Dog chores

[haleigh]

I wash Joy's blankets and such every week since her crate is in my room, and I prefer it not to smell like a kennel (well, I don't mind, but other people do ). Her crate gets scrubbed once a month, along with her kong (if no sticky PB is left over). I wash her brushes a few times a month, when I wipe down her especially dirty agility equipment before they get stashed in my closet. Dog poop every couple days, weather permitting. Bowls every day.

 

I was wondering what other people did in terms of chores like that. Also, does any one have tips on washing blankets? I shake them out really well and beat them over the railing outside, but I always find huge balls of fur in the washer and drier. I swear it's like a dead animal in there

[MaggieDog]

Wow I feel like a neglectful dog owner next to you!

 

At my house:

- poop is scooped 1-2X a week (with three dogs is usually 2, when our foster leaves it'll go back to an average of once)

- agility stuff is stored outside so no maintenance worries there

- crates are never cleaned unless there's some major reason for it (potty accident, muddy dogs, etc.)

- blankets are washed when they get visibly dirty or after baths since they'll need to be dried any way (i.e. every few months); I've never had an issue w/ them getting smelly.

- bowls get washed every 6 months or so (they're due now), kongs are often washed with them, but not always

- kongs and such are not washed unless there's something stuck inside like PB

- collars generally are washed with blankets, as are dirty soft toys

- dogs get baths about once every 3-4 months

 

I generally do what you do for blankets before washing so I don't really have any new suggestions. Perhaps use a sticky roller to get the worst off?

[M.L.]

Dog chores:

 

1. Wash bedding weekly - I have the same problem with all the dog hair wads in the washer and dryer. Sometimes I vacuum the bedding before washing it. That helps a little bit.

2. Put Kongs and other toys in the dishwasher every couple of weeks for a good washing.

2. Brush dogs every other day.

3. We live in a townhouse, so taking the dogs out to poop twice a day requires picking it up right away and walking it to the trash.

4. Brushing dog's teeth every day (usually doesn't actually happen).

5. Clipping all the dogs' nails once a week.

6. Put dog bowls in the dishwasher every few days to get washed.

7. Vacuum and wipe out dog crates with an organic cleaner once a week.

8. Stuff Kongs and freeze most evenings to give the dogs in the morning.

9. Soak leashes and collars to wash them every few months.

 

Aside from that there is daily walks, exercise, mental games, training, cuddling, etc. I don't consider that time a chore, though!

[Soda-pop]

I can't remember the last time I washed the dog blankets...

 

I try to wash the dog bowls... um, once a month?

 

I washed the crate once.

 

I washed the dogs' leashes once, maybe twice. Sometimes they get rained on.

 

They survive...

[Chesney's Girl]

Erin, you feel neglectful? Wonder what that makes me

 

Does rinsing the dog off only when there is mud visibly on them count (and here in Southern California, mud is a rare, short term thing)? Or if they've rolled in something REALLY smelly some shampoo?

 

The dogs sleep on the floor, one on the tile, one on the rug on my floor next to my bed.

 

We don't use Kongs.

 

Dog bowls only have water in them and the water is changed every day to every other day. Can't remember when they were washed last.

 

Leashes and collars (when their used) are leather, so no washing necessary.

 

And poop... well that gets picked up when its made on a walk.

[Dixie_Girl]

My youngest dog is 2 1/2. If they can't take care of their own things by now they must be ok with it. I mean how long are you suppose molly coddle them anyway?

[Nepsa]

Oh boy...let's see. We wash their bowls once every 2 weeks. Their bedding....1x a month. The crate only gets washed if it's pooped/peed in. I don't wash their leashes unless there's poop/pee on it. Poop gets picked up almost daily; we have 4 dogs so that's the reason for that.

[Megan R]

Umm...

I wash the dogs bowls(we have 2, Sam[Lab X], and Taz[shih-Tzu/Pomeranian]) about once a week or so.

There collars get washed about once a month when they get a bath.

There bedding is washed once every 2 weeks.

And, poo is picked up about once a week.

 

By the way, Nepsa - you BC is the spitting image of a female I used to have! So cute!

[Barb Scott]

We have 4 BCs right now.

I wash the bedding (only 2 dogs sleep on it) when it bothers me. (And I too have the hair in the washer/dryer problem.)

I rinse out the water bowl when I refill it daily.

I actually wash the food bowls after each feeding; our dogs eat dry kibble but they must drool a lot.

Since we live in the city and the neighbors are very close, I pick up poop as it happens!

When I read the title of this thread i thought it was about dogs doing chores so I'll add that 10 year old Brandy does collect all the empty food bowls from the crates and bring them to the kitchen for washing.

Barb S

[pammyd]

Oh I am neglectful

Wash bowls when they look yucky (with Mia here that dosent happen much - every few months)

Water bowl - same

Brush dogs when I feel like it - they seem to keep themselves tangle free so we just do it for fun every so often

Nail clipping - ermm, I tried once, Let the vet get it on the anual checkup

Wash dogs - havent done Mia and last time Ben was done was over a year ago - we just keep walking till the muck falls off

Wash bedding - when stinky or someone has puked

Poo pick up - they only go in the garden for emergancies and those just melt into the grass - so only on walks if its needed

 

day to day 'chores' walk, train. play, cuddle

[mbc1963]

Wow. I spend less time on my human chores (sweeping, vacuuming, dishes, laundry) than you do on your dog chores, Haleigh.

 

Not a housekeeper, here. New Year's resolution is to clean the house on Saturday morning, so it looks nice while I'm home for a few hours on the weekend. We'll see.

 

My dog sleeps on a variety of soft blankets through the house. They don't really get too stinky - he's a pretty fresh-smelling dog, in the winter especially. I make sure I pick fleece ones, so they go easily into the washer and dryer. I throw a big fleece blanket over my quilts on my bed, so I can undog the bed quickly if I need to. There are always clumps of dog hair in the washer and dryer screen.

 

His collar gets washed when he gets a bath; the frequency depends on how often he rolls in dead things or other species' poop. Twice in six days, this week - but sometimes it's months between baths.

 

I wash his food dish about 1X per week, and rinse and refill the water dish daily or so. (My dog's a camel, I swear.)

 

That's about the extent of my chore-time for my dog. My mother would shudder at my messy, dog-friendly home.

 

Mary

[haleigh]

Wow. I spend less time on my human chores (sweeping, vacuuming, dishes, laundry) than you do on your dog chores, Haleigh. biggrin.gif

 

Lol, we have to remember here: Haleigh has no life! I also seem to get in small amounts of trouble from my step mom if certain things don't get done, and I thought the amount of dog stuff I do was a bit extreme. I guess looking at some of your chores I am

[Carson Crazies]

Wha? We're supposed to like... clean dog stuff? If I notice a distinct displeasing odor coming from a dog or it's bedding they'll get washed. Well, no, let me take that back. During the summer when we're out at the BF's place and I have dogs that have been splashing around in the creeks where the cattle stand, THEN I'll wash their bedding in the van every few weeks. Any bedding in crates at home gets washed maybe once or twice a year, unless someone urps on it or something.

 

I wash bowls when I think about it - every month or two I suppose. I wash dogs about once a year, maybe.

 

However, with a tiny little yard I pick up poop a bare minimum of once, often twice a day. Water buckets get refilled frequently, too.

[urge to herd]

Shoshone has a distinct unpleasant odor, she gets a bath when I can't stand it.

 

The bedding gets washed on a rotating basis. We've got 8 of those Costco dog throws scattered in various places throughout the house. Both of the old girls are a bit leaky, and Shonie will loose some anal gland fluid from time to time, so that's pretty regular.

 

Dog bowls go in the dishwasher every couple weeks.

 

Leashes don't ever get washed unless yucky.

 

Poop is scooped daily. The yard is small, I'm forever stepping in the damn stuff, and Sam has a positive talent for stepping in it.

 

They get brushed fairly frequently, they both enjoy it.

 

Ruth

[juliepoudrier]

Hmmm...another neglectful owner here, for the most part.

 

*I don't neglect food bowls, though, since I wash those after every use.

*Water in all the bowls around the house is changed once a day and the water bowls are washed as needed.

*Crate bedding is washed as needed--this occcurs more often for the crates in the van than it does for the crates in the house, since the latter aren't used as much. I would guess crate bedding is washed every month or two.

*Sheets that are used to protect the floor and dog towels are washed pretty often, the towels sometimes twice a day during particularly rainy times (like now). Forty wet/muddy dog paws takes a lot of towels.

*Dogs are rarely bathed unless they roll in something nasty, and then they may only get spot bathed (i.e., shampoo for the icky spot only).

*Dogs are hosed off occasionally, like now, when running around in the yard or on walks leaves them quite muddy. I'd rather hose then towel off a wet dog vs. a wet/muddy dog. Either way it makes for a lot of towel washing.

*Crates are washed out generally only if there's been an accident.

*Toe nails are clipped when they seem to get too long and get on my nerves.

*Dogs are brushed when they start looking ratty or moth-eaten.

*Farleigh gets shaved several times a year (thanks Darci!) because he tends to be a muddy matted mess otherwise.

*As folks who come here to work dogs can attest, poop patrol is sporadic at best.

*Like Mary's dogs, mine mostly sleep on blankets or afghans thrown around the house. Those get washed when they are visibly dirty or smelly, or if I intend to use them to cover hotel room floors when I'm traveling (then they are washed before and after), so not really that often.

*Protective throws over furniture are also washed periodically, with the frequency depending on how much rain we've had = the amount of mud/dirt being left on them.

 

Basic daily chores including feeding in the a.m. and washing all bowls after. Changing water in all bowls. Feeding in the p.m. and washing all used bowls afterward (this includes the bowls used to feed the LGD). Taking the dogs for a couple of walks daily (on the "back 40"). On days like today when it's really disgusting and rainy, dogs may get hosed off after being outside, and then dried with towels (which are then washed and dried) and perhaps put in crates (on towels) to finish drying if they are particularly nasty.

 

J.

[Ninso]

Lets see . . . other than playing and training daily . . . I try to clip nails once a week. Long nails are a pet peeve of mine. I try to brush once a week, particularly for Lok with his luxurious tail fur. I wash bowls every so often, maybe once a month. I only wash bedding and crates when a dog has an accident in their crate. I spend much more time trying to keep my space clean--vacuuming, washing floors, etc.

[nowwown]

I'm a diligent person around the house and keep everything very neat and organized (EXCEPT my paper filing which I never seem to get around to). But closets and drawers are very organized. I married a German guy and he's very much that way too! LOL !

 

But I'm like that with Cody too:

 

I use disposable foam/paper plates that are recyclable, every day I just toss the dirty one so no food bowls to wash.

Water bowl is one of those 1-gallon dispensers. He goes through that in about 3-4 days so each time I refill I clean out the bowl part with hot soapy water first.

I brush Cody once a week with the Furminator and then a regular brush. He sheds ALOT! No tangles ever though, except an occasional mat near his ears.

Nail clipping - I have Petsmart do it with the Dremel about once every three months. Since he walks about 3-5 miles a day on pavement and sidewalk mostly, his nails stay pretty short and rounded.

We wash Cody at least once every other week. He stands perfectly still, he's a doll with the whole thing so it's easy to do. I use a medicated oatmeal-based shampoo so it doesn't dry out his skin. Towel dry.

I wash his fleece blankets and the dog bed cover about once every few months. I stick little treats in the fleece blankets to give him a job when we leave for the day, it takes him a while to dig them all out and eat them. So the blankets get smelly after about two months.

Poop pickup - daily on our walks. He never poops in our yard, only the neighbors! Ha! I carry bags with me everywhere!

[JohnLloydJones]

Senneca is a pretty easy girl to manage, so I feel quite lazy compared to some of you.

 

* Food bowl is washed for every meal -- I never seem to have time after the meal, so I wash it before giving the next meal. It's almost always licked spotless anyway, but I wash it for my own satisfaction.

* Water filled as required -- the dispenser bottle usually lasts about 3 days.

* Grooming? Well, she gets a hosing down when needed and a brushing irregularly -- mostly when she's shedding.

* Paw wipe? On an as needed basis. I keep shop cloths in the car for when we return from the dog park. Mostly I walk her through the grass and let her do most of the job herself.

* Nails? She does those herself by walking on the concrete sidewalks. I do clip her dew claw nails once in a while.

* Bedding? Her crate pads get a wash when my wife notices they look dirty.

* She only poops in the back yard in emergencies, so poop pickup is usually immediate.

* I have a Roomba that I use to pick up most of the hair from the carpet; I do the stair carpet by hand.

[Bo Peep]

I must be a terrible "dog mom".

My dogs don't smell. They are inside dogs. They get one grooming a year around Thanksgiving time. Other than that, it's hose time, or playing in a lake. They get brushed about every other week. Their dishes have rubber on the bottom, so I just use a wet cloth to clean them. Water is rinsed out daily and fresh given twice a day. Nails done as needed. Pavement helps a lot. I HATE long nails. Usher's crate has a plastic lining. So, a quick sponge off keeps it clean. Bliss sleeps with a pillow- thrown in with the wash when I do my own sheets- love that dog smell. The crates don't need cleaning- dogs are clean-crates are clean and in my closet.

Poop? With this much snow, I'd hate to see how much there is back there. I think this is one luxury I will pay for. I used to follow them around picking it up. When it got so cold- I gave up.

Carpet hair-Dyson. Playtime-all the time. We have a park 2 doors down- Usher's park. Bliss doesn't play. We're working on that. Inside play and obedience always. Mind games- yeppers. I have the furminator also. Works well on Bliss, not so well on Usher.

[silhouettestable]

Food bowls are stainless and usually licked spotless so they only get washed if they look dirty.

Water bowl gets rinsed/refilled 2-3x daily (big bowl but 8 dogs in the house!)

In the warmer weather they have a water bucket in the yard, it gets rinsed and refilled every couple of days

Also a kiddie pool in the yard in the warm weather, they drink from and play in it, changed weekly

Dog blankets/bedding washed if smelly

Dogs bathed only if they get stinky (rarely) unless they roll in something gross in which case they qualify as stinky anyways. Sometimes they come in muddy and I let them play with water in the bathtub to clean their feet and rinse them a bit, but it's not a full bath. Also I take them swimming in the warmer months and they rinse off nice and clean, no soap needed.

Nails trimmed weekly in the winter, never once the snow's gone, they wear them down.

Brushing very rarely/never for most of my dogs, as needed for the longer coated ones, usually when they're blowing out undercoat

Collars rarely washed, they rarely wear them

Sledding harnesses washed occasionally as they sometimes get stinky, maybe from getting wet?

Poop pickup varies, sometimes daily, sometimes a few times a week. Occasionally when it's snowing a lot and gets buried it doesn't get done for longer periods, but then just wait til the snow melts. With so many dogs I try to keep on top of that job. Luckily it's not all in the yard, lots also get scattered around the field when out doing chores, or up in the bushes.

[bc4ever]

I used to think I was a neat freak...

 

Wash Scooter's food bowl after morning and evening feeding.

 

Wash and fill water bowl daily.

 

Brush when we're having company or he's going to the vet..

 

Trim nails when necessary, but my niece works at a vet's office, so she's been doing it for me lately. For free! Yea!

 

Clean the crate with a little bleach water when it starts to look messy. He's not in the crate that much, so it doesn't really get that bad.

 

Wash fleece throws when they start to smell, but that's not very often. He likes to sleep on an Indian blanket we bought in Colorado--it's kind of a rough, woven texture. Don't think it's machine washable, so I put that in the dryer with a damp washcloth about once a month just to freshen it up a bit and get some of the dog hair off from it.

 

Wash rubber toys about once a month. Mend his furry toys as needed..

 

I've never washed his collar. If it gets grubby, I buy a new one. I do however wash his leash once in a while--a nice sturdy cloth one we bought from the trainer.

 

Wash off his feet every time he comes in from outside. That's usually all that needs cleaning unless he's been chasing the Frisbee and sliding around on his belly. I fill a small plastic basin with warm water if his feet are particularly filthy, then I just dip each paw in the water and dry them off. Easier than bathing the whole dog! Hey--we have white carpeting. Had it before we got Scooter! He's never once rolled in anything stinky!

 

Walk when weather and health permits. In bad weather, we play lots of indoor games--hide and seek, ball, hide his toys and have him fetch each one as we name it. More ball...

 

At the end of the day, he likes to curl up on the leather couch in the basement and pretend to watch t.v., but falls asleep. If I touch the remote, he's wide awake. He was watching that show after all....

[haleigh]

At the end of the day, he likes to curl up on the leather couch in the basement and pretend to watch t.v., but falls asleep. If I touch the remote, he's wide awake. He was watching that show after all.... rolleyes.gif

 

Lol, just like Joy! She groans and looks at me with her wide-eye stare if I try and change the channel, even if she's sound asleep.