But there are two obvious reasons to consider which flooring works best:
- The first reason is the lost time, money and endured stress you will suffer due to the damage your dog will impart on the wrong flooring.
- And the second is damage that the wrong flooring can do to your dog. Senior dogs and arthritic dogs can have serious issues if the floor is too slippery. And, the toy dog variety (like Chihauhau, Maltese, Havenese) can easily break a limb when dropped on a hard floor from a height of just two feet
We know you are probably never going to redo the flooring in your entire house to accommodate your dog. But you may redo the flooring in the area where he spends most of his time, and when another living area comes up for renovation, maybe you will take your dog into consideration.
Which flooring is the best is at leaset a function of where you live, and the breed of dog you have. Also most houses have a variety of flooring.
To help you decide which flooring is best for your dog, and your situation here are the pros and cons of some of the popular flooring for dogs.
At the very least after you read this you will know what to expect from each of these flooring types, and precautions you can take when your hands are tied from changing the flooring.
Carpet
Primarily, it provides wonderful support to the paws, so the feeble or infirm dog has a much easier time.
It also is a great surface on which your pet can catch a well-deserved forty winks.
On the flip side, carpets are extremely difficult to clean thoroughly. This can be a particular problem if you have a puppy that is resisting house-training or a dog that sheds a lot.
Also, it is a great environment for critters like fleas and ticks to survive in. Which means that it can become a health hazard to your pets and your family.
Hardwood
On the other hand, dogs may have difficulty gaining a firm footing on the flooring. Also, your pet’s nails need to be trimmed regularly; not only will they make a loud clicking sound, but nails can damage many of the hardwood varieties.
And, while fur that is shed is easy to clean, it is also easy to see, so either your cleaning frequency will need to be taken up a notch or your sensitivity to the aesthetics of fur on wood will need to be toned down.
Spills, too, are a cause for concern; you do need to clean them up promptly or take the risk of long-term damage to your floor. To that end, you should consider a mat under your pet’s drinking bowls.
Also, work on building a well-trained rapid response team prior to the day the puppy is to be picked up … kids just love these sort of “emergency situations”.
Laminate
Laminate flooring, pretty much, gives you the look and feel of hardwood flooring.
It also happens to be largely similar to hardwood as far as your pet is concerned.
Most laminates, though, are designed to suffer less from moisture and your dog’s nails, so they are probably a better option than hardwood.
They also tend to be less expensive to install.
Vinyl
With the advent of new processes, vinyl is rapidly becomes an extremely versatile flooring choice. Some of these tiles have warranties that run up to 25 years.
Vinyl sheets or tiles are very durable, moisture-resistant, and very difficult to scratch or dent. And, like hardwood or laminate, vinyl is also practically maintenance free.
They come in an assortment of designs and colors, some mimicking the look of wood or stone. Another plus point: it softens the click-clack of your pets’ nails when they walk across the floor.
Ceramic Tiles
However,they are not particularly comfortable for pets to lie on. Moreover, for older or arthritic dogs, ceramic tile and stone can be slippery, exacerbating pain and injury to their joints.
Finally, they are hard, really hard, which means that a pup or toy breed that falls from any significant height — think of the combination of small children and small dogs — is going to suffer a painful injury.
A Final Word on the Best Flooring for Dogs
All the varieties of flooring that exist have their pros and cons when it comes to their interaction with your pets. Vinyl appears to have an edge on most other surfaces. However, you are clearly the best judge of what is likely to be the most suitable in your particular situation.
Calvin is the co-founder and one of the main contributors to dogtemperament.com. He has been an avid dog lover all his life. He enjoys researching and sharing great ideas on how you can avoid common pitfalls of dog ownership and build the most loving and enjoyable relationship with your dog.