We all love our furry friends. And while we wouldn’t dream of leaving them behind when we move, our pets can make getting a new apartment or rental much more complicated. Paying extra fees and pet rent can add up quickly. And let’s face it, there are reasons for those fees. Between hair, “accidents”, curiosity, and cooped up energy, our dogs can get into some sticky situations – and cause some major damage. How can you avoid losing your deposit without sacrificing your furry family?
Here are some easy ways to keep your fur baby from ruining your chances at getting your deposit back:
- Protect Surfaces from Chewing
In general, dogs avoid chewing on things that smell of citrus. If your dog is a chewer, you can try spraying surfaces with citrus scented cleaning spray or air freshener. If you need a stronger deterrent, most pet supply stores carry products designed to keep pets from chewing up your things.
- Regularly Remove Pet Hair from Your Carpets
You love you dog’s silky coat! It’s warm, and adorable, and soft, and… a huge pain to remove from the carpet. Avoid paying special cleaning fees by regularly removing the hair yourself. A good way to remove pet hair from the carpet is a squeegee. You can use the same type of squeegee you use in the shower to remove pet hair effectively. Try to squeegee your carpets every other week, or more often if you have multiple pets.
- Seal up Treats and Food
The compulsion to get into your trash, or their dog food stash is a hard one to combat. The best way to fight this problem is to seal up the temptations in air tight containers. You can buy large dog food storage containers for pretty cheap. Transfer dog food from bags into the sealed containers. Removing that tempting dog food smell helps your dog resist their evil urges.You can also purchase trashcans that open from a foot pedal. Most versions of these trashcans include a lock, so even if you’ve got a smart pup they won’t be able to open the trashcan when you’re not home. Of course, storing trashcans and dog food in rooms with locked doors doubles up your protection.
- Prevent Boredom
What’s the number one reason your dog destroys things? He’s bored. Try to prevent boredom by leaving toys that can keep Fido busy for hours. You can purchase toys that are indestructible and have space for snacks in them. Add peanut butter (make sure your brand is xylitol free) and freeze the toy. Your dog will spend hours trying to eat the peanut butter out of the toy. And a busy dog is a well behaved dog.
Having a pet and apartment chaos don’t have to go hand in hand. But even when man’s best friend inevitably cause a mess or get into some trouble, we still know we wouldn’t trade them for the world!
What is your favorite tip for keeping your pet in line while you’re away? Share in the comments!
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Keep in mind, an over-stimulated, nerve-rattled dog may not take well to kids pulling tails and fur. Even the best behaved family dogs have a limit. Adults should always supervise children around pets to monitor the safety of both the pet and the child. If a dog appears to be annoyed, call it into an empty room for a break from the holiday excitement.
