This is a collaborative post
We adopted Vader, an ex racing greyhound, almost two years ago and have learnt the hard way that not all flooring is suitable for dogs or, at least, some flooring is more practical than others
That isn’t strictly true. Not all flooring is suitable for all dogs. Not all dogs like to run around the garden like a mad thing and bring mud in with them. Not all dogs like to dig. Not all dogs skid around on laminate. You get the picture. I thought I would give a run down of different floorings and the pros and cons for each, in my humble opinion.
Vader spotting squirrels out on a walk
Is carpet a good flooring for a dog owner?
From our perspective, as renters, we had no choice when it came to our flooring. We have an unusual open plan downstairs with the front door opening straight into the living room area. In the living room area we have cream carpet. My one top tip for a dog owner choosing to have carpet would be do NOT, under any circumstances, choose cream. Strangely, for whatever reason best known to the person who furnished our house, we have wooden flooring in the dining and kitchen area. Remember I said it’s open plan, so basically halfway through the carpet stops and the wood begins. No, I don’t understand either.
So, back to the carpet. Other than not choosing cream I would suggest you choose something hard wearing that you are able to clean yourself. Dogs, no matter how well trained they are, can have accidents, be poorly, have muddy paws etc. I have a Vax Smartwash carpet cleaner which is my new best friend. The muck that device is able to get out of the carpet, despite using a Dyson vacuum cleaner regularly, is amazing. For stubborn stains, lingering odours, or a deeper clean that household machines can’t always achieve, it’s worth hiring a professional carpet cleaner. Professional cleaning can help extend the life of your carpets while removing deeply embedded dirt and allergens.
If replacing your carpet, a good carpet underlay is always worth it – it will help your carpet last longer and improve comfort underfoot (or paw). Thicker versions can also pay for themselves by acting as insulation and reducing your heating bill (another reason why carpets are a good choice over colder wood or laminate flooring).
When choosing carpet, also bear in mind how easy it will be to vacuum. Does your dog shed a lot? Is your four legged friend’s hair long?
We have gone with having a hallway runner by the front door and a rug in the main living area so the high traffic areas are covered. If it was our house we would probably have replaced the carpets with something in a different colour that’s harder wearing or potentially changed the flooring entirely.
Choosing wood flooring when owning a dog
As I mentioned above, half of our downstairs flooring is wood. In all honesty it’s not the easiest to keep clean with muddy paws but maybe it’s the type of wooden floor we have. You aren’t really supposed to mop hardwood floors so they aren’t ideal if you have a dog that runs in from outside with muddy paws, unless you catch the dirty floor quickly and wipe it up. I don’t know about you but I don’t feel like the kitchen floor is really clean without a good old fashioned mop. If you do mop wooden flooring make sure you dry it quickly to avoid damaging the wood.
The other thing to think about with wooden flooring is it can be pretty shiny and slippery. As we have a dog with long, lanky legs, he can struggle on the wooden flooring, ending up a bit like Bambi on Ice. Trust me, you don’t want the extra worry of your dog injuring itself along with the possibility of a large vets bill, because it’s slipped on your nice, shiny floor!
Laminate flooring when living with a dog
As with wood, laminate flooring can be a tad slippery. That said, it is easier to keep clean. I quite like laminate flooring as it is more forgiving than wood when it comes to its treatment. You can just slop over it with a mop and leave it to dry, although this is only with laminate not wood laminate. It comes in a huge range of patterns from faux wood to mosaic and it is resilient. However it doesn’t have the same appeal when it comes to real wood for that warm, earthy feel but is more budget friendly.
Personally, I like the warmth of a carpet but with my current home layout I would choose laminate flooring throughout downstairs. However, if I had a hallway to dry off muddy paws and remove muddy boots then I would stick with carpet.
