YOU, going from living alone with a cat to living with my boyfriend and two LARGE English Mastiffs (Daisy the female weighs 125 and Dozer the male weighs 160) was quite an eye opener. I consider myself a pretty clean and organized person (although M would say I’m obsessive with my cleaning) and having to adjust to the drool, hair and the potent gas these dogs have…is quite a change to say the least. Take it from me, there is a huge difference from cleaning out a litter box to picking up two English Mastiffs bowel movements with a pooper scooper in the backyard. Also, yes, TMI.
Now, with that being said. I love these dogs and have managed to adapt easily to them. I don’t want to scare you away from owning large breed dogs, because there is truly nothing better. They are protective guard dogs with the biggest hearts and have the best cuddles. I feel nothing but safe and secure with these two at my side and I would not have it any other way.
Now that I’ve gotten the backstory out of the way!… I’d like to share some of the things that have helped me tremendously in coping with my new living arrangement with my babies.
Supplies
Below I share some of the products that have assisted me with my obsessive cleaning and tidiness, and being able to live in a house with two English Mastiffs (and a man ha!). Please comment below if you have additional home remedies or products you or someone you know uses to assist with living with large/giant breed dogs, I would LOVE to try more! Below are affiliate links and if purchased through these links I could receive a small compensation. This post is not sponsored by any brand and is my true opinion.
1. IROBOT Roomba 690. I have set the Roomba to quickly sweep the house on a daily basis so when we come home from work, there is less hair/dust around the hardwood floors and rugs.
2. Essential oils (tangerine tends to be the most powerful I have found thus far, but any scents will do). I have dripped these essential oils on our air filters when we change them every month (every month is key when you live with animals). Simply splash a couple drops on the filters and your whole house will smell wonderful for up to 3-4 weeks (until you change the filter!).
3. Yankee Candles (I like to switch scents every month) but right now I have ‘blueberry’ and the scent seems to facilitate throughout the house pretty well. I have found that Yankee Candles last the longest as well compared to the other candles I have tried in the past.
4. Paw wipes. I use these wipes to simply wipe the pups paws when coming inside from a rainy/snowy/muddy/grassy day. Luckily, my pups stop every time they come inside to give me the opportunity to wipe their paws…that comes with the wonderful training M has done from the beginning.
5. Doggy dish towels. These dish towels not only assist with the pup’s paw wiping but we have several scattered throughout the house to assist with the pups drool as well. After they take a large drink out of their water bowls, drooling is an understatement. These towels are helpful with keeping the couches and floors (somewhat) drool free! 🙂
6. Another hack I have to assist with our home smelling fresh is a concoction I found on Pinterest. I bought a 8.1 fl oz (240mL) spray bottle (although any size spray bottle will do). For the beginning of “my couch concoction” I sprinkle about 30 little Downey unstoppable beads into the bottom of the spray bottle. After the unstoppables are in the spray bottle, I add in cleaning vinegar to fill up half of the bottle. This may seem like a lot of vinegar, but trust me, it helps if your large breeds are allowed on the furniture. After the vinegar is in the bottle, I fill up the rest of the bottle with hot water. Let the beads disintegrate into the liquid and you’ll be ready to spray on your furniture! Now, I have only used this on my fabric couch and not on other furniture. Make sure to spot test on a small area of fabric you intend to use it on prior to application.
7. Dyson vacuum V8 Animal. Remember when I said I have the IROBot roomba? I also use this vacuum every 2-3 days for more of a deeper clean and get into the crevices the roomba cannot. This vacuum is cord-free and does wonders. There are 6 attachments and can run cord-free for up to 45 minutes (which is perfect for my house, I’ve never ran out of time). If you were to purchase anything from my list above, I would HIGHLY recommend this vacuum. I LOVE IT.
Below are a couple things I’ve had my eye on, but haven’t made the commitment to buying yet–have you tried any of these? If so, comment below!
- Sofa covers
- Deja’s MudBuster Portable Dog Paw Cleaner
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XO
