Ah, dogs. Your best friend, your companion, your protector...and occasionally the destroyer of living rooms. While it might be easy to grumble about it, sadly some dogs just want to play no matter how well they’re trained - and sometimes, playtime isn’t as gentle as you’d like. If you’ve found yourself in this predicament (and really, what dog owner hasn’t), we’ve got a few tips here to keep your home pet-friendly, chew-proof, and stylish! Choose Durable Fabrics: When considering any kind of renovation to make your home more pet-friendly, the first thing you should consider is furniture. If your furniture finds itself frequently chewed up and trod-upon, you should consider replacing your couch with something a little tougher. Vinyl or imitation leather is never a bad call, but if you want to avoid the ‘leather look’ we’ve found that velvet is a surprisingly resilient and easy-to-clean choice for pet lovers. Get Down To Their Level: Choosing your battles while pet-proofing your home will both help reduce the amount of work you have to put in and help you focus on more important areas of improvement. Look down to your pet’s point of view to find things like small toys, cables, and other things they’ll want to chew on and work from there: block off small crevices, keep your cables together with cable organizers, and make sure nothing is left on the floor! High & Closed Storage: On the other hand, it is helpful to remember there’s some places your pets can’t get to, like high shelves or behind closed doors! (Unless your dog is smart enough to use doorknobs, in which case you’ve got enough problems already.) Anything you really need to keep safe and away from your pets should be kept on high wire shelving or in a kitchen cabinet, kept in a pantry organizer to keep it clean and save. This is a good call for dangerous items like medicine, cosmetics, or any foods that dogs can’t eat like chocolate or certain fruits/vegetables. Throw Blankets On Everything: Not only are heavier-fabric throw rugs a great way to add color and patterns to your decor, they’re also a great call for protecting your upholstery! If you really can’t part with that light-colored sofa, draping a throw blanket over it will help save you from hair, paw prints, and anything else your dog insists on dragging on the sofa. Get Ready to Embrace Imperfection: Let’s face it, no matter how much pet-proofing you do, there’s always going to be messes to clean and stuff to pick up. No matter how nice it is to have an organized and beautiful house, your dogs are going to make sure it isn’t 100% done - but considering how much they love you and how much you love them, maybe the occasional mess is a fine price to pay.