Linda Fien, your Golden Retriever is adorable, but I bet his stuff is everywhere.
Inevitably, your leashes are tangled around your doorknob. The muddy paws toys are sitting on your Pinterest-worthy sofa. And that giant bag of kibble is sitting right on your kitchen floor. She thinks she owns the place.
I had one of those moments this past winter when I tripped over my dog’s harness for the third time in one morning. I was done.
What if I told you that your home could look beautiful AND actually work for your dog?
With the arrival of spring, I’ve been cleaning out our closet to create a few new dog closet ideas. It’s nice to have a space where I can put the leashes, toys, and treats, without having to hide the fact that I am a crazy dog mom.
It was over. There was no more chaos, it was over. The house was something that made sense now.
#1: The Hanging Leash Bar That Turns Chaos Into a Pinterest Wall
This setup was made for me when I’m rushing out the door, the golden is spinning in circles and I have three leashes tangled in a drawer somewhere.
My closet is different. A wooden dowel rod is attached to two walls and hangs silver S-hooks that display colourful patterned leashes like art. The colourful colourful leashes include floral prints, “WILD” text prints, and earthy botanical prints. I keep the colourful colourful leashes in teal/turquoise storage bins that sit on a white IKEA Kallax cube shelf. The shelves make the closet look more curated than cluttered.
For under $30 you can grab a 1.5 inch oak dowel, stainless steel S-hooks and adhesive shelf brackets to mount this yourself. The dowel holds the leashes visible and untangled so no morning scramble to find the correct one.
Other bins include a bag of Vital Essentials Beef Liver treats, a portable water bottle, and a couple cubes… one for harnesses, one for meds. And don’t forget the JBL Clip speaker to pump some tunes while walking the dogs!
Make sure the service dog vest and the rest of the working gear are hung on the far right. This is a good way of telling your dog that work mode is beginning.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @archie.atyourservice
#2: The Dog Harness Closet That Would Make Any Pinterest Board Jealous
Ever have one of those moments where you are rushing out the door with your dog in hand and are digging through a pile of tangled leashes in a drawer as she spins in circles waiting for you to attach her leash? Yeah, me too.
The closet is doing the most (in the best way)! Colorful harnesses hung on white plastic hangers on a tension rod, a full wall of leashes clipped to the door panel, and a cute white diamond-quilted nightstand acting as a mini-vanity! The closet has a cute, organized boutique vibe.
I copied it basically as it was done (I always wanted a sturdy wall-mounted hook to hang my leashes on anyway). I grabbed a regular curtain rod, mounted with two wall brackets, and a set of light weight plastic hangers for the harnesses. My leashes just hang from simple adhesive hooks or a door strip.
For a nightstand I chose a simple, white mid-century style two-drawer cabinet – (I found mine at Target) and added a little doggie figurine on top. Some teal polka-dot containers fit perfectly underneath for pens, treat bags or grooming tools.
One thing to remember: Luckily I know the difference between the big group and the small group by size and the season so I don’t have to worry about which one to pick up if I’m in a rush in the morning .
If you’re putting together your full dog station, then make sure to also check out these cute dog accessories ideas for your pup for some more ideas of what to store in it!
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @dandspuppies
#3: The Packed-to-the-Brim Dog Closet That Actually Works
You know when you open a door and a bunch of leashes fall on your head? Yeah, that was me every Tuesday before agility class.
It’s our dog closet! It is a command center for dog supplies. The wire shelving is labeled with bins for supplies. Over the door hook rack is holding green resistance style long lines and a few leashes. And we have a purple textured balance disc up top with a mesh bag of colored balls.
Grab a 4-tier clear plastic drawer unit (the kind with the label slots) to hold training treats and toys, and a black over-the-door multi-hook rack for leashes and tote bags. If you have room, stack some cardboard storage boxes with lids for bigger toys, and install wire closet shelving at two levels to maximize space.
Worth it because: And if you hang your dogs’ leashes on hooks (instead of throwing them in a pile) you can grab and go in under five seconds.
A pink bone-shaped foam step and agility cones are tucked on the floor so all items are visible and reachable.
Label everything that you have in multiples by dog name. I mean everything. Those little label holders on the drawer units are great for busy homes.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @camilla_in_training
#4: The Labeled Drawer System That Keeps Every Dog Thing in Its Place
Does anyone else know what I’m talking about when you’re trying to leave the house, Golden’s tail is going a hundred miles an hour and you can’t find the leash?! It’s somewhere under the rain jacket, behind the treats bag and next to… who knows!
This closet fixes that.
Clear plastic drawer units (the two-tower set-up shown) are used for the obvious drawer-loaders – and they’re the only things that can take the weight of my grooming supplies, medical items, bags and pouches in one navy-trimmed tower, and my training gear, leashes and collars, and treats in the other. Every drawer gets a white label card, handwritten by me. Pinterest would be proud.
A hanging rod above stores the dog raincoat and the red Assitance Dog vest on hooks — no folding and no digging! The big white square food container on the right holds the kibble, keeping the floor free of kibble mess.
This is the key: because i’ve got one group of stuff i’m training and one group of stuff i’m doing medically and i don’t have to open any drawers it’s all in one place.
Add a slow-feeder bowl on top of the tower. This will be a visual reminder for feeding time.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @jonesonthejob
#5: The Double-Hung Nursery Closet Hack That Works Just as Well for Dog Gear
When I open my closet to grab my dog’s leash to take him for a walk, I’m instantly bombarded with all of his stuff. Harnesses, bandanas, and even his chewed up tennis ball that I’ve yet to throw away. I know he’s excited to go out, but it’s also a little chaotic for me.
I came across this closet setup on Pinterest and I really gasped outloud.
It’s a white wood shelving system with double hanging rods one top and one lower allowing for two levels of hanging storage. The center column features woven water hyacinth baskets (those scalloped edge ones from Target or Amazon) sitting on top of a fixed shelf. Neutral fabric cube bins anchor the bottom. A fairly small ironing board hides behind the left wall. I would probably just swap it out for a dog crate or folded up pet bed.
With a freestanding closet organizer (like the IKEA PAX) or an Elfa system, add two tension rods at staggered heights to make your own dog gear zone. Hang leashes, harnesses and raincoats on the lower rod.
The lower hanging rod is just around 36-40 inches from the floor so it is perfect for some dog accessories that do not need the length of the other rods. I use these baskets for some of my doggy treats that I like to keep on the floor but still out of reach of my dogs for good reason. You can also use this as a place to store grooming supplies so they are off the floor but easy to grab.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @endless_hacienda
#6: The Wicker Basket Dog Closet That Makes Every Golden Retriever Mom Feel Sane
There is always that moment when you are digging in the junk drawer looking for a tennis ball and end up pulling out some half-chewed pig toy covered in dried drool. This setup is for you.
Four natural water hyacinth wicker baskets are nestled inside a warm honey-toned wood cabinet, and the set up looks too pretty to be part of a pet store’s décor. Cut-out handles on the sides of each basket make it easy to pull out mid-chaos when your golden is spinning circles at the door.
On the top shelf, you’ll find a stash of The Honest Kitchen Liver Chips and Nature’s Miracle Deodorizing Bath Wipes, as well as a few treats. The middle-right basket contains the most pure joy you’ll find today: tennis balls, a pink pig squeak toy, and a mini basketball. I grab those on my way out. The bottom basket holds the leashes, the grooming brushes, and whatever random stuff I grab on my way out.
Flop a bookshelf or media cabinet on over to the thrift store and pick up a few matching rattan or wicker bins. The same-material baskets in different sizes help keep things calm while holding it all in.
Group by function: treats on the top, hygiene on the top, toys in the middle and gear on the bottom. which means you are no longer digging around for everything at 7am.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @habit_stacked_organizing
#7: Label Everything — The Chalkboard-Tag Dog Closet That’ll Make You Obsessed
I wish I had this for when my dog was in his “destroy every toy in 48 hours” phase. Everything has a place, everything is labelled and nothing gets shoved into a basket under the bed anymore. Your golden retriever deserves no less.
One to three wire metal baskets, depending on space, holding towels, dog clothing. Tagged with black chalkboard hang-tags on copper rings. The top shelf is a clear acrylic bins stacked on top of one another, but side by side, with a matte black chalkboard label panel for each. Three in all, they hold treats, health supplies and grooming tools. Under the grooming bin is a lazy Susan turntable. The canned food section of the cabinet utilizes a white stepped shelf riser to keep the Merrick grain-free wet food cans visible and front facing.
Clear bins on the other hand, show you exactly what is running out. This prevents you from buying flea meds for the dog you already have running out in the back somewhere!
I like to group items by frequency. For example, treats/balls/items grabbed daily are kept at eye level. My dog’s sweaters are kept in the back wire basket. This one simple thing helps keep it from falling apart after week one.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @organized_simplicity
#8: Clear Treat Bins That Make Your Dog Closet Look Ridiculously Organized
There’s crumbs everywhere in my closet where my dog’s treats are kept. Sometimes it’s just broken biscuits mixed with some of the smaller “training” treats (which I cannot for the life of me remember which bag has the treats my golden wolfs down). That’ll be fixed by this setup, though.
Seven clear acrylic bins with locking lids — all of which are labeled “TREATS” in clean white lettering — are stacked on a natural plywood shelf. Each bin holds a different kind of treat: bone-shaped biscuits, soft chews, those green dental strips your dog will tolerate. With a little digging, you’ll see exactly what needs a refill.
I used the Iris USA stackable storage boxes (the 6.9-quart size worked for the bigger treats and the 4-quart size for the smaller ones). I printed (or you can cut) white vinyl lettering to use as labels. It was so easy and it looks like I paid someone to do it!
Put the heavier bins at the bottom so that the lids stay sealed, and put one of your bins at eye level so that you have a place to put your treats for your daily rotation.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @settled.home
#9: The Dog Wardrobe Closet That Would Make Any Pet Boutique Jealous
So you know that moment when you’re trying to find a leash on the floor and your golden has his tail wagging knocking everything off the shelf and you are running late for a walk? That’s exactly what this setup is for.
This closet is Pinterest worthy! The walls are grey, but I added rose gold and pink velvet hangers, pastel colored bins that I put hoodies in, and a full hanging rod for her dog clothes. All dog clothes are organized by type. And my dog (she’s the one in the middle) is wearing a pink bandana and rhinestone collar and she’s sitting on a floral pink dog bed.
[IMAGE] If you’re looking to organize your closet, then you’ve got to start with a double-rod closet organizer. You’ve got one rod for your jackets and sweaters on mini velvet hangers and a lower rod for your bandanas and harnesses. Add in some clear acrylic bins for your folded hoodies and wall-mounted display rails for your leash collection. The colorful leash wall along the top? Those are all hanging on a ceiling-mounted metal rod with S-hooks.
I like to put a tag or ribbon tied to the top of each bin so that I know what’s in them. I label each bin with a piece of ribbon so that when I’m in a hurry to get out the door and the dog is spinning in circles, I can quickly grab what I need and not have a pile of stuff fall on my head.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @that_frenchie_albert
#10: The Full Dog Closet Setup That’ll Make You Want to Reorganize Everything This Weekend
You grab the golden’s leash and suddenly there are three others on the floor and somehow a chewed tennis ball rolls out, too. I’ve spent my fair share of mornings in “that” chaos.
This closet is doing everything right. It has white shelving, bins in the fab (albeit a little “out-there”) paw-print print and mint paisley, and dedicated hanging rods for leashes, so it’s organized but still feels cozy and lived in, not sterile.
The center unit is a white three-drawer dresser and a tall shelving tower. Both appear to be normal closet system pieces like you’d find at IKEA or Target. The gray paw print fabric bin holds toys and the mint lattice print box is likely a grooming bin. Leashes are hanging from a horizontal rod with hooks on the left wall. I see various colors including nylon and chain.
The bottom section has another hanging rod for dog coats and jackets. The lime green puffer coat is a chef’s kiss. A woven green basket on the floor holds extra gear.
Keep your leash rod at about shoulder height so that grabbing before your walks is quick and one-handed. Store treats in a clear plastic bin on the top shelf so you can easily see it when refilling. Store items for your dog that are used often at eye level and items that are used less often at a lower level.
📸 Photo credit: Instagram @tinyservice
The One Thing Most Dog Closets Get Wrong (And How to Fix It Before You Start)
Most of us build our dog’s closet with the stuff, not the smell. And that was my biggest mistake the first time around.
I spent a whole weekend organizing the leashes, treats, and grooming supplies onto this lovely Pinterest perfect display. Fast forward two weeks and everything smelled like wet dog and dirty paws. The whole closet just smelled!
My secret pro tip: build the ventilation FIRST. A small louvered panel or even a mesh insert inside your cabinet costs nothing, but it keeps the air moving so the smells don’t sit on your supplies.
Another cheap, easy and effective way to deal with fur and mud is to buy wire shelving and use that down the bottom of the unit, instead of solid shelving. The fur and mud are able to fall through the wire to the bottom of the bin.
Also, do not get a fabric bin. I like the wicker or plastic bins since they wipe clean easily. Fabric holds any drool or dampness in the fur.
Your nose and your sanity will thank you so much later.
Your Dog Bed Project Starts Right Now
Pick a favorite design and just get started. Don’t think too hard, most of the time the builds will only take a weekend and you’ll have your little golden curled up in something gorgeous before Monday.
The best part: Your house gets to look like your Pinterest board, and survive dog ownership, too!
If you’ve caught the DIY bug, these 14 stylish dog crate furniture ideas will give you even more inspo for making your pup’s space feel intentional and cozy.
Which one are you designing?https://t.co/q0GWNtuXPv http://t.co/hbRCYeLQBl
Amr Mohsen is a software engineer who traded his keyboard for a leash — at least on weekends. His love for dogs inspired him to share what he learns as a dog owner and enthusiast, bringing a detail-oriented, research-driven perspective to every article he writes. If it’s about dogs, he’s probably already looked it up twice.
