Best sofa material for house with dogs??

[jersey86]

i say buy a used but still nice sofa online.....cheaper, and you wont be upset if it doesnt last as long as something you spent a LOT more for! slipcovers work wonders. my mom bought a denim sectional and she loves that sofa...easy to clean, durable, removable pillow/cushion covers, and hides any color fur.

[mirjaja]

Leather is the only option, but you have to buy one made of really good, thick leather. If the topgrain is thin, it will scratch or dog nails will go through it. If it is not dyed all the way through, the scratches will show up dramatically.

I love my dogs dearly, but I don't let them up on my furniture. I personally think it is plain ol' gross when people let their pets up on fabric couches. That isn't exactly sanitary, nor is is likely that the couch is getting steam cleaned every month or two to ensure that it doesn't stink. If your best friend walked into your house with muddy feet, dropped their drawers and proceeded to rub their feet all over your carpet and their dirty arse all over your sofa - you would call them a pig, and throw them out of your house with explicit instructions to never return. Somehow though, pet owners think this behavious is acceptable from their pets. I just don't get that at all. Spend $30 and get them a giant dog bed from Costco - put one in every room if you have to.

[oldisnew]

Originally Posted by mirjaja

Leather is the only option, but you have to buy one made of really good, thick leather. If the topgrain is thin, it will scratch or dog nails will go through it. If it is not dyed all the way through, the scratches will show up dramatically.

I love my dogs dearly, but I don't let them up on my furniture. I personally think it is plain ol' gross when people let their pets up on fabric couches. That isn't exactly sanitary, nor is is likely that the couch is getting steam cleaned every month or two to ensure that it doesn't stink. If your best friend walked into your house with muddy feet, dropped their drawers and proceeded to rub their feet all over your carpet and their dirty arse all over your sofa - you would call them a pig, and throw them out of your house with explicit instructions to never return. Somehow though, pet owners think this behavious is acceptable from their pets. I just don't get that at all. Spend $30 and get them a giant dog bed from Costco - put one in every room if you have to.

Hello...thank you! No kidding. Yep, some people like to curl up with a pooch on the sofa for a flick, popcorn, dog hair, flea eggs, e. coli, vermin, mudd-covered almonds n all... it's all the rage in middle-america, apparently. And that ol'rageddy drag of a rag on back of the c-ouch, the one you toss in the broom closet as the visitors walk up to the porch light, you know, THAT one you adore but can't show off to your friends... all that just says "my dog owns me free and clear".
To each its own. Madness.

mirjaja, I like your no nonsensical ways, I say.

[Decorchallenged]

I think like everything else in life, people should enjoy any activity they like, as long as they remain mindful of how it affects others.

I enjoy holding my dogs. I want them to cuddle up with me. They join me on the couch because that is where I WANT them, not because they demand to be allowed on the couch. The dogs do leave an odor and fur, so I change my couch blanket weekly. I understand that not everyone is comfortable sitting on a blanket that the dogs have been on, even if I just washed it the day before. So when I have guests I either remove the blanket or direct the guest/s to sit elsewhere.

I don’t “hide” my blanket anywhere, lol. I neatly fold it and put it on the floor for the dogs (since they won’t be getting on the couch until the blanket is back on it). I just had new covers made for all of my couch cushions and I am having several “couch covers” made to match. One side of the cover will have couch fabric and underneath it will have lining made from a waterproof mattress pad. That way, there is no chance of the doggy odor getting through the waterproof liner and “into” the new cushions. A weekly washing will be sufficient.

[NorasMom]

My dog scratched up my mother's leather sofa :-(
Does anyone now how I can fix it? She dug a den...

I like having my dog on the sofa too, but the chenille just collects her hair. Now I use fleece blankets as throws. I wish I could have a nice sofa (mine really needs to be replaced) - but I'm afraid to get anything new because of this digging! Oh well...at least with a fleece blanket I can change my sofa color all the time...(sometimes she chews the blanket though)

[cstleddy]

We had a Natuzzi with their top grade leather. It was anoline sp? dyed - same color dye through and through. so when we had scratches, they were not noticeable. It was cream colored and more than anything, we (humans) wore out the center seat after 13 years by wearing jeans with rivets, etc. Blue dye from the denim transferred onto the cream leather and the rivets wore the leather in places. Our designer connected us with a leather repair expert to took the whole cushion and repaired it. He told us this would not be possible with such great results if it were not anoline dyed. He only had to enhance the color, sort of like a clear coat, rather than trying to match the dye or creating a whole new leather piece.