Choosing the right type of flooring for your home can be made more challenging if you have dogs in the house. While you can easily tell anyone in your family to take care of the floor, your mutt may have difficulty understanding just exactly what you mean by it. Training your pooch not to scratch, defecate, or even pee on your floor can help ensure the integrity of your floor. However, choosing the best type of flooring for dogs should always be on top of your list if you really want to preserve the beauty, comfort, and integrity of that surface underneath your feet.
Check out our ultimate guide on Pee Pads for Dogs.
Qualities of Good Flooring for Dogs
When choosing the most appropriate type of flooring for dogs you will need to consider the following:
- Scratch resistance
- Strength and durability
- Traction
- Comfort
What you would like to get is a floor material that will not be so easily damaged especially from scratches. While the nails of cats are significantly sharper than dogs’ nails, the latter can still create scuff marks on your flooring regardless of how ‘invisible’ these marks seem. Over time, this can lead to a loss of structural integrity of the floor material which can then expose it to a variety of problems. Also important is the material’s resistance to urine damage.
Additionally, you might want to consider the traction of your flooring. Pets, especially dogs, love to play. While you can train them to play outdoors, it is inevitable that they will be playing with you or with other pets in your household. If the flooring is slippery, your pooch may injure itself if in case it runs and slips. It might break its legs or worse its back. If this happens, you’ll end up with a hefty bill for its veterinary care.
Types of Dog-Friendly Flooring
Always remember that dog-friendly flooring should be durable, highly resistant to damage, easy to clean, safe for your pet, and provides a certain degree of comfort for your pooch. Here are some of the best dog-friendly flooring materials.
- Vinyl
This is one of the most preferred flooring for those with pet dogs as it provides a great balance of comfort, traction, affordability, and durability. It is easy to install and even a lot easier to clean. It is also available in a multitude of styles so you can easily choose one that suits the overall aesthetic theme of your home. It has excellent stain- and scratch- resistance while also providing your pet’s paws a more comfortable surface to walk on, although not as comfy as carpet. Unfortunately, vinyl dulls easily and can develop mildew if spills are not cleaned immediately.
- Stone Tiles
If you’re after durability and exceptional scratch resistance, there’s only one material you have to install on your floor: stone tiles. These are not only durable they are resistant against stains and mold and mildew development, too. What’s more, they are very easy to clean. Regrettably, you will have to sacrifice your pet’s comfort as these types of flooring are hard and unusually cold. One way you can get around this is by adding warming accessories to your floorings such as dog beds or even soft rugs.
- Carpet or Carpet Tiles
If you don’t mind cleaning after your pet’s mess and you want to give it the best and most optimum level of comfort possible, then a carpet or carpet tiles is an excellent choice. It is very comfortable for dogs as it provides soft landing for their paws. Sadly, it requires a lot of care. It is especially prone to staining and can readily take on a nasty smell if your dog’s mess is not cleaned and dried immediately. However, if you choose certain types of carpet tiles that come with a feature that fights odor, resists stains, and even releases pet hair so it won’t build up into a ball, then you have found a great flooring material for your home.
Take a look at our article on the Best Area Rugs For Dogs.
- Bamboo
Instead of going for hardwood you’ll be better off with bamboo. This option is a very popular choice for dog-friendly homes. This material is considered as the best wood flooring option if you require exceptional scratch- and stain- resistance in a clean and elegant wood grain finish. Its natural hardness is believed to be greater than traditional hardwood, giving it exceptional strength and durability in high traffic areas. Bamboo is also eco-friendly and is a great compromise between hardwood and vinyl flooring.
- Hardwood
Despite the fact that it is expensive, many home still prefer hardwood over other types of flooring. It has a clean and classic look that can elevate the aesthetic qualities of any home. However, it is not as strong and durable as stone tiles or as hard as bamboo. It has the tendency to stain and is more prone to water damage than other flooring types. However, if you are really bent on using hardwood on your floor, your best bet will be oak, maple, mahogany, hickory, cherry, sycamore, and walnut. Just keep one thing in mind. If you want a more scratch- and damage-resistant hardwood flooring, always choose the hardest you can find.
- Laminates
If you love hardwood but don’t like the idea of having to clean up your pet’s mess every time it goes, laminated tiles are for you. These are water-resistant so cleaning is a breeze. These are not scratch proof, but are definitely more resistant than hardwood. Sadly, laminates can be slippery especially if you choose high gloss and super-smooth varieties. This reduces the traction on your pooch’s paws, increasing the risk of slips and falls and the concomitant injuries. If you should opt for laminates, it is recommended that you get those that have embossed or textured finish to help improve traction on your pet’s paws and prevent injuries. You can also add area rugs or even a rug pad to help improve traction.
You may also like our article on Pet-Safe Floor Cleaners.
There are no flooring materials that can give you the ideal balance between comfort, safety, strength, and durability. One of these almost always has to be sacrificed. Going for damage-resistant flooring typically comes at the expense of comfort and vice versa. You will simply have to work around the deficiency to get the most out of these best types of flooring for dogs.
