Name: Amy
Location: West Town, Chicago, Illinois
A lot of people don't think you can live in the city, have big dogs, and still have a nice place. We live in a 2-bedroom condo with two 80 pound rescue dogs. I didn't think we needed to sacrifice home style just because we had pets, so we integrated our dogs into our style.
We found nice floor cushions and sheepskin rugs that our dogs love to lay on and blend into our decor. Instead of an unattractive dog crate, one of our dogs dens in a white tepee. We choose items that are easy to clean, but still look nice. We use dark-colored rugs and have Flor Tiles that can be easily replaced if they get dirty. We have a series of lightweight ottomans and easy to move furniture to make vacuuming easy.
We found nice, modern glass containers where we store the dogs' treats. Their supplies and toys are stored in a series of matching storage bins. Our outdoor space includes an outdoor rug where the dogs enjoy laying.
And it was all done on a budget - almost all of our furniture was bought on Craigslist, or using points/gift certificates from our credit cards.
Thanks, Amy!
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Where did you get the tepee?! My dog would love that!
Thanks for this pet-friendly post! I've been saying this for years :)
I adore that tepee! Your house is beautiful, I love that you worked your dogs into your style. You've done an amazing job.
The tepee is super cute!
That teepee is seriously cute. (My dog would have nothing to do with it, of course. But it's a great idea.)
Pet Teepee = win
Oh my gosh!! Two Pitties in the City!! I recognized those beautiful pooch faces right away! I love your blog :) Great apartment too - love the colors and the balcony room!
Comfy and lovely! Bonus for cute pups.
I think that so many people believe that you can't have big dogs in small spaces is because they don't exercise- I mean REALLY exercise- their dogs. A tired dog is a happy dog. And not allowing pets on the furniture keeps things looking more polished. Everyone wins!
Aw! I wanna move in with those poochies!
Amy and vonlet24, I'm right with you on the side of big dogs in urban apartments. In our building, all the big dogs (including our retired racing greyhound) are mellow, friendly and quiet. It's not that all of the little dogs are trouble--but all the barkers and biters just happen to be small.
Good for you!
AWWWWWW. Who has a big seal face? Who?
Great blend of high-low (and mid-range) options, all tied together by an artful eye. I love the suave neutrals.
Who has a teepee? Who?
As the proud owners of both a 70lb Husky rescue and an 850 sq ft house in the city (LA) - thank you for the big dog post! :) Love the teepee, too.
Mjr is right, exercise your dog properly and he won't move from his doggie bed until it's time for his next walk! He's too pooped to get into trouble. :)
Ditto on banning the pooch from the sofa. No worries - we still get a ton of cuddle time on the porch and floor with him. Now if we can just invent a combo doggie bed/dog hair vacuum, life would be perfect...
One more way to keep your floors nice with doggies is to cover them in the areas where the dogs stretch/lick themselves. They usually dig into the floor for leverage - so I put this doggie mat on the floor.
It's almost the same color as the floor and the same cushy material as a yoga mat. Chili loves it, and I can keep the wood nice.
Doh. Missing linky. It's definitely Monday.
http://www.catsrule.com/dogsrock-2-1.aspx
Hm...I'm pretty sure I had that same teepee when I was a kid.
Hi Everyone--
This is Amy, thanks so much for the nice comments on our home, and our dogs!
We wanted to get something more attractive than a dog crate, so we thought the teepee would make a nice alternative. We wrote about it on our blog here: http://pittiesincity.blogspot.com/2009/07/pooches-mr-bs-new-digs.html
and a link to the store where we purchased the teepee is within. The teepee was a bit of a gamble, but the dogs absolutely love it.
I love that so many people on here do recognize how easy it is to have big dogs in small spaces. We also write about our home decor solutions, and our urban adventures, on our blog: Two Pitties in the City
http://pittiesincity.blogspot.com
Thanks!
Love it! Your dogs are adorable too! Yay for not only a pet-friendly post but a pit-friendly post too!
I agree with purlgreyhound little dogs are sometimes the loud ones like my miniature dachshund little bugger likes to bark at everything. These dogs are cute and the tepee a plus.
awesome place. We have 2 great danes and one 60 pound mutt in a condo thats less than 900 sq feet.
Thank you for giving me hope! I'm in the process of buying a condo and want to get a big dog for my husband........but a lot of websites advise against small spaces for big dogs. My husband is very athletic and I'm sure the dog would get tons of exercise.
Good dawgs. Great place. Where's the lovely round coffee table from?
Bear--I got the round coffee table on ebay. It's a Haywood Wakefield that I was able to get for around $100. It has some scratches, and someone refinished it poorly, but I really liked the shape. Plus it's really lightweight so it's easy to move when vacuuming. And a round table means there aren't any pointy corners if the pooches are playing in the area.
Just Kazari--We think if you're a responsible dog owner the size of your place shouldn't really matter. We write our blog "Two Pitties in the City" to show how a lot of these ideas are myths and with some planning it's easy and fun to have big dogs even if you have a smaller space. We even wrote a specific post about it here:http://pittiesincity.blogspot.com/2010/01/chicagoing-big-dogs-in-little-spaces.html
Good luck with your new dog!
Everybody should check out DenHaus (www.denhaus.com)!
They make dog "Dens." I just got a TownHaus for my Dachshund and love it! We were able to get rid of a ugly wire crate and an ugly old end table and the TownHaus covers both uses. A great space saver for a 1-bed condo! The dog also loves the privacy it provides.
I am also pleasantly surprised by the quality and the service the company provided.
Seriously, if you have a dog in a small space, get a DenHaus!!!
I can say I love this apartment first hand, since I've been fortunate enough to stay there as a guest. It's as lovely as the photos. Ms. M. and Mr. B. are quite possibly the sweetest dogs I know. Congrats on the showcase guys! (This is Liz).
My dog would love that tent. I try to teach my dog to respect boundaries. That makes for a good dog who knows he does not "rule".
Awww, how lovely. Amy, thanks for sharing. As a mom to two dogs (plus my BF has one, too) I certainly know about the challenges of having a presentable place when you cohabit with dogs. My dogs sleep mostly on the couches and dog hair is abundant everywhere (no matter how much I try but Martha Stewart I am not) but I would not trade it for anything.
Thanks for sharing, Amy, and hugs to your two cutsies.
P.S.
Purlgreyhound: we have retired racing greyhounds, too! :-)
Lovely home! It looks cozy and stylish!
I especially love the teepee and the pooch portraits on the wall :)
love your place and your pups! I've got a pitty myself. Sweetest, most gentle dog i've ever had.
Now we need a post with dogs + kids. We're finding it very challenging to find an apartment that will allow both. I think this is really a shame, because we find that dogs really enjoy kids and vice versa.