5 Ways to Choose a Home Your Dog Will Love

Check the local pet laws.

Before you purchase in a specific area, check to make sure that the neighborhood is dog-friendly. Some neighborhoods with a homeowners association, condo developments, townhouses, community developments and specific cities and states may have rules, restrictions, breed-specific laws, animal limits and noise ordinances that they enforce by eviction or substantial fines.

Opt for a yard with a fence.

Make sure your new home has a fenced-in area for your dog. This will allow your pet to roam, keep other creatures out and act as a protective barrier between your pet and the outside world.

Choose a neighborhood with wide open spaces.

Make sure the neighborhood you want to purchase in has a high walkability score and ample amount of green spaces and sidewalks. This will make it easier for you to exercise your pet and socialize it with other animals in the neighborhood.

Make sure the house has pet friendly features.

Check the layout, blueprints and features of each home you view to make sure that it includes pet friendly features, like flooring that won’t scratch or stain and a spacious floorplan for running, jumping and tail wagging!

Calculate the proximity from the neighborhood to your job.

Before purchasing, make sure you map out the length of time it will take for you to travel from your new home to your job. If your job is not within a short driving distance, you may need to pay for a daily dog walker. This could potentially drive up monthly costs and make an otherwise affordable home become less cost effective.

A dog turns a house into a home.