There are ways to handle both your magnificent hardwood floors and your adorable dog without causing the other to suffer. Dogs have a well-deserved reputation as man’s favorite, while hardwood floors are lasting and attractive flooring.
Dogs can be pretty mischievous in general; they’re no different when it comes to your expensive flooring. As a result, safeguarding hardwood floors from dogs is critical. You may manage your floor and your dog in a variety of ways.
Pertaining to how to protect hardwood floors from dogs, a few effective methods come to mind like waxing your hardwood floors, clipping your dogs’ nails, and getting dog shoes, also you could use runner carpets and much more detailed below.
Let’s look into the various ways to protect hardwood floors from dogs.
Related: How to Fix Dog Scratches on Hardwood Floors
How to Protect Hardwood Floors from Dogs
Table of Contents
Pet-proofing your hardwood flooring is one of the strategies to avoid dog scratches. Adding a layer of protection will not only prevent your dog’s claws from causing damage but will also safeguard your furniture.
Wax your hardwood floors regularly to create a barrier between the wood and whatever comes into contact with it.
Floorboards should be waxed. Waxing your floorboards is a crucial preventative precaution. Do you know how surfers wax their boards for extra traction? The same concept applies here. This time it’s only on a floorboard but for your dogs too.
There are a variety of reasons why your hounds may make a beeline for it in your house. Whenever your dog runs and suddenly halts, it can result in a scratch on your hardwood floor. Waxing helps to solve the problem.
Similarly, any minor scratches can be erased by adding a second coat of wax. If your dog is harsh after waxing and leaves scratch marks, the markings are less likely to penetrate the wood.
When you detect these markings, buff them out or apply a new layer of wax to eliminate them and restore the floor’s appearance.
Waxed floors are also safer for dogs since they provide excellent traction, and your dog will not injure herself if she slides or slips. You should also keep your floors clean in addition to waxing them as needed.
Dirt and dog hair are bad for hardwood floors because they are gritty and can scratch the surface. Taking the simple effort of sweeping and mopping your floor on a regular basis will also assist in protecting them.
How to Stop Your Dog From Scratching Your Hardwood Floors
Grooming your dog can help you avoid dog scratches on your hardwood floors. Longer nails grip wood more deeply, so even wax won’t be enough protection if you don’t trim your dog’s nails regularly.
While you may trim your dog’s nails at home, many owners prefer to have it done by a groomer or veterinarian for safety reasons.
You might also use silicone nail caps that you can glue to your dog’s nail tips. This will minimize damage to the floor and other surfaces, including your screen doors and furniture, caused by their claws.
Maintaining your dog’s appearance and cutting its nails can also help. A dog with long nails is more likely to bite. Scratching is a common occurrence.
Regular grooming, particularly in the summer, aids in keeping your floors clean. During the summer, dogs tend to shed a lot.
So you don’t have to clean your floors as regularly. A groomer may take care of your dog’s nails and fur in the same visit. Other things you can do to prevent your dog from scratching your floors include:
Clipping
Clipping them is one of the most critical things you can do to safeguard your floor. You can either visit a veterinarian or do it yourself at home. However, there are occasions when leaving it to the specialists is the preferable option.
If the nail clipping is too short, it can cause the dog a lot of pain, fit claw coverings on your dog’s claws as an alternative. These ‘Soft Paws’ are a great way to keep your floors safe from scratches and scrapes. The fact that they are non-invasive and trauma-free is a bonus.
Read: Are Hardwood Floors Bad for Cats? (Find Out)
Use runner carpets
Make use of runner carpets. Consider your home’s high-traffic areas, where your dog is most likely to run.
These include spaces near a dog door, the front door, and everyday play areas for your dog. Carpet runners in strategic areas will be beneficial.
Get Dog shoes
Purchase dog shoes. Many dog owners are discovering fashion statements that also serve as protection measures for their pets.
When it’s damp outside, boots can help keep your dog’s paws clean, but they also protect your floors when worn within. When it’s damp outside, boots can help keep your dog’s paws clean, but they also protect your floors when worn within.
Walk your dog
You can protect your dog’s nails from getting too long if you spend a lot of time with him outside. Walking a dog on rough surfaces naturally grinds the nails.
Dogs require exercise and mental stimulation, so bringing your dog for frequent walks or to a dog park where he can run free can kill two birds with one stone. It’s also worth mentioning that dog urine has the potential to ruin hardwood floors.
The Best Way to Repair Urine Damage on Hardwood Floors?
Whenever your dog urinates on hardwood floors, it likely seeps into the wood, causing stains and a bad odor; hence, you’ll need a thorough cleaning of the mess on your hardwood floors.
Using an enzymatic cleaner breaks down the urine and breaks down chemicals released through the defecates (pheromones).
Once the scent is removed and the pheromones are broken, it eliminates the odor. But some stains do not go away. You can apply sand or bleach to eradicate these stains and any leftovers.
If these techniques still do not work, then you’ll need to replace the board. ‘Prevention is better than cure,’ they say. To avoid dogs’ urine on your wood floors, you can train your dogs properly to avoid such problems.
Read: Can Dog Urine Cause Mold In Carpets? (Find Out)
Conclusion
Managing your floor and dogs with no side effects demands that you observe some measure on each of them.
Follow the above measures of protecting your hardwood floors and dog. It doesn’t end there; you are also expected to carry out specific nurturing on your dog and complement your efforts on having your floors unspoiled.
We have written this article to help you make informed decisions on how to protect hardwood floors from dogs, giving you the kind of hardwood floors you only see in adverts.
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