Dogs VS carpet... Never had carpet at home and need advice! (clean, cleaning)

[cuquitina]

Hi!

I've got so many dogs and we are being relocated from Southern Europe to Dallas.
Here where we live now, no one has carpet at home, not even many rugs. So... I'm not used to carpet cleaning, and the simple idea of having light colored carpet all around the house plus 3 of my dogs going around scares me so much!

This may sound quite simple, but I need some advice on what kind of products or procedures you use if your dogs for any reason pee where they are not suposed to, how about dog's hair...

I guess I will have to change my way of living a little and not allow them to follow me all around the house at least during the first months...

ANy help will be very appreciated, TIA!!

[latetotheparty]

any possibility of replacing the carpet with hard surface flooring??

[cuquitina]

Well, that's what I first thought, but husband doesn't want to remove carpet from bedrooms, game and media rooms.

For what I've seen, most houses got different flooring all around the house: kitchen has tile, formal dining room hardwood, entrance ceramic tile too... and maybe living room with carpet, too.

I'm used to marble and ceramic tile floors downstairs and hardwood upstairs but weather here never goes under 50 during winter, so houses are built and made very different

[subject2change]

I use a small carpet cleaner called Bissell Little Green for cleaning up small areas. It works pretty well. They have a cleaning solution to put in it that's especially made for pet stains. We just moved last year and we have a list of things we're working on. Eventually I'd like to take up the carpet and refinish the hardwood floors. It's just easier to keep clean in general, especially with animals.

[Dogmama50]

Get a great vacuum, there is a thread somewhere in the dog forum about good vacuums for dog hair. I'm amazed what comes out of my carpet every week, not just dog fur, but dirt. I also have a small carpet cleaner (bissell powerbrush). It only takes a few minutes to clean up dog and human messes with it.

[Niftybergin]

I've lived on light-colored carpets for all of Bandit's life (10 years) and we've never had any trouble. Ensure your dog is house-trained. Take your shoes off when you come in. Be prepared to wipe paws on rainy days. Steer him clear of obvious muddy spots when you're out. Vacuum weekly. Spot clean when necessary -- immediately! Simple Solution works great! Buy or borrow a carpet steam cleaner and use it once or twice a year.

I know we're in the minority, but Bandit and much prefer carpet over hard-surfaced floors.

[bbekity]

You could also possibly train your dogs to stay out of the rooms with carpet. My sister in law managed to train her dogs to avoid the livingroom and dining room and walk around on the tile instead. I hate carpeting!