Best sofa material for house with dogs?? (floor, color, porch)

[World Citizen]

Yep. Quality Leather.... but even quality leather begins to look more than just "distressed" if you wash it too many times.

But, after going through 3 quality leather sofas in about 10 years I have a real appreciation for the throw on the couch idea. Not only does it protect the sofa.. it's washable. And, if you lay on the couch and watch tv... it's more comfortable to lay on than leather.

This winter I hope to find the time to make a more european style slipcover for my sofa... something that is still washable but looks like it's meant to be there.

My lab is asleep on the sofa right now. Laying on his back with his feet in the air.

[calel]

I have a sofa with removable cushions. That way there's the everyday side that gets beat up & absorbs pet hair that the vacuum won't remove and then the perfectly presentable guest side to the cushions.

[grannynancy]

I am amazed at how short a lifespan folks are getting on leather sofas with dogs.

I have dogs but they are not allowed on the sofa.......my sofas are currently 16 years old and the only problem is the largest one is sagging in the middle a little bit - sofa used every day, including teens much of the time.

Not running down the choice but it does seem to really shorten the life of the sofa.

[World Citizen]

Originally Posted by grannynancy

I am amazed at how short a lifespan folks are getting on leather sofas with dogs.

I have dogs but they are not allowed on the sofa.......my sofas are currently 16 years old and the only problem is the largest one is sagging in the middle a little bit - sofa used every day, including teens much of the time.

Not running down the choice but it does seem to really shorten the life of the sofa.

Wow. 16 years!

In my particular case it's probably because I choose to have cream colored leather. With cream, it begins to get gray and splotchy after a while - especially if you wash it frequently. Darker colors of leather would certainly be a better choice with dogs but it wouldn't go with my room.

[gold*dust1]

Leather for me all the way, but then I have 2 toy breeds.

[eggalegga]

I have leather sofa & loveseat upstairs and slipcovered sofa & loveseat downstairs. Slipcovers are 3 months old, leather couches are 8 years old. I think the leather couches are holding up very well. I bought dark gray so as to not show wear from human or dog. I saw what my niece's cream colored leather couches looked like after a few kids and a few years and knew I should buy a darker color than she did.

I have an 11 pound dachshund/toy poodle mix. I have to make sure I file her nails after I clip them. She has a doggy door and on more than one occasion has come in and jumped on the couches with wet/muddy feet. It's easy to clean up the leather and as for the slipcovers, I just throw the cushion covers in the washer. It's nice that the slipcovers are two piece.

I also had my aunt sew a sofa cover for the top of my leather sofa. It protects the top from wet paws & my dogs toenails. My dog perches up there like a cat and looks out the window. My aunt tailored the cover so that it doesn't easily slip off. Oh, and it's washable.

[World Citizen]

Since this thread started I ordered some fabric to make washable slipcovers for my leather couch and chair.

Now, I just have to sit down and do it!

[bigcats]

I am sorry, with all due resppect for the posters but buying a couch "for dogs" and living with "some ugly rag over furniture except when company comes" seems rather submissive [former], and miserable [latter]. Don't we pet owners need to establish a sense of who is the boss in a household with dogs?

Yep, I'm the boss in the house (at least of the dog, "boss" doesn't apply to cats) and I sure do want my dog on the sofa. What good is having a sofa if you can't cuddle your dog on it? What good is having a dog if you can't cuddle her on the sofa? So I sit right down on the sofa and I tell Nelly "Come!" and I expect her to obey me and jump right up! And she's just so obedient that she does it.

I don't do leather, so I have no comments about that. But I've had very good luck in my house, currently consisting of 9 cats and a small dog, with a good quality heavy tweed like material (with "Sticky Paws" on the upright edges for the cats) and a cheap canvas sofa from IKEA in my last house. The IKEA one would still be useful if it hadn't been cream colored. More than half a decade of foster kittens throwing up on it caused its demise. Since it was cheap, I felt like I more than got my money's worth.

I do the throw too, usually draped over the back of the sofa where the cats like to lie. It helps with hair. It's not ugly. It actually helps with decor because you can get a throw that matches your style, whereas most sofas are pretty neutral.

Oh, I have a microfiber ottoman. It's no good with the pets really. It's the hair that's the issue. It's a hair magnet.

[World Citizen]

Originally Posted by bigcats

Yep, I'm the boss in the house (at least of the dog, "boss" doesn't apply to cats) and I sure do want my dog on the sofa. What good is having a sofa if you can't cuddle your dog on it? What good is having a dog if you can't cuddle her on the sofa? So I sit right down on the sofa and I tell Nelly "Come!" and I expect her to obey me and jump right up! And she's just so obedient that she does it.

I do the throw too, usually draped over the back of the sofa where the cats like to lie. It helps with hair. It's not ugly. It actually helps with decor because you can get a throw that matches your style, whereas most sofas are pretty neutral.

Oh, I have a microfiber ottoman. It's no good with the pets really. It's the hair that's the issue. It's a hair magnet.

I agree. I can't imagine watching television without at least one dog curled up with me!

I got my first leather sofa when I had an American Eskimo dog.... American Eskimos are known for how much they shed....

Hair doesn't stick to leather.

[samstersmom]

I had a denim sofa and I never had a problem. The sofa was an off-white and it was treated with something to guard against stains. Microfiber is the worst. I had that years ago and my other dog's fur would cling on to it like a magnet. I was always vacuuming that couch.