Note: If you have a small dog, be aware there are eagles and owls around.
Over time we've worked out a pretty good way to host dogs by covering some furniture and blocking off the "upstairs" to keep dogs from sneaking up there to nap on the comfy beds.
The basket to the right of the back door contains a variety of dog
linen - king sheets and a bunch of raggedy towels. One of the king sheets, along with two
of the towels, should be used to cover the couch. (Use the towels to
cover the couch arms.) The second king sheet should be used to cover the
old yellow wing-back chair by the back door - it's an old family heirloom.
The remaining towels can be used to wipe dog feet, etc. They're often hung by the back and front doors. Also, there's a hook just outside the front and back doors to hang feet wiping towels.
The dog bowls and water bowl are in the closet to the right of the kitchen sink. Put a towel on the floor there for the water bowl to sit on.
There's a nice dog bed and blanket kept in the garage when not in use - lately it's been stored on top of one of the fridges out there. When brought into the house it's typically set up against the wall between the wood stove and the tv.
There's a baby gate kept in the queen bedroom closet when not in use. Set it up on the stairs to the "upstairs" to keep dogs from going up there. It can also be used to keep a dog in the kitchen area.