Tips for a Stylish Pet Home and $50 PetSmart Giveaway from Apartment Guide

We're partnering with Apartment Guide to bring you tips for creating a comfortable and stylish living space for you and your pet. And today, thanks to Apartment Guide, we're bringing you the chance to win a $50 gift card from PetSmart to help you spruce up your own pet's quarters! Read all the way down to enter our giveaway!

But first, we did a little browsing at Petsmart.com and found a few suggestions to create the perfect pet space!

How about this Home Storage Pet Bed?

The top part lifts back to reveal a hidden storage space, perfect for keeping your small pet's toys organized! We love items that do double-duty like this one!

Or how about this Fatboy Doggielounge Pet Bed?

The happy print reminds me of the Marimekko print bedspread I had in college, and sure enough, look what I found on the Fatboy website!

You and your pet can enjoy matching Marimekko print loungers. That's what I call lounging in style.

Did you know that Apartment Guide is a great resource, even if you're not currently planning a move?

• Apartment Guide offers tips for bringing a new pet into your apartment and helping them adjust to your home.
• If you’re ready for a whole new space or looking to move with your pet, Apartment Guide has the photos, floor plans, features and tips to help you search for the perfect pet-friendly apartment community.
• Apartment Guide provides helpful suggestions for moving to and exploring a new neighborhood with your pet. Whether you’re living, looking or moving, Apartment Guide will help point you in the right direction.“Like” Apartment Guide on Facebook, tweet at  them @AptGuide on Twitter, “circle” them on Google+ and follow them on Pinterest for real-time tips and updates on how to make the most of your small space.

Enter our $50 PetSmart Gift Card Giveaway!

One lucky To Dog With Love reader will win a $50 PetSmart Gift Card, courtesy of Apartment Guide! Enter via our Rafflecopter giveaway below. Contest is open to U.S. residents until October 13 at 12:01 a.m. ET.

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cosmo says, "don't get left out in the cold! Enter our giveaway today!"

Disclosure Statement:
Apartment Guide and owner Consumer Source, Inc. partner with bloggers such as me to participate in blogger programs.  As part of that program, I received compensation.  They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about any products and believe that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Consumer Source’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

How to Make Your Living Space Pet-friendly and Stylish!

Whether you're moving to a new place with a pet or bringing a new furry addition into your home, a little advance planning can go a long way in making your living space a happy place for both you and your pet.

That's why we are really excited to partner with Apartment Guide to bring you some tips on moving as well as some things to know when you are bringing a new pet into your apartment.

Since I've had dogs, I've lived in apartments, condos and houses, and each time I moved I had a few tricks of my own to make the move more pleasant and the new surroundings more comfortable. So I'm going to share a few tips from Apartment Guide as well as a few of my own! 

Moving with Cosmo

Since I've had Cosmo, we've moved twice -- from a condo, to an apartment, to our current house. For us, the apartment was a temporary solution since I was lucky enough to sell a condo a little too quickly and we had nowhere else to go! If you happen to find yourself in a similar situation with a pet, Apartment Guide has the photos, floor plans, features and tips to help you search for the perfect pet-friendly apartment community.

When we lived in the apartment, I loved the pet friendly walking areas as well as some unexpected extras like the pet-friendly window sills! 

Cosmo loved this built-in perch in our apartment!

One tip: If your pet likes to jump up on the window sill, please make sure the windows are secure and closed! The third floor provided a great viewing area for Cosmo, but I wanted to make sure he stayed INSIDE the apartment!

Here are a few more things we've done to make our living space more pet-friendly and pet-welcoming!

If your pet likes to join you in bed, consider a bench at the foot of the bed (like the one above) to make the leap a little less strenuous. An area rug will also provide your pet with some traction and will help dampen the sound of clicking feet across the bedroom floor! I got the bench, above, and the pet bed from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams.  I was able to customize both with complementary pet-friendly fabrics that are both durable AND stylish!

Speaking of pet beds, I don't think you can ever have too many! For an affordable option with a customized look, I love this bed, above, from P.L.A.Y.  The beds are made with furniture grade fabrics, sustainable materials and are completely machine washable and dryable. The beds are even reversible to give you several looks AND you can order pillows in complementary fabrics for your own bed or sofa!

Cosmo is packed and ready to go for his next adventure

Whether we are traveling across country or moving to a new space, Cosmo doesn't go anywhere without his Big Green Bone, above. I always make sure Cosmo's favorite toys and treats are close at hand. And if you're moving, be sure you have quick access to your pet's food and bowls too!

When it comes to flooring, I love the options and functionality of carpet tiles. These, above, are from FLOR. You can customize the look to fit your own style and if your pet has an accident, it's super easy to clean one tile or even replace it.

Some more helpful tips if you are moving to a new neighborhood

The folks at Apartment Guide also provide lots of helpful suggestions for moving to and exploring a new neighborhood with your pet. Whether you are living, looking or moving, Apartment Guide will point you in the right direction. 

For more, "Like” Apartment Guide on Facebook, tweet at  them @AptGuide on Twitter, “circle” them on Google+ and follow them on Pinterest for real-time tips and updates on how to make the most of your small space.

Some extra treats from Apartment Guide

Stop back by To Dog With Love on Friday, and we'll be hosting a giveaway for a $50 gift card from PetSmart, courtesy of Apartment Guide! You could pick up a snappy new bed, some Bissell pet clean-up products,  or a Halloween welcome rug -- all essentials in my book for a stylish, pet-friendly home!


Disclosure Statement:
Apartment Guide and owner Consumer Source, Inc. partner with bloggers such as me to participate in blogger programs.  As part of that program, I received compensation.  They did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about any products and believe that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Consumer Source’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

Join the Fun with #BarkWorld at #NipClub on Twitter This Thursday!

If you missed last night's flurry of excitement on Twitter, there's one more chance to party with BarkWorld Expo this week!

On Thursday, September 20, 2012, join BarkWorld for a special party with #NipClub from 6 - 10 p.m. ET on Twitter.

Use hashtag #NipClub and #BarkWorld to follow the fun which will include games, prizes and a chance to win free passes to BarkWorld Expo in Atlanta! You'll also meet BarkWorld founder Denise Quashie @BarkWorldExpo and the folks @AptGuide, one of the BarkWorld sponsors.

For more about the party and to RSVP, click here.

Never been to a #NipClub event? Every Thursday night one weekend every month, NipClub raises money for animal charities, and there's lots of fun and games too!

Last night, BarkWorld joined the regular Monday night #Petchat on Twitter, and the comments were FLYING! If it all seems to go a bit too fast, just watch for a while and you'll catch on quickly. I like to use a platform like Tweetgrid when I participate in Twitter parties. Just enter the party hashtag, for example #BarkWorld, the party host name if you know it, like @BarkWorldExpo, and then your Twitter name and you are good to go!

See you on Thursday at the #BarkWorld and #Nipclub extravaganza! @CosmoHavanese will be there with me @ToDogWithLove.