December 9, 2016

How to make your garage a safe place to keep your pooch while you’re out

Keeping your furry friend in the garage while you’re away from home is an option, as long as you make your garage a pet-friendly place. The garage can be an ideal place for your pet, especially if they suffer from separation anxiety, as it can eliminate the destruction of items in your home.

We won’t cover building a cage in this blog post, but we will cover how you can transform your garage into a safe haven for man’s best friend!

Dog sleeping

First things first…

Go over the pros and cons of keeping your cat or dog in the garage rather than in a cage inside the house.

  • Of course, a garage is bigger than a cage, so your furry friend will have more space to stretch their legs. If your pet is already used to spending time in its cage while you’re out, you could start by leaving the cage in the garage with the door open, then Fido can go in and out as he pleases.
  • If you normally leave your pet outdoors while you’re out, they could easily get frostbite during the long winter months. If your pet is used to cozying up inside, the temperature outside could be too much for them, in this case the garage is an ideal solution.
  • If your dog spends his days sitting by the window and barking at everything that moves, your neighbours might appreciate you keeping him in the garage while you’re out. A well-insulated (R‑16) garage door, stops cold and heat from entering the garage, but also works as a sound barrier, reducing your dog’s volume.

How will your furry friend feel in the garage?

If your pet has reached a certain age, it would be a good idea to get them used to the garage gradually, and certainly don’t leave them in there all day long from day one. With dogs, you can also define where he is and isn’t allowed to go in the garage using barriers. For safety reasons, your dog should not be left in the garage on its leash.

If your dog is already housetrained, he won’t do his business in the garage, but of course if you’re still training your puppy you will need to put down newspaper or training pads. If you’re going to leave your cat in the garage, all you need to do is put down its litterbox.

Slowly increase the area your dog can access until he has access to the entire garage. Spend time with your pet in the garage so he doesn’t see it as a lonely place, and always give your pet a treat before leaving. He will soon associate the garage with a positive experience.

Garage temperature and insulation

An uninsulated garage isn’t a nice place for your pet, if you don’t have insulation you should look into it – and just think, there is no point in heating your garage if it isn’t insulated. A well-insulated and weathertight garage will make it a comfortable place for your pet to be year-round, protecting your furry friend from both the heat and the cold.

During the winter, you should set the interior temperature to at least 50°F (10°C), and leave a window open during the summer for natural ventilation.

Humidity in the garage can also cause problems. If you need to, measure the humidity with a hygrometer; 50% or below will be comfortable for your pet. You can use a dehumidifier to reduce the level of humidity, if necessary.

Feeding

You shouldn’t change the way you feed your pet just because he’s in the garage rather than in the house. Feed him at the regular time following the instructions on his food label. Your furry friend will probably not do a lot while you’re gone, they prefer to save their energy to shower you with affection on your return!

And of course, don’t forget to leave your pet a filled water bowl that they can’t knock over and spill.

Comfort

Make your pet comfortable: bring in his favorite bed to protect them from the cold concrete floor, and leave him his most treasured toys to play with. If he’s used to certain noises, leave the radio on.

Don’t forget to leave toys or treats for chewing on, this will keep him busy and should stop him from gnawing on something he shouldn’t!

Remove hazards

Just as you would in your house, it is important that you remove any items that could hurt your dog and any substances he might swallow or chew on. For the general safety of your family, you should lock away toxic items. Always sweep the floor after DIY projects and make sure there are no small objects your dog could swallow. And store ropes, cords and other items your dog or cat could get entangled in out of his reach.

Cover larger items, such as a lawn mower or motorbike, this makes them invisible to the dog and so he will not try destroying them if suffering from anxiety.

If your garage door isn’t well insulated…

If you notice that your fourth wall, the one with the garage door, isn’t well-insulated and weathertight, contact us at 978-741-1600. We’ll be more than happy to talk you through our range of garage doors and advise you on the best choice to ensure your pet stays safe and comfortable. You can even simply request a free online quotation.

Finally, if you’re thinking of changing your garage door in the near future, try out our Design Centre. You might also like to visit our image gallery.

Tags

Add new comment

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.