Poochy Palaces

We got a dog. We had talked about it for a few years, and said that we would get one once the new back porch was finished. And once the back yard was fenced in. And once we had hardwoods everywhere downstairs.
It became clear that we would be old and gray before we had a dog if we waited for the "to do" list to  be finished, so we started looking for breeders, rescues, or friends with litters on the way. We wanted a small dog, a "hypoallergenic" breed, and really hoped to find one that was a bit out of the puppy stage.

Our first attempt at rescuing a year-old yorkie-poodle mix fell through when they accepted an applicant that lived closer. I sent in another application to a rescue that had a young litter of Maltipoo pups, but didn't hear anything for a few days.

To make a long story short, they did end up calling, and we drove two and a half hours to pick up this little guy:

Meet Cooper!

Cooper is five pounds of fur. The sweetest little pup you could hope to meet, even if he hasn't quite figured out that he needs to be outside before he relieves himself. (Maybe we should have waited til the hardwoods were in...) At any rate, with a dog comes "stuff." He has a big crate that he stays in during the day, a bunch of toys, a big ole bag of food, and of course, his bowls and treats. And there is simply no good place to put it all. His crate takes up way too much space in the morning room. His toys are always everywhere, and there is no good place to put his food. So many people have pets, but very few houses accomodate them.

So if we built a new house, I think we would need a dog room. A place with bins for toys, airtight storage for his food, a spot for  his crate and bowls, and a bathing spot. All with a hose down floor, naturally. I went online for some inspiration, and was not disappointed. Check out these wonderful designs for living with pets:

How cute! The space under the stairs has been turned into a doggie bedroom, complete with canine-inspired artwork!

A perfect doggy shower for larger pups. For my 5 pound bundle of joy, I'd lift this up to counter height, and have some storage beneath.

There are a lot of tables that double as dog crates available out there. What a great way to blend your pets "home" into yours.

Tucked into a corner, here's another integrated dog crate. Could be a great way to claim space under an air return or at the bottom of a linen closet.

A dog bed built into the cabinetry! Wouldn't this be perfect as part of a window seat?

Here, a spot for the bowls has been dedicated at the end of the island. And is it just me, or do those cabinet pulls look like bones?

Another dog house tucked under the stairs. I love that this one has a tiny window for the pooch to check out what's happening outside!

Which one was your favorite? How have you designed for your pet? We would love to  hear your ideas!

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