Dog owners…

[Happyinheels]

Hello! A strange question I know but I feel you are the best placed people to help me!

I have a black Labrador who I love dearly! However! I’ve had to take the carpet up in the living room - it doesn’t matter how clean I think I get him after a muddy walk, the carpet was trashed.

What flooring can you lovely people recommend please? It’s the living room, needs to be washable yet still warm. Also, my in laws have laminate and he can’t walk on it at all, just skates all over.

Currently it’s bare floor boards - I can’t sand them etc as it’s too cold with the footings underneath. Also, they’re not in the best condition.

Thank you 🙏

Washable rugs and rubbing paws, legs and tums when they come home.

I have laminate and two big chunky rugs with anti-slip stickers, and whilst my greyhounds had to get used to it, they quickly adapted and learnt not to run around corners. You can get machine washable rugs if you need to clean yours regularly, I use a foot washer if mine have really grubby feet, and take my biggest rug (that doesn’t fit in the washing machine) outside and use a vax carpet shampooer on it once or twice a year.

We had Amtico in the lounge at our last house and put Karndean down here in the hall and kitchen. No slipping problems with either.
They do love a carpet though for rolling around and sleeping on. Lounge has a lovely new carpet but they don’t access that straight from outside and usually evenings.
As a PP says a good clean up after walks. We have an old washing up bowl with warm water and shampoo then a powerful dog hair drier and brush.

I have a lot of dogs so carpet is just not doable for me. I have tiles and machine washable rugs.

I have commercial flooring stuff which is all sorts of 'proof' but doggo has been struggling. I bought a washable rug, which she is loving.

I have wooden floors ( real wood overlaid on the original floorboards) plus rugs.
When we moved here, the beige carpets took quite a beating, but it was always the plan to replace them

I do have carpet on the stairs.

I also have a Vax carpet cleaner, and I shampoo the rugs every few months.

I had two labs ( also black, just love those shiny coats), and my , now late, older boy, did struggle if he strayed off the rugs, so I had to add extra rugs latterly.

We are pretty strict about using the back door into the utility/boot room. Paws washed, coats rubbed down with wipes as needed; dog robes when wet.

I no longer ask quests to take their shoes off downstairs as it feels a bit rude given the dog paws.

Amtico and a rug.

We have a dog cleaning area in the boot room so we can clean the worst of the mud off the hounds before they enter the drawing room

Hose and then a good towelling if he really is as filthy as that. Re carpets can't understand why you have taken such a drastic step. Wait till dry, then vacuum. A labrador isn’t really a suitable breed for those who need neat homes. How are you coping with the rear mounted wrecking wand, for example?

As others said either Amitico or Karndean, then rugs.

@Wordsmy home isn’t neat??? It’s a very lived in home. I never said anything even remotely like that! And thanks for the advice about waiting for it to dry and then juts hoovering - I mean, life changing advice. I just left it. And left it. And never ever thought to ever hoover it?? And so then I thought I’d just rip it up…

To everyone else, thank you for the advice and replies.

The carpet was a very light colour - not put in by me - and had been down the 20+ years I’ve lived here. It was hanging on. Obviously I shower the dog, towel him etc.

I just think a cream carpet and a black lab don’t really work well together.

Ok, sorry 😬

I've got textured LVT in the hall, kitchen, utility and conservatory which 2 previous dogs and current pup have been fine on.

Dining room has laminate, which previous dogs struggled on. Pup is okay, but only tiny so who knows.

Meant to add a picture of the LVT (pup had cereal box with some kibble in to play with).

We have floors for paws textured LVT. We had the floor levelled and then this down. 8yrs later and it is as good as new. We love it as do our DDogs

www.floorsforpaws.com/

Not flooring I'm afraid, but I highly recommend Turtle dirt trapper mats, as big as you can fit. Get at least 2 so you can swap them round for washing.

https://www.turtlemat.co.uk/?srsltid=AYCX9vIU2JQoOJ-6KXmcZ_jB_mKkyMPhYvjk-cRh0KJ2YLb2YV4A-uEA

And this towelling dog robe. Expensive, but very absorbent, and with a lovely thick piece under the tummy.

https://ruffandtumbledogcoats.com/collections/dog-drying-coats?srsltid=AYCX9vImsQTyU7iM5uZak_Jdz_YLj_Q5MUnH6B13c7eNsRp3IDE53VuO

Game changers!

Cream carpet rarely stays nice for anyone, and is definitely a disaster with a dog!

I have one of these for muddy feet, and a large cotton rug in my kitchen, so they have to walk over that before they get to the living room floor. It reduces the transfer of muck, but I’m still always amazed at how much ‘dust’ is under the rugs and sofa throws from such close coated dogs as greyhounds, so I suspect your lab carries even more!

@Happyinheels I think you are right, the two just don’t mix. My friend, who is as fastidious as they come, somehow decided that white carpet and a white couch were suitable with a chocolate Labrador. Despite her Herculean, multiple times daily cleaning attempts, a year later and both are being replaced because she cannot cope with the discolouration.

I'm now rethinking my plans to revamp my lounge in a teal colourway and teal sofas - having recently acquired a golden cocker spaniel puppy.

I was thinking I'd wait another year until she is out of the worst of the chewing stages, but I'd forgotten about colours and shedding!

Last dog was a blue roan, so we had both black and white shedding.
As well as the muddy paws.

@Happyinheels Not a strange question at all, we deal with muddy paws every single day so you're in the right place! Honestly I'd go for luxury vinyl plank — it's warm underfoot if you put a good underlay down, totally waterproof so muddy prints just wipe straight up, and you can get it with a textured finish which gives dogs proper grip so no skating around like on laminate. Bare floorboards with cold air underneath sounds miserable so anything will be an upgrade! Whatever you go for, chuck a washable rug with non-slip backing where he likes to nap, since hard floors aren't great for their joints long term. Good luck, I'm sure he'll put it to the test within a day!

I've looked at getting this, so its good to hear it's as good as they say.
We are putting in cork tiles from our conservatory through the kitchen as it's slightly soft, warm, and easy to clean, but in the living room I'd like floors for paws and then have a large rug where the sofas are.