"They know it's us, Jenna. Deny everything! God damnit Jenna; you're going to give us away!"

Dogs are everywhere!

In fact, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AMVA), 36.5% of American households have a dog.

And I've seen them all. 

From the tiniest toy dogs that fit in the palm of your hand to 200lb St. Bernards whose slobber is enough to drench the cat.  

One of the most common questions I get:

"So, what's the best type of flooring for dogs?"

While certain kinds of flooring are better suited to most dogs, the more accurate answer is...

It all depends on your lifestyle!

When buying flooring for your home and dog, it's essential to understand what you're getting. That way, everybody wins - your home, dog, and yourself.

I've ranked each flooring type based on my overall experiences as a flooring specialist for over 19 years.

So here's what I'd like you to do....

After I walk you through each type of flooring, apply this information to your dog. That way, you will know which floor is right for you.

The 3 Crucial Factors

Okay, no matter what anyone tells you, every type of flooring has its pros and cons.

Yes, some are more suited to dogs, but overall, a one-size-fits-all floor for dogs doesn't exist. It will depend on: 

"Then I Peed On Her Floors! N..I Laughed N Laughed!"

1. The Type Of Dog You Have

This is pretty straightforward.

Larger dogs tend to be tougher on floors than smaller ones because everything they do is bigger.

They are heavier, pee more (although I have seen small dogs that pee like freak fire hydrants), shed more, have bigger nails, drool more, and get sick, so they could literally puke the size of a small dog out.

Understanding this alone can save you a lot of future frustrations.

If you have a 10lb Pomeranian and you're concerned it will destroy your hardwood floors, it won't.

Now, if you have a 100lb goofy Weimaraner with talons that runs around your home like Bambi on ice, that's another story.

2. Your Dog's Behavior 

Although I do flooring for a living, I have a real passion for dogs.

So, I get somewhat disappointed when I see owners who do not have a clue about how to handle them.

Look, you know your dog best - does it behave or not?

Will it listen when verbally corrected? Or does it stare at you like you owe it money then goes back to tearing apart your carpet?

A well-balanced dog will respect you and your home and, as a result, your floors.

One that eats, pees, sleeps, and walks whenever and wherever it wants is a dog that will probably give you many more problems than just your floors.

If you want to help to correct your dog's "bad" behaviors, check out Adrienne Farricelli's training.

3. Maintenance

This is just basic common sense.

Don't live like a star from the series Hoarders.

Regularly maintain your floors based on their type and, if possible, follow the manufacturer's specifications. Surface dirt and dust are the leading causes of dulling your floor's appearance.

Other measures you can take to protect your floors:

• Trim your dog's nails
• Use area rugs
• Use furniture leg protectors
• Avoid dragging heavy items across it.

Only use approved floor cleaners for regular maintenance.

The Flooring Ratings

1. Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring is specifically built to take a beating.

There's a very good reason why laminate flooring manufacturers include dogs and kids in much of their advertising. That's precisely who it's made for.

We're talking about soccer cleats, Tonka trucks, dogs, toys, pet accidents, and anything else an active lifestyle can throw at it.

It's true that laminate flooring is significantly louder than hardwood since it is a floating floor. However, superior laminate products and upgraded acoustic-type pads now exist, so sound absorption is better than ever.

One of the main advantages of laminate flooring is that you do not have to worry about what your dog will do to it.

It's:

• Resilient enough to withstand plenty of impact, dog nails, and pet accidents well.
• Great looking with today's technology - often, an untrained eye cannot tell the difference between it and hardwood.
• Fade, scratch, stain, and fade-resistant

Just make sure you get a reputable brand like Mannington, Shaw, or Mohawk.

The cheap/budget brands, quite frankly, aren't worth the money paid for them.

The main disadvantage is that it is noticeably louder than glue-down products. Also, your dog may find it slippery if it loves to run around your home. If this is a concern for you, avoid it or look into a textured option.

Otherwise, enjoy the show! 😂

Textured / hand-scraped products mimic natural wood and offer you and your dog better traction than the traditional smooth finish.

So today's laminate does not only look like natural wood; they act like it too.

Recommended for: Any dog alive.

2. Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring

I want you to completely forget about everything you have known about vinyl floors in the past. They are the fastest-growing market segment in the flooring industry today!

Why?

Because they have come a long way in terms of looks, style, technology, and overall performance.

They are now the go-to choice for many contractors and homeowners when furnishing homes, apartments, townhomes, retail stores, and other applications. 

They come in many different styles, but the most popular right now are luxury vinyl planks (LVP) and luxury vinyl tiles (LVT).

Vinyl flooring for dogs brings a lot of advantages. They are:

• Resilient
• Very easy to clean
• Stain, fade, and scratch-resistant,
• Inexpensive to repair
• Waterproof.

Water, pee, vomit, drool, or feces won't do a darn thing to them.

I have installed plenty of this stuff all over Dallas-Fort Worth in commercial and residential settings, and it's worked out fabulous for the client.

It's not all sunshine and rainbows, however.

While installing vinyl plank flooring in your home may be great for you and your dog, it will not increase the value of your home in any way. Just do your homework first, but if this is not an issue, this is an excellent floor for any dog.

Luxury vinyl flooring comes in two categories:

1. SPC (stone polymer composite)
2. WPC (wood polymer composite)
   

I highly recommend a WPC over an SPC because it has more "give" and is not as hard on the joints. Stone composites are specifically made for commercial applications and are considerably harder underfoot. 

They come in both glue-down and click products, and the click goes in most residential homes.

Recommended for: Light dogs, dogs whose nails are regularly trimmed, and well-behaved pups who would rather dig outside than inside.

3. Hardwood Flooring

"I Assamed. So, So Assamed."

One of the biggest issues I encounter is dogs and hardwood flooring—more specifically, large dogs who run in the house!

Homeowners often ask me if their dog will scratch their wood floors.

If they are old, calm, or casually lumber around the house, then no. It is doubtful that they are going to scratch your wood floors.

However, if they are very high energy and act like they are on crack, then yes, their nails will scratch your wood floors.

Most dogs do very well with hardwood floors as long as their nails are maintained and they are reasonably well-behaved.

Being a natural product, all hardwood will eventually scratch; it's just a matter of when.

Think of it this way: If your bundle of joy is running on your wood floor, at one point in time, when it's built up enough momentum, all of its weight is resting on its front nails. That's a lot of weight digging into the floor.

There's plenty of upside, though, to wood floors.

The harder species like hickory, maple, pecan, and Brazilian family (teak, walnut, and cherry) are more resilient than most other woods.

Quick Tip: Hand-scraped/distressed wood floors tend to hide imperfections a lot better than smooth finish or glossy ones.

Since the wear layer of wood flooring, whether engineered or solid, contains a protective layer of aluminum oxide or polyurethane, it doesn't absorb pet accidents like carpet does, so it's super easy to clean up.

Wood floors are also hypoallergenic and do not absorb dust and dog hair like carpet, so they're much easier to keep looking newer for longer. Plus, they add good value to your home.

Recommended for: Small-medium dogs, dogs whose claws are regularly trimmed, and well-behaved pups who would rather dig outside than inside.

4 & 5. Tile & Stone Flooring

Let me make a very clear distinction between tile and natural stone. Both are vastly different materials and behave very differently toward dogs.

Glazed porcelain tile is the most indestructible flooring you can buy.

It wouldn't matter if you had a herd of stallions. The worst thing your dog could do to this kind of floor is stain the grout lines.

You can even minimize that by making the grout lines as small as possible. Just talk to your installer about the narrowest width for your tile. Make sure to seal them afterward or use pre-sealed grout.

This type of floor is exceptionally dense and hard, so nothing goes wrong with it. It's fired at a very high temperature, resulting in a product that's not only hard but impervious to moisture. Its water absorption rate is so low that some are even frostproof.

It's virtually impossible to scratch, stain, or damage.

I used to demonstrate this by running a screwdriver across the tile. Clients would see the sparks flying, yet not a scratch would appear on its surface.

Your dog will not hurt a glazed porcelain tile.

They install this type of material in shopping malls and airports, which should give you an idea of its resilience. It's also super easy to clean, provided the surface is somewhat smooth.

As visually stunning as it can be, natural stone, on the other hand, is a different story.

It's relatively soft, porous, and susceptible to damage.

It absorbs everything, so unless your floor is very well sealed, I wouldn't recommend this kind of floor for dogs with weak bladders and stomachs. They can easily scratch or stain it, and once their vomit or pee has penetrated the stone, you will need to replace that tile because it's not coming out.

We both know high-quality natural stone is not cheap! 

Both materials are relatively hard on human and dog joints. Hence, if your dog has arthritis and you get this kind of floor, be sure to furnish plenty of area rugs and give it its own allocated bed or adequately cushioned area to lay down on. 

Glazed Porcelain Recommended for: Any healthy dog with no joint issues.

Natural Stone Recommended for: NOT RECOMMENDED.

6. Carpet

Ok, on the face of it, this option appears to be the very worst for dog owners, especially if their dog pees and/or vomits a lot since it absorbs pretty quickly.  

A low-grade carpet is the worst possible flooring for dogs, no doubt about it. They easily stain it and chew it like a toy.

However, better-quality carpets like Mohawk's stain-proof SmartStrand have no exclusion warranties, meaning they cover items typically not covered by lower grades.

Things such as...pet vomit, pet urine, blood, and other things you hope don't visit your carpet anytime soon. It is by far the most comprehensive pet protection warranty in the industry.

Also, never underestimate the value of a high-quality carpet shampooer.

Take a look at the very best ones and read the reviews of dog owners who managed to get every last trace of their pet accidents out with their cleaner. The accompanying pictures in those reviews are very impressive.

I can personally attest to how great these cleaners are in returning carpets to pristine condition. It just takes regular maintenance, and you'll be okay.

A good carpet cleaner will also extract all remaining remnants of impurities from the carpet backing, so it doesn't leak into the carpet pad. Once that happens, you pretty much have to replace your carpet.

When the pad is soaked with pet urine and other contaminants, the smell can be so bad that it punches you right in the face!

If you're going down this route, get a stain-proof carpet like the one mentioned above and insist on a pet pad with a moisture barrier to prevent accidents from getting into it.

The main advantages of carpet

✅ Unsurpassed comfort

✅ Soft on joints for both you and your fur buddy.

✅ Warm in the winter

✅ Less expensive compared to other types of flooring.

The downside of carpet is it absorbs more dirt, debris, and stains than other types of flooring and is harder on those with allergies since it holds more dust.

Recommended for: Dogs that are house trained, have minimal health issues, and shed little.

"I'm Not Guilty. Sun In My Eyes."

7. Cork Flooring

Cork flooring is an excellent choice for some dogs. It's softer than any other floor except carpet and has more give than other surfaces. Hence, it's easy on the joints, super easy to clean, hypoallergenic, and very eco-friendly.

Because it's a softer material, it's pleasant to walk on, with a very light underfoot vibe. This makes it perfect for elderly folks and dogs with joint problems.

It's also suitable for any small dog since they are not heavy enough to cause significant damage.

Its natural acoustic properties also allow it to absorb sound much better than other flooring types. So, if you're after peace and quiet, you won't get a better floor.

Its properties also give it a built-in temperature control quality—it absorbs heat readily in the winter, so it's noticeably warmer than tile or laminate but surprisingly cooler in summer.

This is due to it wanting to remain at room temperature.

The major drawback, of course, is that cork is very soft and easily damaged. Not only by larger, more active dogs but also from everyday wear and tear, such as moving furniture, equipment like wheelchairs and walking aids, high heels, and even a stone caught in the shoe, it can be dented. 

Manufacturers have caught onto this significant concern. So you see now that a good portion of cork made today are heavily distressed and patterned to disguise imperfections in the floor once installed.

Overall, it is not the ideal floor for larger dogs, but it has its particular purpose for smaller ones.

Recommended for: Smaller dogs with relatively sedentary owners who entertain little.

Final Thoughts

There's no one-size-fits-all when it comes to flooring and your dog.

I've ranked them in order of what I felt was overall performance vs. value for money.

Of course, some flooring types are better suited to dogs than others, so it's going to depend on your circumstances and the kind of dog you have.

If I had to choose, I'd rank laminate flooring slightly ahead of the vinyl plank as the best flooring for dogs.  Vinyl's waterproof properties, however, may put it ahead in many folk's eyes.

Stay clear of natural stones like marble and slate, as these will give you a lot of problems.

Your dogs will pee, puke and shit all over them, and it'll be impossible to remove any stains. The only way to get rid of such accidents is to replace the tile, and you don't want to be constantly doing that.

Although laminate is loud and can be slippery, purchasing a higher-quality acoustic pad and laminate product can offset these issues.

It also handles dog and household demands well, all while looking fabulous and lasting longer. This overall assessment is based on trends and observations rather than specific recommendations. 

In the end, you know your home and dog best.

Use good practice and commonsense, such as cleaning your floors with approved cleaners and trimming your dog's nails. Do that, and your floor will perform as it was designed. 

I hope this guide has helped you set your course for your new flooring purchase.

If you are in the Dallas / Fort Worth area and would like an estimate on your project, please connect with me here.