Can you store their toys in a large open basket at their height maybe on a bookshelf or under? Then they can come and go as they please with their toys and hopefully avoid your stuff.

Obedience classes would probably be better in the long run. I have a large dog and cat, but have never had to alter the way I design. I even own white couches. Setting limits for your animals would be a good start. Also maybe more engaging treat filled toys ?

How about getting amazing art to hang on the walls? If photography, paintings, sculpture etc is bold, exciting, colorful, wide ranging, etc, the surfaces won't seem empty as a mistake. You could use very heavy objects for surfaces (concrete vases, planters) that the dogs won't play with. Just leave the delicate or smaller items away until the dogs outgrow their playfulness (which I'm fully aware may never happen.) You can also use a china cabinet with glass doors to display more delicate items (can be modern looking, too) if you want to display items lower. But a house with several china cabinets would look a bit strange, like a shop :)

If those are your dogs, they are beautiful!

Sadly living with dogs is like living with a three yer old for the 10-14 years of your life. And just like living with a three year old you have to move things from reach.

that said it all come down to training your dogs....you may loss some stuff till that happens but this appears to be the way life goes. they have to be caught to be corrected so if you keep everything away from them there are few chances for them to learn.

Secondly i found that my dogs rarely messed with my stuff when they were out and about when i was home. the real problem was when i left the house. Dogs gets anxious or bored and they will get in trouble. My simple solution was to crate train them so when i had to leave the house for any more then 30min by themselves they got locked up in the crate will i got home.

then again like people there are some dogs that just don't learn or are jerks in their own right but that is rare.

Problem is most of the time we treat animals like people and not like a dog. Know the mindset of your dog, of the pack mentality treat them as such, train your dog and more importantly train yourself.

do it right when they are puppies and you will have a great adult dog that is respectful of the stuff around them.

Oh an if all else fails call Cesar Millan.

Good luck!

Dogs can be taught that their home isn't meant to be a constant tornado alley of far-flung toys and magazines/shoes/pillows/everything ripped to shreds, but you can design around them by removing temptation. Doors and latches would really help prevent dogs from getting to things. Art could be hung a little higher, and don't put chairs, benches, etc. under or next to things in a way that could help your dogs use them as step stools to get to higher items.

Pick up their toys, confine them to a basket away from your stuff. Give them a territory so they associate playtime with their area, not yours. Train them to not approach your stuff with the same enthusiasm they approach their own things.

Do they chew what they take, or just run around with it?
Can you choose a few heavy, smooth items (for example, a metal bowl) to fill some of those bare spaces at dog-height? Something that will be difficult/unpleasant to grab and sturdy enough to withstand the fall from their mouths when they realize it's not a fun to-carry.
Once they decide that the stuff on your horizontal surfaces is Not Really That Interesting For Dogs, you might even have some luck introducing items that are not specifically dog-proof (like a heavy-bottomed lamp).

@Hoshii - I think a lot of people treat their pets like people...but not in the best ways. People teach their kids not to take things and run around with them, don't they? Why are they opposed to teaching dogs too? A friend was having trouble with her toddler being extremely clingy, and I told her to look up the behavioral conditioning tricks that work on people and dogs.

Training. Honestly, I have lived my life immersed in dogs, and I have done it wrong and learned to do it right. Everyone is happiest when the rules are clear. Look up Karen Overall's deference protocol, read Karen Pryor's "Don't Shoot the Dog", teach your dogs to anchor to a dog bed when in the house and to keep "four (paws) on the floor" at all times. Keep a basket of their toys availabLe to them and teach them that everything else is yours and off limits. Then all you have to worry about is making sure nothing dangerous (especially toxics) is at dog height and everything they brush against is washable. Training works. I have a very cluttered home with objects on open shelves and stuff on low tables, and my dogs never touch any of it. They don't even touch the shoes we kick off at the door.

My dog doesn't take stuff off tables - Even if one of her toys is on the table she won't touch it. It was surprisingly easy to teach her...

Obedience classes will help you out with this. It is honestly worth the investment of time and money 10X over. Your dogs won't be perfectly behaved, but it will drastically improve your living situation if you currently can't have anything on the tables.

You have to train your dogs. Seek out an experienced certified trainer that also has an education in dog behavior and get 1 on 1 lessons. Its a better investment than decor.
Resources:
APDT (Association Of Pet Dog Trainers)
ABMA (Animal Behavior Management Alliance)
IAABC (International Association of Animal Behavior Consultants)
Kayen Pryor (First name to know in clicker training)
Dog Star Daily (website for Dr. Ian Dunbar’s training articles)

There are some nice looking curio cabinets out there to fit almost every style, and as a bonus most of them have a lock to keep out human younglings too. I've got an Ikea Klingsbo sideboard-style cabinet in which I keep my favorite decorative glass and smaller sculptures, as well as some smaller shinies that my cats would otherwise claim as toys. In addition to keeping the cats away from my most fragile breakables, it keeps most of the dust out and if/when we have an earthquake (I live in CA) my pretties should be semi-protected. Glass-door bookcases (ex. Ikea Billy + Osbo door) are another way to protect and display at the same time, and I love how closing a door - even a clear one - on my crammed-to-exploding shelves makes everything suddenly look tidier.

My grandmother, who owned a gift shop for several years and as a result acquired some beautiful collectibles, has some sort of glass-fronted bookcase or cabinet in every major room (living, bedroom, dining, kitchen) and displays her treasures alongside her cookbooks and family games.

I think training is important, but mostly crating when you are gone, and lots and lots of exercise. If they are beyond puppy-hood, your dogs should not be destroying your stuff for sport. Even if they are a rambunctious breed. Just keeping things out of their reach will only work for so long if they are bored and/or frustrated. Eventually they will chew whatever is in reach, like a leg on your table or an arm on your sofa.

@babyfishmouth is right. Exercise the crap out of them! Tired dogs are good dogs. If you can take them for a long walk or run in the morning, they might sleep all day. Mine do!

Per one of the previous comments, crate confinement for more than a couple hours at a time or overnight is cruel and harmful. Don't buy into the "dogs den for 20 hours a day" bs -- which, believe it or not, a highly regarded local trainer told me. If you need to confine your dogs indoors, gate off a room for them and leave them with toys and chews to keep them busy. Hire a dog walker.

I once encountered a German Shorthair who ended up in rescue (re: the photo) that twirled in a tight circle, endlessly,whenever he was nervous or excited. He'd been crated for hours on end by his previous owner, and was mentally damaged as a result. Don't do it, no matter what nonsense you hear about dogs being wolves (wolves do not den for 20 hours a day either).

Second (third, fourth) about getting a dog behaviorist. Good ones can really help YOU get control of the bad behavior you're allowing. It's just not practical -- or safe for them -- to think you can simply design around them putting non-toy things in their mouths. Otherwise, get good flooring; make sure their approved toys are ALWAYS accessible, and use your vertical space.

if those are your dogs in that picture, good luck to you sir or madam! GSPs are sweet crazy dogs. i'm going to assume you already are a great owner who trains their dogs but still have a few stubborn issues, because dogs are not robots who can be programmed to be perfect all the time. my method is mostly to have stuff on walls in frames, on shelves, and if anything is on the floor, it's big and heavy. it still limits me, because i would like to have other decor like sheepskin rugs on the floor or throw pillows on the sofa, but it's not going to happen while i share my life with big energetic dogs. i know from firsthand experience that bird dogs can be the most challenging types of dogs to occupy both physically and mentally - a 10 mile run is nothing to them. so probably, you and i are both going to have to be satisfied with slightly minimalistic decor. :)

After you do the training that everyone suggests, you still may want to consider some furniture/cabinets with closed doors. Our dog doesn't get into anything that isn't hers unless it is food related, so we keep her out of areas with food when we're not home. So, even after you've done training, you may want to keep some things in cabinets. That way, it might not look so spartan because people will assume there's stuff in those cabinets.

Who's in charge here, you or the dogs? Unless you have rescues who suffered abuse-which is a bit different than basic training-obedience/training classes are a major waste of money. If you're willing to invest your time (which, btw, is required by any trainer worth his salt) and you are literate, do your research & take control of the situation.

And no, dogs are not children. However, behavior modification is effective for both. It's called 'discipline' as opposed to 'punishment' which can have the opposite of effect of what is intended. I have never kid/dog proofed my house nor will I. As a result, all are & have been well behaved in other/unfamiliar surroundings. Further, crating is a *training tool* and NOT intended for the owner's convenience. The mis-use of a crate is abuse and will ultimately defeat the purpose.

All that to say, in response to the original question:
QUOTE: Does anyone have any tips on designing around two big dogs?

No.

I have a dog that has been trained to leave stuff alone that's not his - as others have said, it's doable - but we also have to contend with his wagging tail. He's 65 pounds and his tail is just at coffee table/end table height. And he's a happy tail-wagger. So the key is not having anything breakable or spill-able at tail height. No fragile glass vases, crystal do-dads, or expensive ceramic pots. I like to use wood, coffee table books, and cheap Ikea or Target glass/ceramic at that height, and put the nicer stuff out of harm's way.

As cliche as it sounds, exercise is the best. A tired dog has no energy to go around the house destroying it. Training too, but foremost exercise. And those German Pointers require a lot of it.
I don't mean just tossing them in the back yard. I mean long walk, a dog park where they run with other dogs, or playing fetch with a ball.

I think a combination of approaches is needed. Train, confine as needed, manage the environment to minimize damage when the first 2 might fail you. In my 3 dog house, all breakables are out of reach--either high up or in the china cupboard. I love African violets, but I finally gave mine away & replaced them with cacti. Some dogs need houseplants that can bite back! My 10 month old puppy recently went thru a furniture-chewing phase, & ate thru 3 rungs of a counter stool while I was sleeping. I replaced the stools with metal ones, & my dining chairs also have metal legs--this is a good option for dogs, many of whom find wooden rungs & legs unbearably tempting. I put my great-grandmother's maple rocker on the other side of a puppy gate unless I'm awake & in the room. Wall-hung shelves & cabinets can display stuff you like safely.
On the dog-training side, remember to praise them for playing with their own stuff. In some respects, dogs are like children--negative attention is better than none, & if you focus on them mostly (not saying you are, just an example) when they're misbehaving, that's what they'll do.
Mental exercise will help a lot. A clicker-based trick class can be lots of fun, & send them home too tired to trash your place. Good luck!

Huntin' dogs like the ones in this picture have always been a part of my decor. They do need a lot of exercise but I get what your saying, our best trained and most obedient pointer had some hard to deter hunting instincts that truly came out when we were not around. Try baskets of toys but also ones that have a feature like treats to get out (kongs, etc) and rotate the toys regularly so they are fresh again.
Closed cabinets for storage and glass fronted displays, barrister bookcases are all good for displays. Use of a kennel as a defined sleeping/relaxing area is good.

I have a german short-haired pointer and training and a lot of exercise is key- a good dog is a tired dog! I also crate my dog when I am not home so I don't have to worry about her getting into something she's not supposed to when I am not around to supervise. When she was a puppy she did get into her fair share of trouble,GSP's do like to climb, but with correction and reinforcement your dogs will learn. I never had any issues with not being able to decorate my house the way I wanted.

I don't know any dog-friendly design tips but your dogs are beautiful! !They look like they are covered in an Etro print. Good luck!!

It doesn't sound like you need to design around your dogs so much as provide for them.

I have 2 big dogs (60 and 88 lbs, both very active) in a 700 sq ft Manhattan apartment. The key is (1) make sure they get enough exercise; and (2) obedience training. Dogs, especially big active ones, require sacrifice. I sacrifice sleep to get them to Central Park in the morning so they can romp off-leash for an hour, and another hour at night (CP is off-leash after 9pm); I sacrifice money to have a walker take them for an hour in the middle of the work day. I wouldn't trade them for the world.

A tired dog is a happy dog (and owner).

Ditto what everyone is saying. Who is in charge here, you or the dogs? The trainer does not train the dogs as much as training the owners. Sounds like it could help.

They're young. Their behavior will probably go away around three or four. Their own space in most of your rooms...beds and toys in living room and bedroom would help too. Bummer you didn't rescue :(

Just had to comment but agree with most other comments - training and exercise. I have two hyper-energetic terriers that are bred to hunt, dig and destroy but a good run in the morning and some snuffling/exploring time and they come home for a nap! Mine are left alone in the house unconfined all day while I am at work. They have their toys, they don't bother with my stuff - they know what they can and can't do and apart from using anything soft on the ground as a bed and moving the dog toys around there are no problems. Training, exercise and positive enforcement of the rules mean my dirty socks on floor are ignored but their sock toy gets dragged in and out of the house all day and I couldn't care less.

@ Rural and rueful - No one is saying anything about putting a dog in a crate for 20 hrs....i mean who in their right minds think that would be ok.

If I'm home the dog is out. I get up a 5 in the morning run with the dog 5k, when i leave at 8am for work she does in the crate nice and fed and exercised. My wife lets her out at 4pm. at 7pm we go for another good run and play at the dog park near our house.

I don't think my dog has it bad at all. my other dog he has roam free in the house as unlike is sister doesn't get anxious during the day when we are not home and will not crew at something or try and raid the trash despite food and water being out for the entire day for them.

I would never lock up my dog for any longer during the day. Also my crate is almost three times the size of the dog and has lots of toys inside. so it's not like it is a confined space at all.

I do not understand how that is cruel in anyway.

Train the dogs, set boundaries for the dogs, exercise your dogs and then sit back and enjoy your time with the dogs. Anything worth something takes time and effort.

SIMPLE.

I have a Great Dane who believes that the world revolves around her and that everything belongs to her by right, so I can sympathize. The best things I found that work:

1) Bitter Apple Spray. You can buy this at Petco or PetSmart. It is a non-toxic spray that basically just tastes gross to dogs but won't harm your stuff. I would grab a couple objects that you don't care about to act as your guinea pigs and spray them liberally, then leave them within reach of your pups. Hopefully they will learn that things that belong to mom don't taste very good! Be sure to reapply every so often so that the dogs really learn not to put your stuff in their mouths

2) If this behavior only happens when you leave home, then I would confine them to smaller space when you leave and invest in lots of long lasting chews to given them when you go. I spend about $100/week in bully sticks and other chews that I know my dogs love and that are safe, and I give them 2-3 every single time i leave the house. That way, they know that those items are theirs to chew on. It probably isn't necessary to spend quite so much money, but I would definitely invest in at least one Kong per dog, fill it with peanut butter, etc, and freeze it overnight, then give them each a Kong when you leave. If you think they will fight over the treats when you are gone, separate them (which I did with my dogs for about 2 years).

3) invest in baby gates! These are a lifesaver for me and my house! We bought some really good looking ones from Orvis (although many retailers sell them) and we have our house sectioned off. That way when we leave, we confine them to a specific section where we can more easily control what is in our dogs reach.

I also occasionally will leave out a "red herring" like a magazine I don't care about so they can tear something up without getting into real trouble. If you combine all of these together, I guarantee you will get the stealing under control. It won't be perfect, so don't leave anything to valuable within reach until you feel really confident that your dogs have got the message. You can definitely also try crate training, but as my dog is 122 lbs, no crate is really super comfortable for her, so these alternatives have really worked well. Know that you are not alone! My dog chewed the risers on our stairs of our brand new house, our super expensive rug, and many other items! I thought my husband was going to have a coronary!

I LOVE your German Shorthair Pointers. My dad has had the same breed for years so I know firsthand what you're dealing with. Here are a few tips:

1) If you don't know the breed that well, do some homework and research them. German Shorthair Pointers are VERY high energy, which means that they need A LOT of play, running, etc. The more you wear them out, the more they'll just chill later on. If they're cool with other dogs a local dog park is a good bet. They also generally like water so a beach is a great place to take them.

2) GSPs are natural pointers, hunters and retrievers (that's what they are bred for) so giving them things to fetch is good. A ball launcher (available at Petco for $15 - $20) will help you throw it farther and help wear off some energy as they chase it.
http://www.petco.com/product/107821/Chuckit-Mega-Ball-Launcher.aspx

3) If you play with them, they are less likely to get bored and make their own fun (which usually means getting into trouble).

4) More indestructible toys are better...try a Kong for chewing. You can even put treats in it.
http://www.petco.com/product/104091/Extreme-KONG-Dog-Toy.aspx

5) Use the word "no" constantly, consistently and firmly when they get into things they shouldn't. Take things away from them, but don't chase them all over the house to do so because then they'll think it's a game.

6) IF you or someone in your family is a sportsman/woman (aka likes to hunt), you may be able to find a local group that will work with you to train your dogs. Check out NAVHDA (North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association -- navhda.org) similar.

Hope this helps!

I hope this helps!

Hope this helps!

QUOTE: In some respects, dogs are like children--negative attention is better than none, & if you focus on them mostly (not saying you are, just an example) when they're misbehaving, that's what they'll do.

This is Wisdom.

Honestly, you don't need design advice, you just need to regroup...or drop back & punt as the case may be. Lots of good advice here & patience is key to it all. It IS possible to enjoy your pets AND your home without sacrificing one for the other. Start with baby steps (small changes) and advance slowly as your pets learn. You can do it..

i too have a medium/large breed that behaves similarly. she's a puppy and still learning. yes, training helps, but management is key and i applaud you for doing what works for you and your dogs.

i found that adding plants helped me and my decor-challenged pup. if your dogs are not munchers, there are plenty of non-toxic plant options. maybe a large planter can add some color/texture/pattern. i also styled a grouping of them, like most people would do with objects (e.g. group three together of different sizes/plants/color).

i have wood floors in my apartment and i found that a patterned rug helped with making the place look finished.

i also keep stacks of books on lower shelves and style them with pretty container boxes and/or a framed piece of art. there are some pretty bookends out there too. These heavy and awkward items don't travel well, and my pup doesn't have interest in playing with them; hope you have the same luck.

Your German Shorthaired Pointer's are gorgeous! People who have never owned the breed will never understand, so I hope you don't take their comments personally.

The suggestions of using heavy items are great, and also attaching things to the wall when possible. I also got rid of my coffee table entirely, and don't miss it in the least. It was just a place for the dog to knock things over. If you have problems with them stealing throw pillows, try adding some cedar chips into the stuffing. Sounds strange, but my Vizsla has a cedar chip dog bed, and he treats it like gold. Wont chew on it or anything. There's something about the cedar that he just leaves alone. I also took all the books/stuff off the bottom shelf of my bookcase and replaced it with closed front storage crates, and now he leaves the bookcase alone.
Good luck! And again, beautiful GSP's!

There are great ideas here, but training your dogs and making sure you are the master of the house, not them, is the only way to go. These days people spoil their dogs rotten, by letting them do whatever they want, and then going and cleaning after them. Teaching a dog good matters requires a lot of patience and time, and most people have none, and then their pets become problematic.
But the results of training are gratifying! Our Cookie would chew on things when she was a young puppy, but we made sure to let her know what she could or could not do, and she learned. Even though she is not even one year old, she won't grab anything but her toys. Even if we leave food on the coffee table! It took LOTS of patience and learning in the process, but it worked, and now she is a great dog.
We read a lot about it, but there are great behavior classes everywhere.

@Hoshii I agree with you on the crate subject. The problem is that people use the crate as a way to punish their dogs by forcing them into the crates when they do something wrong. And that is NOT the way to do it.
When we first brought our Cookie home from the shelter, we trained her to sleep in the crate at night. The crate is a safe place for her, and she would become instantly calm whenever she went into the crate. And she would go there by herself, to take a nap or play with her toys! That is a great way to prevent your dog from becoming anxious, just have to be done right.

While training is in progress, consider mobiles & other hanging art.
Oh, and as for training...giving them a "job" can be a lot of fun. Friends have an Australian Cattle Dog who carries groceries in from the car. They leave small cans & other safely packaged foodstuffs at the bottom of the (inside, secure) staircase and she brings them to the upstairs kitchen one at a time. Stairs, bar, get a headpat, repeat. Obviously not the bag of doggie snacks. ;)
Enjoy them -- they're beautiful.

Hi, thank you everyone for your great suggestions and for the compliments on my GSPs!

Just want to reply that we are good dog owners and these are very well exercised dogs. They go to a great daycare every day while we are at work. On the weekends we take them to a wonderful dog park in the mornings and on a long walk in the afternoons. If we leave the house for a few hours we do crate them, but they are very well behaved at night and we leave them out. The only times they grab things are when we are all home. For instance, we are sitting on the couch, and one of the dogs grabs the paper towels (or anything) from the kitchen and runs all over the house until we can catch him. They also chew on my rugs (bitter apple spray has helped that some.)

Anyway, it sounds like more training is the way to go. We've done some basic courses, but not household manners so that's a good suggestion.

Thank you again!

thank you, i really appreciate these suggestions. they are weird with throw pillows-- if they are on the couch they are fine, but if they get knocked off suddenly they are fair game! so strange!

Definitely training! My boxer/lab mix male was a holy terror for a long time. He jumped on people and all over the furniture, he chewed on shoes well past the puppy stage...

I bought him a bunch of sturdy chew ropes for distraction and did some training. It sounds like your pups might be acting out to get your attention; after a day at the care center they want some quality time with you, whether they've gotten enough exercise at once. My Sammy does this by flopping onto his back and rolling around; but if he's desperate he'll grab his food bowl and drag it around the house or start barking at the iguana cage. Usually, a little bit of cuddle time and/or a short game of tug-o-war helps :)

I have a very similar problem, though my furry disaster is both a puppy and an abused rescue, so chewing is a problem and correction and crating can be difficult. That said, a few things that have helped me: 1) Glass doors or wood doors on everything possible. Nothing at his eye-level (other than toys) is easy to get into. 2) Training, training, training 3) Those mats they make to discourage them from getting on furniture? I put them on counters and tables when I leave for the day and he's learning that those are not fun places to put his paws. 4) Unbreakable decorations - carved wood (c'mon, teeth marks are just character!), metal statues, some heavier ceramics. 5) Many decorations are only out when I have guests (tablecloths are just too tempting for a puppy). 6) Heavy, wide bottomed bowls (someone said this above) that are difficult for him to tip and don't have good dog things in them. 7) Leaving him with treat-dispensing toys does help if it's only a few hours. 8) When he steals something, I ignore him completely regardless of destruction - if I chase, it just encourages him.

Good luck! I am very familiar with "chase me" as a puppy game. (And beautiful dogs, by the way!)