Will Dog's Nails Scratch Hardwood Floors

Y'all tin often tell whether or not a dog lives in a domicile just past looking at the floor.

Do scratches and scuffs stretch between the front door, kitchen and couch? That's the canis familiaris's road to and from his favorite haunts.

Are at that place oval-shaped areas of discoloration by the windows and door? That's where the dog spends nearly of his time resting and sleeping.

Tin can you run across a night, circular stain or two on the carpet? The one on the left is from a potty-accident last yr; the ane on the right occurred when he barfed a few months ago.

So, aye, it is pretty obvious a dog lives hither.

Canine Considerations: What Qualities Do You Want in a Pet-Proof Floor?

Dogs are very hard on floors, and they tin quickly ruin those that are not resilient and durable enough to withstand the damage they tin inflict.

Different types of floors will handle these problems to varying degrees, so it is always important that pet owners think carefully when considering floor options.

To pick a skillful flooring for dogs (and the general household), you must understand the kinds of things you desire to look for when making your option. Some of the most important considerations include:

You want a floor that won't become scratched by your domestic dog's toenails. Your love pooch walks around with sixteen rock-hard and oft abrupt claws, which will scrape your floor twenty-four hours and night for the balance of his life. Declawing your dog isn't an option, and while keeping your dogs nails short can assist, information technology won't completely eliminate scratches that come as a result of life with a dog. Unless you are interested in refinishing or replacing your floors every few years (or yous like the "weathered await"), yous'll want to pick one made from an extremely durable material.

Y'all should option a floor that won't retain odors . Fifty-fifty the virtually reliable and housebroken pooch is sure to have the occasional blow. If urine seeps into your flooring, your entire house tin start to olfactory property bad. While pet-safe floor cleaners are ever an option for helping to eliminate smell, ideally you'll be all-time off starting with a flooring material that is less porous and won't retain odors.

You have to go on your dog's traction needs in mind . Information technology tin occasionally exist hard for dogs – particularly those of advanced age or suffering from hip, joint or leg problems – to get a expert grip on super-slippery floors. If your dog fits these criteria, you'll want to make certain to emphasize traction when making your conclusion.

Best Flooring For Dog Households

While at that place are probably a few incredibly pet-proof flooring options bachelor to the rich and the famous, most mortals volition detect that they've got six basic options.

Each one has its ain pros and cons, so exist certain to consider your specific circumstances earlier making your choice.

Choice #ane: Hardwoods

At offset glance, hardwood floors seem like a pretty skilful selection for homes with pets, and in many ways, they are. For example, hardwood floors are easy to sweep, which is nice for homes with heavy shedders. Liquids won't soak into a hardwood floor as apace as they will a carpet, either. But hardwood floors exercise present a few issues, and they aren't always the all-time selection for pet owners.

For starters, while it is true that liquids won't soak into a hardwood as quickly as they will carpet, they will eventually seep in and leave stains. This means you still accept to make clean upwardly whatever accidents within a few minutes – hardly a good solution for homes with pee-pee bandits.

Additionally, claws can scratch many wooden floors. As long as you pick one of the hardest woods – Brazilian rosewood, Bolivian cerise, and Tigerwood are all practiced choices – available, this won't exist a large problem, simply many of these options are expensive and difficult to find.

Hard maple, white oak, and beech are a little more affordable, and they'll have a reasonable chance of weathering your dog's claws. Notation that some "hardwood" floors are non made from hardwoods at all. Pine, for example, is actually a soft wood, which is unlikely to terminal very long when exposed to your pet'southward claws.

It is worth noting that woods with a distinct grain design tend to de-emphasize minor imperfections better than a those with very subtle patterns. Information technology is also important to coat hardwood floors in a potent sealant to assist protect information technology from both scratches and liquids.

Selection #2: Carpets

Capet is certainly a popular flooring material, and it offers a number of key benefits. Carpet flooring is warmer than shine floors are and provides more cushioning too. It hides small amounts of dust well, and it is fairly easy to clean with a vacuum.

However, carpet besides has some very significant downsides for pet owners.

Take, for example, the absorbent nature of carpet (and any padding below it). Considering carpet will quickly soak upwards most fluids, it will hands go stained and retain odors. This can quickly ruin the aesthetics of your carpet and cause your habitation to odour horrible.

The video below offers a few suggestions on getting smelly urine out of your carpet!

There are a few fancy carpets and handling technologies that tin aid mitigate these problems, but they will offset ane of the biggest benefits of carpet: its affordable toll.

Carpeting tiles present an intriguing alternative in some cases, as they can exist replaced individually, which means that an accident won't end up costing you a fortune to repair.

Give special consideration to the type of pile (which refers to the mode in which the threads are attached to the rug) the carpet features. "Cut pile" carpets are essentially comprised of single carpet fibers, which stick straight upwardly from the backing material. "Loop pile" carpets, by dissimilarity, are comprised of tiny loops.

Loop pile carpets are not necessarily problematic, merely exist sure to avert whatever that are large plenty to snag your pet's claws.

Some carpets and rugs are improve for domestic dog households than others, with easier-to-clean carpets being platonic. Many owners likewise opt for non-toxic materials, especially for dogs that won't stop licking the carpet.

Choice #iii: Bamboo

Over the last decade or so, bamboo has get a pop flooring cloth. Once you look at the characteristics of the textile, information technology is easy to come across why.

Start of all, bamboo is very durable. It won't go scratched or discolored easily, and while bamboo isn't really a tree (it'southward a type of woody grass), it is harder than many of the woods used in hardwood floors.

Bamboo resists stains pretty well, and it won't absorb liquids particularly quickly. It is also a very attractive flooring material that provides homes with a unique look.

Merely perhaps most importantly, bamboo is an eco-friendly material that tin be harvested without destroying wild habitats.

It takes decades for an oak or maple tree to grow large enough to exist advisable for milling, merely you tin can just virtually pull upwards a chair and spotter bamboo grow – it is actually regarded every bit

The primary downside to bamboo is its price – it is a pretty pricey dog flooring option. However, as the cloth becomes more pop, economies of scale should help bring down the toll signal significantly. So, even if you can't beget to install bamboo floors today, you lot should probably go along it on your radar.

Choice #iv: Stone Tile

Rock tiles are remarkably resilient, and most varieties will stand up up to your dog'south claws for years. However, you'll want to avert some of the softest and most porous materials (such every bit marble and slate), as these may suffer from some damage over time.

Granite is i of the most durable options and is a great pick for most pet owners. Most tiles are non-porous, and therefore completely waterproof, and then spills and accidents aren't a big trouble.

Stone tiles are not terribly comfortable for your dog, but as long every bit you provide him with a soft bed to lay on, this shouldn't exist a big problem. Some stone tiles are quite slick, so you may desire to avoid them with older pets, who frequently have trouble negotiating glace floors.

Notation that stone tiles can change temperatures quite significantly. They'll oestrus up if they are shut to a fireplace or near a window in directly sunlight, and they'll tend to get pretty dank during the winter. This shouldn't crusade too many problems for your pup, but be mindful of the possibility.

Option #5: Laminates

50aminate floors ordinarily look like hardwood floors (although they can also be made to await like rock or other materials), but they are engineered forest products, instead of wooden planks. They are created by attaching an epitome-bearing paper surface to a piece of fiberboard, which is then installed on your floor.

Laminates are pretty expert choices for homes with pets, as they are adequately scratch resistant and they don't readily blot fluids. They can oftentimes be purchased with varying levels of chafe resistance, and different individual products are available in a range of gloss levels from which you tin cull.

Laminate floors won't concluding quite every bit long as truthful hardwoods, simply they are still a practiced long-term flooring solution.

The biggest potential problem with laminates is that they are often slippery. If this is a problem for your pet, exist sure to select a laminate that has some texture to information technology to give your pup a petty more traction. As when selecting any type of flooring selection, try to select a color that won't contrast too sharply with your canis familiaris'southward pilus color to keep your floors looking cleaner.

Option #half dozen: Vinyl

Vinyl is relatively resistant to pet claws, and it provides pets with a better grip than many other smooth flooring options. Vinyl won't become stained very easily, and accidents can be chop-chop and easily cleaned when need be.

Although some owners may adopt the look of hardwoods, rug or some other floor treatment, vinyl is a pretty skilful-looking flooring choice, which is available in an array of colors and patterns.

It is important to continue vinyl floors relatively dry out, every bit they tin mildew or brainstorm lifting if they are allowed to remain wet. And while vinyl floors aren't likely to become scratched by your pet'due south claws, they rarely retain their high sheen for very long.

Vinyl also provides one more benefit: It is a placidity flooring textile, which will dampen the sound of your domestic dog'south nails clicking on the floor.

Check out this handy infographic from Floor Authority for boosted info about the best pet-friendly floor options available:

Floor Care Tips & Tricks for Dog Owners

No affair what kind of floor material you cull, you'll want to do everything possible to continue it looking and smelling new for years to come. Fortunately, at that place are a number of things you can do to protect your floors and effectively clean up the occasional mess.

Clean your pet'due south feet before letting them come inside. You can only use a clammy rag if y'all like, but there are a number of hand washers on the market that will piece of work even better.
Go along your canis familiaris's nails trimmed. This isn't just important for your canis familiaris's health (improperly trimmed nails can lead to osteoarthritis and other joint problems), simply information technology will help keep your floors looking amend too. Check out our boom-trimming guide to larn the correct way to clip your dog's nails.
Bathe your dog regularly. The dirt and droppings coating your dog will end up all over your floor, making it look dingy and smell terrible, so y'all want to make certain you keep your dog as clean as possible (just don't over-exercise it; most dogs only need a bath once a month or and then).
Castor your domestic dog off outside to help reduce the corporeality of shed hair that ends upward on the floor. Shed hair will make your floor look dirty and information technology also carries dander and saliva proteins with it, which tin make life miserable for allergy sufferers. Fortunately, most dogs dear being brushed, and if you just make a habit of brushing him off before coming inside, yous'll keep near of the hair off the flooring.
Have a good odor neutralizer on paw to deal with accidents. While poop smells horrible initially, it won't usually cause lingering odors afterward you make clean it up. Urine, on the other hand, is another matter entirely. Urine can soak into woods or carpeting fibers and lead to odors that concluding for years. Accordingly, you'll always want to make clean upwards messes apace and use a skilful odor neutralizer (merely exist sure to examination the neutralizer in an inconspicuous spot first to make sure information technology won't discolor your floors).
Take the time to properly housetrain your canis familiaris. It tin be frustrating to house train your dog, and some breeds are particularly difficult to train in this regard, just your floors will give thanks you. Check out our guide to housebreaking if you lot demand a little help with the process.
Use protective mats nether your domestic dog'due south flood and water bowls. Dogs are messy eaters and drinkers, and the food and h2o that they spray around the nutrient dish can ruin your floor. Silicone feeding mats are an piece of cake and affordable way to aid protect the expanse around your dog's food and water bowl.

What kind of flooring exercise y'all utilize in your abode? Has it held up to your dog's nails? What about the occasional accident? Accept you had a particularly bad experience with anything (I could tell you some stories virtually ruined carpets…)? Tell us all about it in the comments beneath!