Everyone at our home wants a dog, but I’m still not convinced. In partnership with Febreze, we’re chatting about it with my sister Katrina and Ira, their cuddly goldendoodle…
Do you (would you) own a dog?
Every birthday and Christmas ‘dog’ ends up on our children’s wish list. I don’t blame them. What child wouldn’t want a friendly pal to snuggle into, and throw a ball with outside. But we (okay, just me) can’t decide whether we should actually get one.
There are so many things I worry about. We still have a kid in diapers, there’s that. Are we clean enough? Would it prevent us from traveling? Would the novelty wear off and feel like a burden? If we became dog owners, I’d really want to take it seriously.
I didn’t grow up with a dog, and I think that’s why I’m so hesitant. I certainly had plenty of friends with dogs, but there were these one neighbors…It always smelled like dog there, and honestly it really turned me off from the prospect of owning a dog! Cleanliness is a huge thing for me as a potential dog owner.
So, I was really happy to hear that Febreze has a line of pet products that tackle both the air and the fabric in a pet owner’s home. It includes the Febreze AIR Heavy Duty Pet Odor Eliminating, and the Febreze Fabric Pet Odor Eliminator. Leaving a bit of that classic Febreze ‘just cleaned’ scent, and a great way to freshen up your dog’s favorite spot on the couch or bed.
My sister Katrina also suggests doing a lot of research beforehand. “We knew that keeping the house clean could be a struggle with an indoor dog, so we were careful to pick a dog that wouldn’t shed to begin with. We just knew that with us both working full-time, that leaves little time for cleaning so we wanted to keep it as low maintenance as possible.”
My sister Katrina and her husband Quinn have had their dog, Ira, for about 3 years. Ira is the sweetest and we all adore her! Growing up, Katrina always loved dogs, but our parents weren’t really pet people. Katrina explains that “They tried their best to fill the void with robot dog toys, dog photo calendars, and even got me a guinea pig at one point! ‘A Dog’ was always at the top of every birthday and Christmas list but I knew it was a lost cause.”.
When she and Quinn were married and bought a home, they started really considering it. They researched local breaders, and thinking about what made the most sense for their lifestyle. “Quinn and I both live really upbeat lives, so we knew we needed to find a dog that would be able to fit into that. We also wanted to find a dog that wouldn’t shed too much. We had some friends who own a flower shop downtown, and often they would bring their dog Winnie to chill in the store during the day. This was how we fell in love with goldendoodles. A mix between a golden retriever and a poodle, goldendoodles are smart, well-natured, and hypoallergenic.”
When they finally went to meet the new goldendoodle puppies, it was a little overwhelming to pick one. “Ira was definitely the most chill out of bunch– I remember some of her brothers chewing on my shoelaces. She was just kind of sitting and watching.”
As an outsider, it all seems so seamless how much Ira is woven into their lives. “Since I didn’t grow up with dogs, I was kind of under the impression that it would be extremely challenging. Maybe because we really lucked out with such a superstar dog like Ira, but it has really surprised me how easily we were able to integrate her into our family…She always wants to be where Quinn and I are at. If we’re in different rooms, she will position herself right between us so she can see both of us at once. One of my favorite things she does right now is if Quinn and I hug, she’ll jump up onto one of us, trying to get in on that family hug!”.
See guys! Stories like this make me so ready to get a dog! Just maybe after we get Dot out of diapers. What do you think? Do you have a furry friend at your home? Have you considered getting a dog?
This post is in partnership with Febreze. Find their products at Walmart. Photography by Jenna Evans for Say Yes. And of course thanks to Katrina, Quinn, and superstar Ira!
Of course, your pet will have to pay a lot of attention and time before it stops harming your home 🙂 This blog https://yourplayfulpets.com/ will help you greatly simplify this task. And do not forget that proper high-quality nutrition will prolong her life and allow her to feel great until old age
My husband and I are ‘dog people’ through and through- we had 2 giant labs before having 3 kids. They passed 2 summers ago and we were heartbroken. We waited for a bit to add our puppy to the mix. He is a Newfiedoodle, and we loooove him, but let me tell you, a puppy with kids (ours are 8, 6 and 4) is very different than our first time around. We are confident he will be a wonderful dog, and our girls adore him. That said, there is a learning curve on both fronts. He has put holes in nearly all of their clothes, trying to play with his “litter mates”. We love love love our pup, but the work is real!!
My husband and I both grew up with dogs. If you do, you will *need* dogs in your life. They are wonderful. Some oily coated ones smell a bit doggier than others, but the trade-out is worth it times 10. That being said, we have an oily-coated hound mix. Her coat is shiny and she does not smell even though she is 15. The Vet can’t believe it. I’m positive it’s the food we give her.
I would look for a pound puppy. There are so many.
I would start obedience school asap. “Come” and “leave it” and other commands are so important.
I would recommend finding a good place for your dog to stay and leaving your dog there occasionally. That way when you go to Paris for 3 weeks, the dog will be familiar with the surroundings.
I am a dog person. I grew up in a family that always had a variety of pets and our house never smelled like PETS. We did not have carpet – only tile and wood flooring. Easy to keep clean and did not absorb orders. Our pets had beds, so they stayed off of the furniture. As an adult, my husband had a fur baby before kids and now we have two 2-year old black lab sisters. I could not imagine my life without a pet. They are very rewarding and provide entertainment and unconditional love. Everyone pitches in to help with walks, feeding, bathing, playing, and yard duty. Our dogs have two large beds that they lay on, rather than the furniture and they have a large, shared kennel to sleep in at night. I di not use Febreze or other air fresheners around them because I have heard of bad reactions. I prefer a steam cleaner for the floors and I have a spot steam cleaner for any fabric cleaning needs.
I think it is worth mentioning that I live in So Cal, so our back door is open 10 months out of the year to allow the fresh air in as well as allowing the dogs to play in our backyard.
A pet of any kind is a commitment and it will change your lifestyle. They are other ways to fill this need, such as volunteering at a shelter (for your older children), pet-sitting for a friend, or offering to walk a neighbor’s dog on Saturdays.
Sorry for the typos – di should be do and they should be There…
It depends on the bread. Some are allergy friendly dogs and don’t lose hair or smell, other breads just stink less. Our frenchie for example has hardly a dog smell, unless he is like really wet and muddy and even then just when we had him in the car, you can smell a little dampness. Otherwise no smell, never (unless he poops), ok… 🙂
I was hesitant for two years and now I would never ever go back. The best “thing” I have ever done. The unconditional love that comes back is just literally insane.
Never ever will I get a dog. I find them gross and smelly and annoying. So even though my four kids beg and beg with the sweetest faces I am holding strong.
We had a dog for 15 years (she died last October) and one of the greatest compliments people could give us was that our house didn’t smell like we had a dog! It helps to not have carpet and we actually used lots of Febreeze for rugs and furniture and it’s awesome! I understand being hesitant to get a dog. We had ours long before having kids, but the idea of getting another feels more daunting somehow.
Amazing to hear!
We had a 14-year-old chocolate lab that died about 2.5 years ago & often talked about getting a new pup, but couldn’t quite get everyone (my husband and I – 3 girls were waaaay into it) into it. Especially a puppy. They are a lot of work and my first go-round was pre-kids. But then just LAST WEEK a 2-year old labradoodle wolfhound mix came up as needing a forever home and all of the sudden we have a new dog and we are all over the moon. His name is Moses & we adore him. I realized how much we missed having a dog in the house. But I do often worry about being those/your neighbors with the house that always smells. But I also don’t care when I see him with the girls, lol!
https://thewanderingrumpus.com/
ooh he sounds so perfect! love when it works out like that.
I don’t have a dog (pets aren’t allowed in most buildings here in Hong Kong) but I’m not much of a fan anyway. I prefer smaller pets just because they’re easier to look after! But maybe my answer would be different if I grew up with a dog, haha!
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
a little city dog is fun!
Febreze is an 8 ( out of 10) on the ThinkDirty app’s toxicity scale. I would not feel comfortable spraying this anywhere near my family. Not a great brand to support or partner with.
I’ve been reading this blog for the past 10 years and love most of the content but this partnership is very disappointing.
Hi Meg, I don’t know anything about that app but I’ll look into it, thank you