Your guide to establishing healthy routines and habits for your small dog to maintain a healthy home environment.
by Nicola Smith, Last Updated 03-11-2024
Creating a healthy home environment for you and your small dog is important to ensure you’re keeping yourself and your dog healthy.
The best part?
Making sure your home is set up properly for your small dog doesn’t have to be hard or impede on your living space. Keep reading below to read our tips for setting up your home and establishing routines to keep you and your small dog happy and healthy.
Creating a Healthy Home Environment for Your Dog and YouCreating a Healthy Home Environment for Your Dog and You
Living spaces
A key part of ensuring your home remains clean and hygienic when you have a small dog is making sure your furry friend has a dedicated area to rest and relax.
Setting up your dog’s bed and a blanket in a dedicated area will give your pet somewhere to relax so they’re not jumping up onto your bed and furniture throughout the day.
Of course, you may want your dog to sit with you sometimes but having a dedicated area of your home for the dog to sleep and relax sets clear boundaries for your small dog.
Bathroom time
Creating a healthy home environment for your dog and you. Designate a bathroom area for your small dog.All dogs need to be able to get outside or have access to space to go to the bathroom a few times per day. If you’re home during the day, make sure you let your dog out a few times to go to the bathroom.
You may find your little friend has particular behaviours when they need to be let out for the bathroom. Be aware of habits such as running after you when you walk towards a door or constant staring outside.
If you’re not home during the day, consider paying a dog walker or get a trusted friend to take your dog out for a bathroom break.
Another option, instead of a dog walker, is to purchase a pet potty that features grass. These products provide a dedicated area for your dog to go to the bathroom when you’re not around, while making cleaning quick and easy.
Meal time
Your mealtime and your small dog’s meal should be separate to prevent begging and other health problems.It may be tempting to throw your small dog a little treat from the dining table as you eat dinner, but this can create a pattern of your dog hanging around while you eat.
Not only can this be unhygienic, but you could end up feeding your dog something that will make them sick. It also sets up a habit of begging which is difficult to break. Keep meal times habitual for your small dog by serving their food in a dedicated bowl and placing the bowl in the same place for each meal. Remember dogs are creatures of habit, so they’ll get used to the routine quickly.
Sleep time
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, a third of American homes have a pet dog. Of these homes, more than half report they let their dogs sleep in their beds when they sleep at night.
These statistics, included in a study by the Mayo Clinic, concluded that for healthy middle-aged women, having one adult dog sleep in bed with an owner may not be disruptive to sleep.
The study, however, found that sleep quality was worst when a single person slept in a bed with a small dog. Based on this study, and for the sake of your hygiene and sleep quality, it’s best to let your furry friend sleep in their own dedicated bed each night.
Grooming time
If you have a fluffy dog, you may find they shed a lot of fur around your home. To keep your home free from stray fur on your furniture and clothing, keep your dog on a regular grooming schedule.
Make sure your dog has a haircut by a professional every 6 to 8 weeks. Between haircuts, regularly wash your dog and brush their hair to catch any stray fur before it ends up on your couch.
Brushing your dog’s fur outside will also make sure any fur that does stray as you’re brushing, doesn’t end up in your home.
Owning a small dog has many health benefits and setting up your home and routines properly to keep you and your dog healthy will help you realise all the great things about having a furry friend at home.
Creating a healthy home environment for your dog and you is not hard, as you have learned, but it does require a few changes in routines and spaces.
If you found this article, Creating a Healthy Home Environment for Your Dog and You, helpful, may we suggest additional articles that may be of interest.
References and Other Helpful Resources
A suitable environment for dogs
Should you let your dog sleep with you at night?
Keeping a healthy home with pets.
Author Bio
“With a keen interest in holistic health and wellness, Nicola Smith works with heart-centred female entrepreneurs in the health and wellness industry, providing copy that engages to help grow their businesses.
Her goal is to help women increase their impact on the world, build the business of their dreams, and inspire others to simplify their lives, pack a suitcase and book a ticket to somewhere they’ve always wanted to visit or
About Janice (author and voice behind this site)
Having lived with dogs and cats most of her life, Janice served as a veterinary technician for ten years in Maryland and twelve years as a Shih Tzu dog breeder in Ohio.
Her education includes undergraduate degrees in Psychology with a minor in biology, Early Childhood Education, and Nursing, and a master’s in Mental Health Counseling.
She is a lifelong learner, a dog lover, and passionate about the welfare of animals. Her favorite breed for over 50 years has been the Shih Tzu, but she has also lived with poodles, Maltese, Yorkshire Terriers, beagles, English bulldogs, carin terriers, and a Cocker Spaniel.
When not writing, reading, and researching dog-related topics, she likes to spend time with her eight Shih Tzu dogs, husband, and family, as well as knitting and crocheting. She is also the voice behind Miracle Shih Tzu and Smart-Knit-Crocheting
Does This Article Deserve Your Thumbs Up?
We always appreciate your support and encouragement. Your thumbs up means so much to us. Please like this article.
If you find this page or any page on Small Dog Place Helpful, or useful in anyway, I’d love it if you would click the small heart found on the bottom right of each page.
You can also share or bookmark this page — just click on the:
Free Monthly Newsletter
Sign Up for Our Free Newsletter and get our Free Gift to You.
my E-book, The Top 10 Mistakes People Make When Choosing a Dog (and how to avoid them)
