Today I share with you my Top 10 Tips for a Pet Friendly Spring Cleaning!

Is that time of the year again when we get to browse magazines and pick some ideas about the latest trends. One thing I do is to include the doggie stuff in the spring cleaning agenda. After all these winter months my slobbery friend will fancy spring too! Take a look at my check list:

Marley enjoying a dog walk in Aurora, Ontario on a spring day.

{UNO} Get rid of old toys and wash and clean the good ones. For this I use a pet-safe detergent. I also get a new toy box using trendy colours for spring. Check out Lori Pedersen Home Staging+Styling to find out spring 2015 tendencies! I also change the placemat from the feeding station and I make sure the bowls for food and water are in good conditions. Also I get an outdoor water bowl for those warm days.

{DOS} My second advice from my top 10 tips for a Pet Friendly Spring Cleaning is to re-start the outdoor training sessions you were afraid of taking during winter. Mighty Mutts in Toronto is highly recommended by our boxer Mylo!

{TRES} Mylo and Chico love their naps, and we have different beds in various areas of the house. But after winter some of those beds are just too old. Personally I like the bedding from Our Dog & Co in Aurora. It is washable and the material doesn’t look old after washing it and to be honest my dogs love them! Also, this may be the time to go out and look for deals if you are looking at getting dog’s winter gear for next year. Our Dog & Co carries a great selection of coats.

IMPORTANT Remove and wash bed covers often in hot water, repeating frequently throughout the flea season. On sunny days air out bedding cushions. Personally I just like to get new beds every so often.

{CUATRO} Make sure to have the flea preventative products ready . My dogs go on flea treatment around June, but if the weather gets hot before that time, or if I am taking them to the forest very often, I start as early as May.

{CINCO} I wash and keep in a plastic box container my dog’s winter gear, including booties, scarfs and any other fancy clothing for the Christmas parties. I also make sure to wash their leashes or clean them, depending on the material. If it is too old I just buy a new one. Safety is first!

Spring trends and colors by Design Seeds on Facebook

{SEIS} Collars: My dogs get a new collar for spring season. As the days get warm it is important for me to have them wearing the right material since they will be spending more time outdoors. Mylo is a big fan of Big Paws Inc., a must check!

{SIETE} Groom! Depending on the breed, check out with your local groomer what is required to keep fido happy for spring and summer season.

MYLO’S PICK’S : Grooms by Caren in Newmarket and Our Dog & Co. in Aurora.

{OCHO} Clean the pantry . After the holiday season I find that my pantry is full of treat bags people give my dogs as presents. I get rid of old treats and get healthy natural baked products and dehydrated chips . My dogs love them!

{NUEVE} Set a new exercise routine and prepare your dog for that! Running, biking, hiking? You name it. If your dog didn’t do much during winter, take one step at a time to avoid excessive exercise and injuries. Work on building up your dog’s resistance. As the weather gets warm you can even include a mini photo session to capture your pooch outdoors activities!

{DIEZ} Spring time is also the time when due to work I get to be away from home often, thus I hire a professional dog walker to take my dogs for daily mid-day group walks.