Whether you have pets and are in the market for a new home or remodeling your present one, flooring is a crucial part of the process. You might think it’s impossible to find the flooring that fits your aesthetic preferences and is safe for your pets, but the reality is that there are many possibilities available.

What type of flooring is best for dogs? Read on to find out how to select new flooring that suits your taste and will handle the wear and strain that comes with owning dogs, or check out the infographic below for a visual breakdown of the topic.

Vinyl flooring is arguably the best type of flooring for homes with pets. It is durable, cost-effective, waterproof, and easy to clean. Ceramic and porcelain tile are also popular choices for pet owners due to their durability and range of styles.

Video: Best floors if you have pets

Other articles Select Hardwood Flooring and Lay Laminate Wood Flooring

A Guide for Pet Owners on the Best Flooring for Dogs

Choosing the best pet-friendly flooring as a pet owner necessitates making certain crucial decisions, whether you’re looking to buy a new house or remodel your current one. Although it may seem difficult to find fantastic flooring that complements your style and your pets’ needs, many solutions are available.

The best solutions to suit your and who can find your dog’s demands in the infographic below, which you can jump to for additional advice. If you’re wondering how to choose new flooring that fits your style and can handle the wear and strain of owning dogs, read on to discover more.

What to Take Into Account When Choosing Dog Flooring

If you know what to look for, it’s feasible to locate floors that complement your dog’s way of life without sacrificing its beauty. The ideal choice will ultimately depend on your dog breed, but there are a few key factors to consider.

Scratch resistance

Dogs’ nails may cause a lot of damage; therefore, when evaluating various floor materials, scratch resistance is crucial.

Finding floors that won’t readily degrade or stain will keep them looking clean for the long haul if your dog isn’t potty trained or is more prone to spills and accidents.

Upkeep

If you have a dog, choosing flooring that is easy to maintain will make your life easier.

Like most dog owners, you want your pets to be secure and comfortable. So what is where comfort and traction come in? Different varieties of concrete floors provide your dogs with varying degrees of comfort and traction.

Cost

 Your floors play a significant role in the look and feel of your home, so choosing a material that will provide you with a decent return on your investment while also fitting within your spending limits is crucial.

By keeping these things in mind, you may narrow down the range of flooring alternatives available to you. After learning what to look for, continue reading to compare some of the top dog-friendly flooring alternatives and select the one most suitable for you and your dog.

The Top 6 Dog-Friendly Flooring Choices

For your floors to last long and maintain their quality, you should pick a material that can endure scuffs, spills, and grime over time. Here are a few of the top flooring choices that might satisfy your needs as a pet owner.

1. Tile

Tile has consistently been the most excellent alternative for pet owners because it is a classic solution. Tile is less sensitive to moisture than luxury vinyl, and unlike a material like laminate, it can tolerate spills and wet-mop cleanups. In addition, modern porcelain tiles have a highly realistic appearance of natural stones and even hardwood floors thanks to the evolution of flooring technology, which uses high-definition imaging.

Pets can get a lot of traction on the tile when it’s mixed with grout. The cold, hard feel of tile is one potential drawback because it could make your pets feel less comfortable than other flooring options. There are two common kinds of tiles:

What type of flooring is best for dogs

Porcelain tile is suitable for high-traffic areas like kitchens because it is more resilient and water-resistant than ceramic.

Ceramic: Some forms of ceramic tile have rough surfaces that enhance visual depth and dimension. Ceramic tile can accommodate more complex or eye-catching designs.

Natural stone: Natural stone, like marble, granite, or travertine, has a unique beauty that you cannot replicate. So even though it can be pricey, it’s a fantastic way to bring the beauty of nature into your house.

In addition to being one of the strongest and longest-lasting floor coverings available, tile’s classic design can increase the value of your house. Although tile might be expensive, most varieties have a 10 to 20 years lifespan, and there are many affordable alternatives.

2. Vinyl Luxury

Dog owners should consider vinyl flooring because it is tough, affordable, and waterproof. With the added advantage of being more durable and scratch-resistant, today’s vinyl flooring solutions may mimic the appearance of real hardwood flooring and other natural materials like stone or tile. Vinyl flooring comes in two primary categories:

Luxury vinyl plank: Vinyl flooring is created in the shape of planks that resemble classic hardwood floors and are softer underfoot than vinyl tile.

Luxury vinyl tile is vinyl flooring that is fashioned to resemble traditional tile.

3. Laminate

For very active pets, laminate is a fantastic alternative because of its reputation for toughness and resistance to scratches. Although laminate and vinyl look similar, laminate tends to more closely resemble the pattern of hand-scraped or distressed Hardwood because of its surface detail and texture. Compared to other floor options, smoother laminate surfaces offer less insulation and may give your dog’s paws less grip.

Despite not being as waterproof as other forms of flooring, it is typically more inexpensive and just as simple to clean. In addition, this durable material is resistant to abrasion, wear, and strain, and dogs love to test our flooring with it.

4. Integrated Hardwood

Engineered hardwood flooring is a budget-friendly substitute for individuals who don’t want to give up the appearance of natural hardwood floors. This product imitates the look of natural wood floors and often lasts longer because it is made with a thin layer of natural Hardwood on top. However, while engineered Hardwood may withstand surface wetness if it is cleaned immediately, it is not as water-resistant as materials made of plastic, such as vinyl, and too much moisture can result in long-term damage.

Engineered Hardwood is available in various treatments, grades, colors, and patterns to fit nearly any style. Pet owners may find this a good alternative even though it is less moisture- or scratch-resistant than other flooring types due to protective finishing options.

5. Bamboo

Bamboo is a desirable alternative if you’re searching for pet-friendly floors that mimic natural hardwood. It is renowned for its extraordinary stain resistance, remarkable durability, and simplicity of upkeep. Both engineered, and solid bamboo products are available, with numerous staining and finishing options.

One of the most vital types of flooring now on the market, bamboo flooring is durable. Permanent stains are improbable with reasonable care and the ease of maintenance bamboo offers, even though it can be sensitive to moisture.

6. Cork

Cork is one unique, eco-friendly flooring option that satisfies most of the requirements for pet-friendly flooring. Cork flooring is inherently resistant to mold, and mildew, hypoallergenic, and antibacterial. It can also withstand moderate levels of dampness, though a rapid cleanup is usually necessary to avoid lasting damage.

The Top Dog-Friendly Flooring in 2022

With the best dog flooring, you can keep your four-legged family members content and your floors spotless.

The most excellent flooring solutions for dogs are intended to withstand regular use by our canine companions. Your beloved dog may take it out on your floors, leaving muddy paw prints, accidents in the bathroom, and even dents and scratches. Pet-friendly flooring resists dents, scratches, and dirt to stay tidy and appealing for extended periods.

Read on to learn about the qualities to seek in the best dog-friendly flooring and to see our top choices for tough, pet-friendly flooring.

How We Selected the Most Dog-Friendly Flooring?

If you have a dog, you’ll want to be sure your flooring can withstand having dogs because it’s a significant expenditure to have new flooring. Therefore, we considered a few essential characteristics when selecting our best options. All of the products we took into consideration had to be within reason water resistant, robust, scratch-resistant, and simple to clean.

To ensure the flooring is up to daily use with dogs, we whittled down our best picks by looking at product characteristics and customer reviews. We made our selection from well-known companies and merchants who have a history of offering high-caliber flooring goods.

We prioritized appealing flooring alternatives because flooring is a significant design decision for your home. We explored goods with even greater versatility so that customers could design their dream flooring by selecting various colors or finishes.

The Perfect Floors for Pet Owners

Our dogs and cats are four-legged members of our families. Therefore, it can be unpleasant when your best friend destroys your flooring or turns it into their own personal restroom or scratching post. The best flooring for pets (and for you!) can save hours of time and hassle because pets are so important to their family. Instead of being frustrated and letting your good dog or cat destroy the flooring, choose the best flooring for pets (and for you!).

LINING IN VINYL PLANK

This is not the sheet roll floor your mother had or the worn-out stick-on tiles you had in your college apartment. Modern vinyl flooring is frequently seen in slats or planks to replicate the appearance of “genuine wood” flooring.

There are three common vinyl flooring options:

The glue-down luxury vinyl plank or tile (LVP/LVT) contains a water-resistant top wear layer.

Wood Plastic Composite (WPC)

This material’s hardcore is constructed of a composite of wood and plastic and may be equipped with underlayment cushioning.

Stone Plastic Composite (SPC) 

A rigid core made of stone and plastic that could have underlayment padding put to it

Different Dog Flooring Options

Material is one of the most crucial considerations for the best flooring for dogs. Certain flooring kinds withstand common issues dog owners face, such as wetness, scratches, and filth.

Tile

Tile is one of the more resilient building materials in terms of resistance to dents and scratches caused by tiny nails. Its smoothness makes it very simple to clean in the event of muddy paw prints or puppy accidents.

Tiled floors are incredibly adaptable because there is such a wide range of tile types, textures, and colors to choose from. Remember that porcelain tile is superior to ceramic tile in terms of durability and porosity, making it a better option for households with dogs.

Not only are pet owners fond of tile, but it’s also typically one of the best flooring options for kitchens and bathrooms. One drawback of tile floors is that they might be chilly to walk on during the winter. Additionally, grout lines are prone to get soiled and damaged over time.

Laminate

Beautiful and simple to maintain are laminate floors. While often less expensive and requiring less upkeep, they have the exquisite appearance of hardwood flooring.

Even though standing water can harm laminate flooring, water-resistant alternatives are less susceptible to moisture than some other materials, so there’s no need to be alarmed if Fido has an accident or tips the water bowl over. Although laminate flooring is somewhat resistant to scratches and scuffs, it must have an abrasion class (AC) grade of 3 or higher to tolerate dogs. The fact that certain dogs may find laminate to be excessively slippery is a drawback.

Vinyl

Vinyl is popular because it has a lovely appearance, is simple to maintain, and is resistant to water, stains, and scratches—all qualities to look for in decent dog flooring. Luxury vinyl planks can have lower costs and require less upkeep than popular flooring options like Hardwood or other forms of popular flooring.

Vinyl has a drawback in that it might get dull with time. To prevent dulling, opt for a thicker wear layer (the top protective layer of the vinyl flooring), prolonging the vinyl’s sheen and protective qualities. The wear layer is measured in mils and can be anywhere from 6 and 20 mils thick. The more mils, the more durable something is, yet anything in this range is considered adequate for domestic use.

Turf

Are you interested in creating a tiny area of fake grass for your dog? Turf is an excellent alternative if you want to give a room the appearance of grass without maintaining a lawn. While giving canines the pleasure of a grassy yard is simpler to maintain.

Finding Dog-Friendly Flooring

Depending on whose viewpoint is considered when selecting the “best” flooring for a home with dogs. Carpet may be excellent for your dog in terms of comfort and warmth. Still, as a homeowner, you’re likely finding carpet a relatively poor choice due to the constant cleaning and susceptibility to stains and odors. Here are a few things to remember:

Continuity of housetraining: Well-trained and in good health, can adapt to almost any type of flooring. Still, incontinence-prone dogs need flooring with few to no seams and stain- and odor-resistant materials. Vinyl flooring or ceramic/porcelain tile are the best surfaces for these animals. Activity level: Dogs with a high energy level will probably race around the house and will almost certainly be slipping and sliding on stiff, glossy floors while making a lot of noise. 

For everyone involved, a floor with some texture will be safer. For dogs who like to run inside, carpet or embossed vinyl are excellent options. Age and condition: Carpet, Hardwood, or bamboo floors are naturally warmer and softer than ceramic tile or laminate flooring, making them a good choice for older dogs or those with joint problems. These are wise decisions if your pet’s comfort is your top priority.

What Is the Best Flooring for Dogs and Other Activated House Pets?

Among other qualities, durability characterizes the ideal flooring for dogs and other four-legged friends. If you’ve fantasized about outfitting your home with high-maintenance flooring, you should reconsider. Popular varieties of lovely Hardwood and plush wool carpets don’t adapt well to daily wear and tear.

According to Ebeth Pitman, director of brand development and marketing at Armstrong Flooring, pets’ nails are one of the most significant issues. Even neatly manicured nails can rip up Hardwood and catch on the carpet. Carpeting does not fare well with dirty paws or animals that have yet to be trained to go inside the house. Even with the best industrial-strength cleaners, stains and odors can be impossible to remove.

But as long as you pick your surfaces carefully, you don’t have to forgo style in favor of toughness. These flooring options will make you and your furry friends happy.

Which flooring is ideal for dogs?

Home Flooring Pros suggests vinyl flooring as the best choice for your pets because it is simple to maintain, robust, cozy, and reasonably priced.

To learn more, click here. Read on to find the best floor for you and your pets because there are other pet-friendly options.

Dogs can be rough on floors, as you are probably aware, but dogs can also be rough on floors, particularly those who have mobility issues. The ideal floor covering will satisfy both your needs and your dog’s. It might not seem easy to find such flooring, but there are excellent options available that will meet your and your pet’s needs.

The best hardwood floors for dogs can be found as you read on to determine which flooring materials are best for dog owners and their canine companions.

Maintenance

Low upkeep is a hallmark of laminate. Just use a dust mop and a laminate cleaning spray when necessary to damp mop the floor.

Cons

For luxury homes with pets, we generally do not advise laminate flooring. Laminate can hurt your home’s resale value in the market for luxury homes. If it is the regular type of laminate, it also tends to warp when it gets wet and is pretty easy to scratch, making it less than ideal for pets.

Strong Hardwood

Check out engineered wood flooring if you’re still craving after natural wood. If you insist on having wood, the best hardwood flooring for dogs is engineered wood. Although a little less fussy than solid Hardwood, it will still give your home the stunning, time-honored natural wood appearance.

An Overview of the Best Pet Flooring for Dogs and Other Animals

There are always trade-offs to be made in life. For example, if you want to have happy children, you must stop your wild ways; if you want to have a killer beach body, you must give up your Oreo addiction. Kiss your dream floors goodbye if you want a furry friend. Right?

Wrong! Even with pets, you can still have lovely floors (although we can’t guarantee your furniture will be). Just the proper flooring needs to be installed.

Fortunately, with some planning and research, you can find excellent flooring for pets that will get along well with your furry friend.

We’ll discuss the following seven flooring types:

Engineered Hardwood, specifically water-resistant wood flooring options, Vinyl Plank Tile, Laminate Bamboo, Cork, and Concrete

FAQS

Which is better for dogs, waterproof vinyl or laminate?

Vinyl is the preferred flooring material for pets in the great vinyl plank vs. laminate debate. Both offer excellent pet-friendly options and are excellent replicas of wood floor designs. But when it comes to waterproofing, the best vinyl plank flooring wins. And if you ask us, the floor that can handle moisture better is better for pets.

What is the ideal flooring for pet mishaps?

The best floor for pet accidents is concrete, by a wide margin. The best pet-friendly waterproof flooring is that. Urine from dogs and cats is met with laughter. Although grout can occasionally be a pain, tile is another obvious front-runner. Grout cannot be the top option because inevitable accidents can stain it.

If your pets have the occasional accident, waterproof laminate and vinyl are two other fantastic flooring options. And let’s face it, it’s going to happen occasionally. Therefore, when choosing to floor for dogs, it may be best to be proactive about this issue.

Which Flooring Allows Dogs to Walk More Easily Without Sliding?

An excellent option for avoiding slips is cork. All dogs may be somewhat prone to slipping and sliding on slippery floors, but this will likely happen more frequently as they age. With a slip-resistant floor, you can assist in keeping them from harming themselves further.

Other excellent options for traction include bamboo and vinyl. Bamboo is capable of absorbing moisture, which makes the flooring more grippy. Additionally, vinyl can be textured, which aids traction for dogs.

What kind of wood flooring is ideal for dogs?

If natural wood is your top priority, engineered wood with a thick protective finish is your best choice. You will pay more, but in the long run, you might avoid refinishing.

To this question, there is no excellent response. Dogs and wood don’t go together well, plain and simple. If wood is crucial to you, this is your best choice. Your resale value will also be grateful.

Which Wood Floor Is the Best for Big Dogs?

Again, for large dogs, we must stick with engineered hardwood floors. Given how active your dog is, the protective finish won’t likely protect your floor from scratches completely, but it can stop further damage. Its ability to be refinished is also a lifesaver.

But don’t disregard cork. Remember that cork is a type of wood flooring. With a large dog using it, it might get scratched up and dented, but it will also cost less to replace than engineered Hardwood.

Although they can’t scratch it, dogs and cats can undoubtedly rip up the carpet. Their claws can harm carpeted flooring as much as wood or cork flooring.