Using Roller Blinds in Your Pet-Loving Home

The addition of pets to any home is a welcome one. However, welcoming a new member to the

family is an expensive task and needs to be well thought-out. One of the many things that are made more complicated by pets is home improvement and decorating. Not only do you have to think about what looks good in the home, but you now have to consider what’s practical for both you and your pets in terms of not only comfort, but safety as well.

No new furnishing needs to be considered as much as window treatments. This is in part due to the wide variety of choices available on the market today. Let’s start with some “no go” areas. Firstly, curtains should definitely be avoided as these are so appealing for pets to play with. This is never truer than with cats and dogs, who are particularly of scratching, pulling and climbing on the fabric.

Roller blinds, on the other hand, offer no such temptations for pets and are a good choice for any room. The fear of having your expensive window treatments scratched or torn can be totally allayed by installing a set of these blinds, as they can be totally rolled up and out of the reach of pesky pets. Although this can be done with curtains, this involves the tedious task of lifting them up and tying them out of the way. If you haven’t got the right fittings installed, this could become not only time consuming, but also expensive too. In addition, this also takes away from the visual appeal of the window treatments, as curtains aren’t designed to be hung and tied high up.

Over time, you are also likely to end up saving quite a bit of money with roller blinds. The play-time that your curtains and various other window treatments are on the receiving end of from your pets mean they are likely to require replacing after some time, maybe more than once. This is bound to eventually affect your wallet over time, but this isn’t the only concern you should have. Day to day wear and tear on the window treatments could leave them hanging a little loose and potentially dangerous to you and your pets. Regular tugging and strain on curtains could weaken the poles and leave them liable to snapping.

However, roller blinds are not only a safer option, but very good at creating a comfortable home for both you and your pets. They come in a variety of opacity’s, which can go towards helping you and your pets get your heads down for some sleep no matter what the weather is like outside. During the day, they can be rolled out of the way so you can both enjoy the sun, and we know how much pets love lying by the window on a sunny day.

It’s important to consider your pets when redecorating a home, after all – it is their home as well as yours. It’s important to weigh up to positives and negatives to every decision you make, with both yourself and your four-l egged friends in mind. Roller blinds are one way to get the best of both worlds for all concerned.

Things to consider when keeping dogs outside

The primary consideration when deciding whether or not to keep your dog outside is of course the sort of temperature and weather that they will likely have to put up with. This will depend on your location, and also the time of the year. Some countries have seasons that vary drastically throughout the year, and keeping any animals outside during winter would be cruel, but fine in the summer. On the other hand however, hot countries can be as bad, especially in the day time, as over-heating and dehydration become big issues.

The type of dog is the next thing to think about, as larger ‘working dogs’ such as Alsatians and Huskies are more suited to colder environments, whereas smaller ‘toy’ breeds like terriers are less able to cope with the same colder conditions, despite their shared evolution.

One further thing to think about is your dog’s psychological well-being, which in its own way is the most difficult one to plan and consider, given your dog cannot tell you how they feel about any change in arrangements. Opponents of the idea of keeping dogs outside suggest that it can lead to a weak relationship between animal and owner, less development with regards to behaviour inside the house, and loneliness issues in cases where there is only one pet involved.

The end decision that you reach about keeping your do outside will be made up after considering these factors, but also your own personal feelings about the practice. Some owners would never even consider it an option, whereas others might find that it makes living with their dog easier for both of them. Whatever decision you come to, there are even more considerations to keep in mind when buying wooden dog kennels.

• A structure that is too big for the dog will mean that a large amount of body heat will be lost, whereas one too small will of course be cramped, so make sure that the correct size is purchased.

• For hot countries and in the summer, make sure that the pet house is in the shade, to avoid over-heating.

• Make sure that the pet house is insulated properly, to prevent heat escaping as well as water getting in.

• Pad any hard floors to save the joints of your dog, which get worse with age.

Pet Photos

These photos were shared by the team at Free People, a leading boho clothing boutique known for their maxi skirts, tunic sweaters, and vintage inspiration. To follow the adventures of all their office pups, check out the Free People blog!