Let's face it - when you get a dog, you have to accept that your home won't be completely clean all the time. They are going to wander in, tracking in mud as they go.
They will jump up on your furniture and their claws will get caught, pulling out loose threads. But that's just part of the challenge of being a dog owner!
One of the worst things is when your dog comes and jumps onto the couch, getting water, mud, and fur all over it. That's because couches are notoriously hard to clean.
It's not like you can just pop a couch in the washing machine. You can vacuum it, but that only does so much; it's not an effective remedy for getting rid of dirt.
Whether it's vacuuming between the cracks or washing the mud off, having pets on your couch can create a lot of work for you to do. Avoid creating extra work for yourself by selecting a fantastic couch.
Some couches are better than others for your precious pooch, more durable materials such as leather and tight weave are better for both fur and better for strength and resilience.
Certain types can be easily wiped down or are less likely to get fur stuck in them. So, what's the best type? Leather, microfiber, fabric? Let's take a look at some options you should consider and which ones to avoid.
First, we'll go over some couch options which are not so great for your pets. You don't want to spend all day scrubbing down a couch that's never going to get clean. Here are the sofas that pet owners should avoid.
Any couch featuring an open weave fabric is not great for your pets. That's because fur gets trapped in the weave of the fabric and doesn't want to come out. Even if you have a fantastic vacuum cleaner, you will find it extremely difficult to get all the fur out of your furniture.
Also, open weave fabrics can easily get caught on claws of your pup, so they are likely to last for a shorter time. They will slowly start unravelling the more your pet jumps on them.
That will make it look worse and worse over time, so there's no point in choosing an open weave fabric unless you plan on keeping your pet off the furniture.
Suede offers a luxurious look for your home. However, it's not often used by those with children or pets for a reason!
Suede is well-known as a high maintenance material, making it an unsuitable choice for pet owners. You know how you shouldn't wear suede boots in the rain? Well, dogs coming in out of the rain all wet and muddy, and jumping on your couch won't work out well either.
Although the fabric is durable, those water spots will likely last forever on your furniture. Unfortunately, they will quickly start to look shabby. Suede sofas are a wonderful look in many homes but those with pets should definitely avoid them.
Velvet used to be an old-fashioned couch fabric but it has recently come back into vogue. This is because of its beautiful colour-holding properties and lush feel.
However, it's not a good choice when you have pets. This one may seem pretty obvious, but if you have a dog, don't go for any high maintenance fabrics such as velvet. Velvet seems to be a magnet for hair and fur.
If you have a dog and a velvet couch, you will soon find your sofa completely smothered in fur. Unless you want to continuously be vacuuming your couch, stay away from velvet.
Plus, if the dog gets any mud on it, you will likely have to get the sofa professionally cleaned. Or you may just have to give up and get a brand new couch...
Now, let's talk about which fabrics are fantastic if you have pets. These fabrics are ideal for your canine companions because they are much easier to wash or wipe down than the fabrics described above.
They won't look tarnished as quickly and can withstand a lot more of the rough and tumble that comes with dog ownership.
Are leather couches good for dogs? Spoiler alert, getting a leather sofa is the best choice by far. Leather is easy to clean which is why it is beloved by many pet owners. It is easy to wipe off any pet hair that gets on there as there is nowhere for it to get trapped.
Leather is good because it's highly durable and your pet's claws can't snag on it either. Get a real leather sofa if you want it to last the distance.
Although these are more expensive, they will certainly last you for a long time, even if you have lots of pets in the house.
Leather is also a modern, elegant choice to match the design of your home interior. A leather couch would look fabulous in most homes.
Using outdoor furniture can be another fantastic option. Often, the bases are made of wicker which is easy to clean.
The fabric cushion covers are usually removable and washable, which means that you won't need to spend lots of time vacuuming your sofa.
Either keep your dog on the sofa outside, or there is lots of lovely furniture made for the outdoors which would also look fabulous inside your home.
You won't need to compromise on style to have a sofa that your pet will also like. Just choose carefully and you could have an outdoor sofa that no one will ever realise was made for the outdoors!
The tighter the fabric weave of your sofa is, the less likely your dog's claws will get stuck in it. This can help the sofa to last for longer. Some good examples of tight weave fabrics include denim, canvas, and microfiber.
You likely don't want a couch made of denim, so we suggest going for a great microfiber option.
Selecting a darker colour for your furniture can also hide a myriad of stains, fur, and mud that your dog tracks into the home. Beware though, that even if you choose tight weave fabrics, these can't be washed as easily as leather or outdoor furniture.
You will likely still need to have these professionally cleaned from time to time. However, if you're willing to do that, then this could be a good choice.
Perhaps you would like to buy a leather couch that would be better for your dogs, but you just can't afford it right now. In this case, the best option is to buy a couch cover in a durable fabric such as microfiber.
Cover up your precious furniture so that your dog can still enjoy lying on the couch with you.
The great thing about having a sofa cover is that microfiber fabric covers can simply be thrown in the washing machine. Maybe purchase two so that you're covered between washes.
That way you can keep pet hair off your furniture and enjoy still having a good sofa in your home. You could also use a good old-fashioned blanket for your pets to lie on, but this will provide less protection for your furniture than a cover.