Having a dog at home is not only a wonderful experience but also a huge responsibility for any dog owner. Being completely dependent on its owner, one can't afford to give them anything less than the best flooring for dogs. And when it comes to adding flooring to the home, one has to consider whether the dog would be comfortable walking on it. But with so many flooring options available around, it becomes very difficult to decide a flooring that not only your family will enjoy but at the same time will be a pleasant underfoot for your dog to walk on.
Depending upon the dog's size, health and habits like scratching, digging, and urinating indoors, pet flooring requirements may vary. For instance, larger dogs have more potential to damage the flooring with their nails digging in the floor while small dogs can damage wood flooring but not that much. Hence, before deciding what is the best flooring for dogs, let us first consider the pros and cons of different flooring materials for dogs.
Flooring Materials for Dogs
Ceramic Tile and Stone
Though ceramic tile and stone are basically impervious to claw scratches and potential damage, looks good throughout the year and are easy to clean, they are not very comfortable for the pets to lie on. Moreover, for older dogs, ceramic tile and stone can be slippery, causing pain and injury to their joints.
Bamboo flooring
Solid wood or bamboo flooring isn't very scratch or stain resistance as stone or tile, but applying a hard urethane finish can somehow understate the damage. Moreover, some wood products come pre-finished and have durability to withstand damage claws and nails. However, they are not very comfortable for the pets to lie on, but this problem can be solved by covering a few areas with rugs or carpets.
Laminated Flooring
Though laminated floors can very well resist scratching, they can be hard and very slippery for dogs. Hence, they are considered to be one of the most non recommended options for people with dogs. Moreover, they are not even very comfortable to rest upon, hence one has to invest in some rugs or carpets.
Best Flooring for Dogs
After reading through other options, one can say as a pet friendly flooring, hardwood floors offer maximum benefits. They provide a smooth, flat surface, which is easy to clean, that too without leaving any smell or trace, especially if you wipe up soon after your pet has urinated or defecated. But if you have a large dog with an obsessive digging habit, you may have to worry about your hardwood flooring being scratched. In this case, you should opt for flooring made of oak and maple, the two hardest wood that can survive any kind of scratching or straining.
Choose hardwood flooring with many layers of a proven durable finish like urethane with aluminum oxide, to increase the durability and longevity of the flooring. This finish should be maintained regularly by cleaning and applying sanded and single-coated to restore luster, that may get lost by scratching paws. Also hardwood flooring is not as cold as stone or ceramic tile floors, and so dogs prefer to lay on it rather than on carpets in the summer months.
Hence, whatever flooring type you choose, you can overcome the different problems by keeping the dog's nails trimmed. And to avoid any smell or trace, sweep or vacuum the floor weekly, and wipe up any stains or spills instantly. I hope the aforementioned information on best flooring for dogs proves to helpful to you all dog lovers.
