Cozy Home With Pets
14 posts
Fall Washing Day for Dog Beds, Blankets and the Crate CoverSeptember 28, 2026Once a year in late September every pet textile in the house gets washed. Our order of operations and the laundromat trick for the big bed.
Before Company Comes: Chasing Dog Smell Out of an Old HouseAugust 24, 2026Old plaster, a washable rug and a dog who loves the lake. Our clean-up list before guests arrive and the one fix that worked best.
Window AC Units, Box Fans and a Panting Dog in an Old HouseJuly 2, 2026No central air in a 1948 house. How we cool the rooms the pets really use, the signs we watch for and what the window units add to the electric bill.
Choosing a Rug That Survives a Dog: Washable, Wool or NeitherMay 15, 2026We've owned five living room rugs in under four years. What happened to each one, what we paid and which type finally made sense here.
Mud Season, Round Two: What We Changed at the Back DoorMarch 30, 2026Last spring's paw station worked, mostly. This year we added a washable runner, a second towel hook and a strict sit-and-wait rule.
Books, Blankets and a Snoring Dog: Our Longest-February Reading ListFebruary 17, 2026Crate rest kept us home, so I read. The books that carried me through a long February, plus a few I gave up on, all from the library in town.
Turning the Living Room Into a Recovery SuiteJanuary 15, 2026Eight weeks of restricted activity on slick oak floors. Runner rugs, an exercise pen by the sofa and the sling that got Hank outside.
Plow Season: Caleb's 3 A.M. Call-Outs and Our Quiet HouseDecember 20, 2025When snow is coming, Caleb's phone rings in the dark. County plow season seen from home, with a dog who waits up by the back door.
Storm Windows, Door Sweeps and a Dog Bed Out of the DraftNovember 19, 2025Our old windows leak cold by mid-November. The weekend we sealed drafts, moved the dog bed and watched Mabel reclaim the radiator shelf.
Raking the Big Maple With a Dog Who Claims Every Leaf PileOctober 15, 2025Our maple drops what feels like a ton of leaves each October. How we rake, bag and mulch with a golden mutt diving into every pile.
Caleb Built Us a Mudroom Bench for Leashes, Boots and TowelsSeptember 23, 2025Our back door had no landing zone. One weekend and $132 in lumber and hooks later, leashes, boots and dog towels finally have a home.
Living With Original Oak Floors and a 68-Pound DogJune 5, 2025Seventy-seven-year-old oak floors and a dog who sprints to the door: the scratches we accept, the rugs that help and why nail trims matter.