Tuesday, October 15, 2013

66 Five Super Simple Ways We Organize Our Pet Supplies

Our furry friends complete our family.  We have two lovely pups {you can snag all the current pics on my Instagram}, and therefore, we also have some gear to organize. 

Organizing for pets doesn't have to be complicated.  In fact, we have done some things to keep our puppy things and processes super simple and also seamless to the rest of our home.  Here are my top five pet organizing tips.

1.  Set up a treat station!


I used an old cookie jar and mason jar along with some decorative labels and now the pooches have an instant treat station.  By keeping their treats in a place that is out in the open, we are more likely to reward their oh-so-good behavior more often.  And the labels ensure the whole fam knows to do the same {and not attempt to eat a puppy treat from the cookie jar!}.


Our Weimaraner takes calming chews each day because he has some anxiety if we have to leave him at home alone.  We also jokingly call them his "chill pills", so we labeled his special jar accordingly.



2.  Make Play Time A Breeze!


We keep a small basket on each floor of our home filled with puppy play toys.  The baskets are kept at dog level, small enough for the dogs to use their paws and dump them out and see-through so the dogs have a visual reminder to chew on their toys {vs. my slippers}.  Now, if I could train them to pick up when they are done....

3.  Create a Grooming Caddy


If I can put it in a caddy, I will!  Pet grooming supplies are no exception.  I found this utensil caddy awhile back at Target and it works perfect for transporting all of our pet supplies around the abode.  We clean our dogs in our shower during cold months and outside in a kiddie pool during the summer.  We clip their nails and brush their teeth in the bathroom and I brush our long haired pooch on the front steps.  Just what we do... so keeping all of their supplies in one, easy to tote around caddy wins big for us.


Inside you will find shampoo for each dog, toothpaste, brush, ear cleaner, nail clippers, de-tangling spray and their sweet bandanas!


When not in use, the caddy is stored in a small cabinet in our main bathroom {more on that in an upcoming post}.

4.  The "Take a Walk" Tote


In the past I stored the dog leashes in a drawer in our shoe cabinet.  However, they always ended up taking over the entire drawer and then we added a poopy bag holder and then our Bentley was upgraded to a harness.  Oh, and he gets cold really easily so he also acquired a sweet little sweater as well.

In order to keep all of the supplies near the door yet not visually taking over the entry, I decided a small tote on a hook would do the trick.


I even toss my ear buds in there so I have them for longer walks/runs...


The tote holds all of our dog walking essentials doesn't take up much space, so it was the perfect solution for the growing demands of our doggies.

5.  Feeding Nook

I always would struggle with trying to incorporate our dog bowls and food bins into our kitchen space.  They were always in the way, visually cluttering and constantly being tripped over {our kitchen doesn't have a layout that works well with excess feeding dishes}.

So, I found a new place that made much more sense, and that was a small nook in our laundry room.  By keeping the dishes in there, we can feed and water them in a quiet place, and keep their bowls out on a daily basis.  We have a wash sink in our laundry room, so we can wash their dishes each day and keep their water supply filled.


I added a grippy rubber mat to prevent their bowls from sliding around and to also keep the floor clean of crumbs and slobber.  We store their food in a large tin bin, which holds a labeled pooch scoop inside.


Our dogs are part of our daily life, and so are their things.  These are some of the ways we keep everything super accessible, yet tucked away at the same time.

What tips and tricks to you have to keep your fur babies organized?

66 comments:

  1. Oh thank you for this Jen. We just got a puppy and this helps with figuring out how to organize things :)

    Have a great evening!

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    1. Congratulations on the new family addition! :) Puppies create endless happiness! <3

      xo!

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  2. Great ideas. I always enjoys reading what others do to make organizing easier. Where did you get the hooks, tote and caddy?

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    1. Thank you!
      The hooks are from World Market: http://www.worldmarket.com/product/bubble-glass-double-hook.do?&from=Search
      The tote is one I have had for a few years now, but I believe See Jane Work. They also sell similar styles on Etsy.
      The caddy was a utensil caddy from Target during their summer seasonal outdoor dining time. They bring similar styles back annually. :)

      xo!

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  3. Thank you for some great new ideas....I especially like the walking bag which I can definitely use at the front door. I'm wondering what kind of "chill pills" you feed Bentley, and if you find they help much - I've tried lots of things for my basenji all with minimal success.

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    1. We just started him on the Pet Naturals: http://www.petnaturals.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=700864021

      We have only been using them for a few weeks, and they seem to help him with his anxiety when we leave and the inability to lay and relax {when he hears sounds, he barks or scatters around the house, this has tamed that a little}.

      xo!

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  4. Using a corner for dog food is a great way to maximize the use of space. Great pictures.

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  5. I love my dogs! Wow you've inspired me to find an attractive way to store their stuff. Beautiful!

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  6. where did you find the take a walk tote and the food bowls and mat? also i love the food container where did you get that also thanks!

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    1. Thank you!
      The tote is one I have had for a few years now, but I believe See Jane Work. They also sell similar styles on Etsy.

      The bowls are Waggo and the mat was a PetSmart find a year or so ago. The tin was a Joss & Main purchase, but I have seen similar styles at HomeGoods and Marshalls. :)

      xo!

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  7. I love the treats jar! Did you make the label and the gold dog bone decal yourself or did you buy them somewhere? If you made them, how did you do it? Thanks!

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    1. Hi Liz!

      I used my Silhouette craft cutting machine to create all of the puppy labels. :)

      xo!

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  8. Love all of this!!! Amazing! I'm currently still in the process of organizing my kittey station in the living room. My roommate and I have an adorable black cat - Magic. We've designated a wall for him in our living room. I actually plan on posting this to my blog in a few weeks when it's all finished :)

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  9. perfect timing! we just added a new member to the family after being without a dog for almost 2 years!!! time to re-organize!

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  10. Where did you find that attractive food tin? I HATE staring at my dogs 40# bag every day-LOL

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    1. Hi Nichole!

      I purchased it on Joss & Main awhile back, however, I have since found similar styles at HomeGoods and Marshalls.

      xo!

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  11. My husband so badly wants a dog, and I keep saying no because of the clutter & mess that comes with, but after reading this, I think I might have a change of heart!!! So gorgeous as usual, Jen!!

    Xo Kylie

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  12. This post is just what I needed. I got a puppy last week and immediately searched your blog to see if you had any posts about organizing pet supplies.

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  13. Love these Jen! We had a Weim who could have used some Chill Pills lol! Wish we would have known about those! These are great tips-thanks!
    Emily
    www.simplelifeofafirewife.com

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  14. Thanks for posting this! I have a Weim too so I totally get the "chill pill" necessity!

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  15. I forgot that you had puppies and this reminder has me again thinking about how spotless your house is! How do you do it with 4 boys (hubbs included) and 2 dogs? I am ALWAYS trying to find a cleaning schedule that works for me, and would love to hear about your "cleaning day" or "clean every day" routine... you know, when you have a free moment to throw together a post. hahah

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    1. Although I love a tidy house, it doesn't always reflect that! It is hard to keep up after the entire fam {including myself!}. :) You can see our cleaning post here: http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2013/05/may-mini-challenge-you-asked-we-heart.html I am lucky that the entire family is pretty good about pitching in. I could never do it all myself.

      xo!

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    2. How did I miss that post last spring? I read your blog every day... Yikes. I obviously missed a day.
      Thanks for the link. I'm off to make some schedules.

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  16. Love these, such cute ideas! I especially love the treat center - I have so many assorted treat bags right now for my cat - I really need to corral them all. Beautiful labels, too!

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  17. Aw, you are so careful with their stuff. Made me feel a little too sloopy. But, on the other hand, now I have amazing ideas to work things out. Thanks!

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  18. How do you keep your Weim from "sharing" the water with every room in the house... We have a 10 month old Weim and the water is everywhere and drives me nuts!

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    1. Bahahaha! I started wearing slippers just for that reason! :) Summer is the worst with bare feet! No answer to that! The mat under his water bowl helps with the food and the water for our other dog, but our Weim sticks his whole face in the bowl while he drinks. So funny!

      xo!

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    2. Glad I'm not alone on that one! Sometimes while his face is in the water he exhales and blows bubbles, then startles himself. They are loaded with personality, that's for sure! Looks like I'll be buying slippers with a mop head bottom! Thanks!

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  19. Where did you find your dog food container? Not the food bowls but the container. I have two lovely kittys and a food station but I have been searching for a big container to house their food.

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    1. Hi Lyndsey!

      I purchased it on Joss & Main awhile back, however, I have since found similar styles at HomeGoods and Marshalls.

      xo!

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  20. I have most these but they don't look as good as yours! I feel a project coming on. Lisa xo

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  21. Pinning this immediately because I adore all of these ideas!!

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  22. We created a dog feeding station out of an Ikea Algot system! And designed a whole room around the dog. Obviously he's spoiled : ) Love the idea of the bag for walk items- hanging all of his stuff makes too much clutter!

    http://createbakecelebrate.blogspot.com/2013/08/create-laundry-room-after.html

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  23. These are great tips! My fiance and I just moved in together and are planning on expanding our family with a puppy sometime in the near future, so I love these tips!

    Jamie @
    The Growing Up Diaries

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  24. LOVE the pampered pooch caddy and sticker... How did you make that sticker??

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    1. Thanks Annie! I printed it with my computer printer onto the Silver Foil sheet and cut it with my Silhouette. :)

      xo!

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  25. Omg!! You make me want to have a dog!!!! But even better, you have helped me to come up with some gift ideas for my parents who have two doggies!!! Thank you!!

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  26. No one can organize puppy accouterments like you...and I know that you know I say this with complete love and respect.

    This is totally why I have cats.

    A couple bowls, some puff balls to play with, a pooper scooper and I'm good to go. My OCD thanks me.

    :)

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  27. These are great ideas. A friend shared this video on Facebook today and your comment on getting them to clean up their toys reminded me of it. This dog knows the meaning of "Clean the house"! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW_N-dujGXw

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  28. Wow, amazing ideas. Cant wait to update my doggie supplies! Would love to see your doggie bed setup and how you keep your place fur free :)

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    1. My house is definitely not fur free. :) I vacuum frequently, yet still have happy white fluffy bunnies hopping out from under our furniture. The dog bed is large enough for both dogs, we have one that floats between the upper level and lower, depending on where we are, and one in our dressing room for them to sleep on at night.

      xo!

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  29. Absolutely gorgeous, fantastic ideas. But a post about your pets with no pictures of the puppies?! How could you? ;)

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  30. Great ideas for our 4-legged kids. I have a similar set up at my entrance but I need to tweak it since we entered the cold months, need to keep his jacket handy. You inspired me!

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  31. I love them all! Thank you for sharing. The food container, caddy and cookie jar are so pretty :)

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  32. Great tips -- thanks so much for sharing! I saw the comment above on the "Chill Pills" - we'll definitely be looking into those!

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  33. Love it so! We just got a puppy 2 weeks ago, this will help! Where ever did you find the cute labeled pooch scoop??

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  34. Which types of dog anxiety treats do you use? I'm in the same boat with my rescue dog, but so far I'm not having any luck with chews.

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  35. So so cute! I love it all, especially the food canisters. xo Kristin

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  36. I found the dog food bins here: http://www.harrybarker.com/Dog-Food-Storage/products/8/

    They really are the best looking ones around! I love how it looks in your laundry room. I need a better place to store mine. This was a great post. We have two dogs and now a kitten, so lots of things to get organized. I am inspired.
    Ridgely

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    1. You are so good Ridgely! :) Thanks for sharing the link!

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  37. GREAT ideas, Jen! I always struggle with how to deal with our dog's stuff. We have most of the non-everyday essentials in a large plastic bin, but it's not super accessible when I need to get into it. We also keep our treats in a small metal pail by the door so they're easily accessible. The leash currently gets thrown onto the our entry table, which isn't ideal. I'm thinking I need to do the hook and tote thing like you did!

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  38. Sigh...your house always looks so clean and bright. Even with two dogs, all of your things are cute. I have two dogs as well and their things don't look nearly that cute!

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  39. Thank you for the dog centered organizational tips! My lab gets overly excited when it's time to eat and ends up pushing his bowl around or accidentally tipping it over. I'm going to try out the rubber mat idea! I'm sure my pup will appreciate :)

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  40. Where did you get that cute little food scoop with the bone in the handle?

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  41. This is AMAZING. I struggle with decorating around our pets, since I live in a small space with no properly fenced yard or anything. Where do your dogs spend most of their time? Any general rules or loopholes to share for decorating around (and sharing the space) with energetic pets? #ohapartmentliving

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  42. I was hoping you would give more details about life with pooches. We have two large labs that seem to take over.... sometimes more than the kids! We keep our dog bowls in the laundry room too, but ours don't look quite so pretty.

    And I can totally relate to water everywhere! Our labs are the messiest water drinkers ever!

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  43. I spent probably 20 minutes looking for ideas on what to do with all my dog stuff this weekend. It's like you read my mind! Thanks for the inspiration.

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  44. I love the rug, where did you find it?

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  45. This is great! You make everything so beautiful, bright and organized.

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  46. My husband has been trying to talk me into that rubber mat idea since we got our second (who walks around with her mouth full of water...) and I hadn't seen it done in a nice way until this post! Now to find one as pretty...

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  47. How did I miss this post?! Now that we have Miss Maggie, I'm trying to figure out all the stuff that comes with her!! And where to put it!!?? Ack. I need to know more about those chill pills! Bless your pooch's heart!!

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  48. Hi! I am so glad to see something about pups on the site :) I was wondering where you got those toothbrushes?

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  49. We just got a puppy a few weeks ago and I am loving all of these ideas! Would you mind sharing what fonts you used for the papmpered pooches label? It is perfect!

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