The ultimate decluttering device - get a puppy.

The ultimate declutterer?

I guess I should put in a disclaimer here. In no way am I advocating an irresponsible decision to get a dog on a whim, but rather reflecting on how the decluttering is going so far.  I have come to the realisation that one of the best motivators for tidying up in our household has been puppy ownership!

Three weeks ago, we acquired a new 10 week old Cockapoo puppy. We had been considering getting a dog for quite a while, and having investigated different dog breeds, we had concluded that the family friendly gentle nature of a Cockapoo would suit us. Plus, we hoped she wouldn't try and eat the rabbit like a terrier would.

Having decided on a dog a while ago and having researched the breed, the next question was timing. We had a holiday planned in the summer, so I figured I could start looking  as soon as we returned. A few days after we got back, I started the puppy hunt on Pets4homes, and found a gorgeous looking litter of black cockapoos about an hours drive from us. After exchanging emails and phone calls with the breeder, during which time we both decided the other sounded a responsible adult with high standards of puppy welfare, we eventually met and chose our puppy. Suddenly, after months of thinking about it and planning, we were about to become proud new puppy parents!

Great excitement, followed by the realisation that we needed to puppy proof our house. The day before we got her I found the previously lacking motivation to sort out the boot room at the back of the house. I both tidied and reorganised things so I could move the cat's food and bed up onto the counter in the utility to give her a safe haven out of the puppy's reach. In the rest of the house I have had to ensure that nothing is left on the floor or within easy reach. My pile of clothes that accumulates on a chair beside my bed is now scooped up on a regular basis and tidied away in case she gets hold of something precious. I once lived with a puppy that converted one of my handbags into a clutch bag, so I am taking no chances. The puppy was fairly quiet for the first few days, but now she has been with us for 3 weeks and well settled in she is trying to chew everything.  I spend my days roaming the house with eagle eye trying to detect small tasty objects before she does, and wrestling them out a mouth full of needle sharp teeth when she gets there first.

 The most exciting moment came after we had her a couple of days and my teenage daughter announced that she was going to tidy her room so that the puppy could come in to play. The carpet, once lost to view under a layer of teenage detritus was excavated and even hoovered. So in a few days our bouncy small bundle of fur achieved more than years of effort by a nagging mother.

So a puppy as a decluttering tool? Has its benefits - but she's not completely housetrained yet, so I think on balance she may create more chaos than we have achieved by tidying up. But our home is a bit tidier and more organised, and certainly a lot more fun!