I need suggestions...

It looks like I may have hardwood floors (not pergo). What can I do to protect the flooring and keep the pooch?

I've seen the 'Soft Claws' product. Anyone have experience with them.

BTW, the pooch is about 50 pounds and is a Labrador mix (larger claws).


Thanks for any info that you can provide...

 

I installed a Bruce Maple floor several years ago in the living room. Several months went by and we adopted a German Shepard-Doby mix. He scratched the heck out of the floor, so we got a big area rug to cover most of the floor. When the rug is pulled back the exposed floor has "yellowed" from the sunlight, and is much lighter under the rug. I like the dog better than I like the floor or my house, but I wasted about $2,000.00.
Good luck!

 

i have had a mutt that was approximately 70 pounds for over 12 years, and currently a 25 pound terrier mutt & black lab who is just past puppy stage (around 65 pounds).

also approximately 75 percent oak hardwood floors.

with that being said, i have never noticed any problems with the floors do to nail damage. the two dogs do 'rough house' a bit, but the floors do not look the worse for it at all.

the wood trim around a few of the windows is a totally different story though.

i had looked into the soft claws product a few years back when we got the two newer dogs, but have never had a need for it.

 

I've got hardwood (oak) floors in my dining room, and, a lesson I learned a LONG time ago...must keep the nails trimmed if they don't wear them down by being outside on a concrete run. I keep my two dogs' nails trimmed just about to the "quick", or "qwik", however you want to spell it. I have a neat nail trimmer from Duluth Trading Comp called the "Quick Finder" that is battery operated and somehow detects where the quick is and gives you the "green" light to cut, when the blades are not near the quick. It takes a while to get the hang of it, but it works great.

www.duluthtrading.com is the site, and it comes in two sizes, depending on the size of the dog.

Good luck RP

 

This may sound really OCD, but could you buff them? I don't really know, we have the tongue and groove hardwood and our pug has scratched them, i've considered pulling out the M105 and see what happens.

 

We have harwood floors in 3/4 of our house---about 1800 square feet of hardwood flooring, and four large dogs---three labs and a lb/golden mix. Some light markings here and there,l but nothing really bad---actually, the hardwoods hold up better than the areas rugs we have in a few spots.

TSC

 

I'm in the same boat. My black lab "Ranger" has scratched our floors something aweful. Our house is only 1 1/2 old and our maple hardwood floors are scratched up pretty good.

I thought maybe in a couple of years time I would get them redone.

This is what it looked like on move in day.

 

It sounds as if you pulled up the carpet and discovered the hardwood. Do you have any idea what type of wood it is? I would also assume that the floor is in great shape since your inquiring about scratches.

Your best bet is to keep the nails trimmed but even at that, the floor is going to sustain some scratching. Softer woods such as maple is going to be inherently more susceptible to scratching then lets say a hard wood such as oak.

How about going for the distressed look? You could do this yourself and then never have to worry about scratches.

One more thing, if it's a 3/4 type of planking then you would be able to refinish it multiple times down the road.

 

Our oak floors have held up fine to 2 dogs and many kids... My mom has done more damage to the floors dragging crap across it than we have...

 

Is that a Lauzon Maple? (BTW looks very nice)

 

This isn't really where your going with thise thread, but I used some laminate flooring to do my house. I can slide a hammer from one side of the room to the other and not even blemish it. The dogs run slide, fight everything on it have yet to see it scratch. Also from a friend of mine in the real estate world contractor grade laminate the 12mm stuff is valueing in over hardwood floors in my area. Just some food for though Its alot easier to lay than hardwood. Later!

Hey man beautifull home by the way.



excuse all the mess the other side of the living room wasnt done all all the furniture and stuff in the kitchen lol.

 

Problem solved. You're welcome.

 

Nice way to treat your dog...got the rain coat to go with it?

 

D, you shouldn't let your dog wear your shoes.

 

my whole house has oak hardwood flooring and i have 1 lab at about 100 lbs and a lab shep mix at about 85 lbs and they have not scratched the floor at all. i think it has a lot to do with what kind of wood you have.