(Big) dog owners - carpet recommendations?

[Dodie]

Thanks for reminding me to ask this question, iluvorlando (berber on stairs)!

We are thinking of replacing the icky carpet in our family room. It's very thin, with hardly any pad, and is wearing pretty badly. (It was in the house when we bought it three years ago.)

We have three 85-pound German Shepherds. Like us, they LIVE in the family room. This adds up to lots of wear and tear. Stains aren't a problem. (They are good girls.) It's more of a toenails, running and romping, doggie deathmatch sort of thing.

We're thinking about going with something with low pile, with a nice thick pad underneath.

Does anyone with big dogs have a carpet recommendation? Types? Brands?

Thanks!

 

[goofy4tink]

While I can't give specific recommendations (the carpet was already down when we bought our house), I would suggest carpet that is a lower plush. It just doesn't seem to show the wear and tear. We have a 75 lb golden (yes, he needs a diet) and our carpet is fine. A good thick pad is important too. We were told by a carpet installer that you should never put any carpet with a looped yarn, such as a berber, on a floor where there will be animals. Their nails will rip the carpet apart. I think you're on the right track here. Good luck.

 

[yoopermom]

I know it's not "pretty", but a good industrial grade carpet (with a good pad underneath) is the only way to go. Since it's designed for businesses/public places, it's tough, doesn't show much, and wears like iron. Color choices have gotten better the past few years, too. Whatever you do, don't go to berber, their nails will rip it to shreds. Good luck!
Terri the Yoopermom

 

[djgeffers1]

We have a black lab/golden mix which is a very large dog and we have a very tight looped berber in both bedrooms and it still looks like new.

 

[pumba]

we put down a real good berber carpet.....our daughter had one of our apartments and she had a 100 lb rotti.....he is a good doggie too but likes to play.....no problems with the skidding and his toe nails......we had a 75 lb dalmatian and she had wicked bad nails too and she never pulled any of the loops up either......I think this is a good thing......

 

[twinmomplus2]

We have 160 lb Saint Bernard. And have a tight looped berber. I think its called twilight star? Gray with colored flecks in it. It has not ripped or pulled at all. and shows nothing, We have had good luck with it so far, we have had it a year or so.

 

[yasuern]

Another vote for tight looped berber - we have a lg GS/lab mix and the carpet is 4 y/o and looks great in the family room which gets a lot of foot traffic (paws and feet)

 

[Serena]

I love the berber. We put some in my dd's room 10 years ago and it looks like new. Nothing seems to show and our dog is 80 pounds. We've had a maltese and two cats in there too. It's really low, but looped. It's great at my house. I don't know the brand, I just pointed and said that was the one I wanted. lol

 

[grinningghost]

We have a 95 lb. golden retriever and just got new carpeting last summer. Check out Carpet One's Lee's for Living brand carpet. I imagine you can find it on an internet search. This carpet is wonderful. They make it in many different types and the warranty is outstanding. If you don't like the color, they'll come and put in a new one. If there's a stain you can't get out, they'll send a professional in to clean it. If the pros can't get it out, they'll rip out the whole carpet and replace for 25 years!

Florence Henderson (Brady Bunch) hawks Lee's for Living carpeting, so you'll know you found it if you see her face. It's sold exclusively through Carpet One. Good luck.

 

[TexasErin]

I totally sympathize with you. We ripped out our 1-year-old carpet because the dog liked to scratch it (kind of trying to make a nest, I guess?) and had wood laminate floors put in.
Now we have a few area rugs and she scratches on them (have to close those rooms up) and she prances (as only a Chow can) on the wood laminate floor and it is SUPER LOUD (CLICK CLACK! CLICK CLACK!)
If you want to ever sleep again (or have your newborn sleep, as in our case), DO NOT put in wood laminate floors (unless you are a sound sleeper)

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

Three 85-lb German Shepards?? That's a lot of dog.

Probably the most common question I get from new salespeople or whenever I work with customers is pets vs. berber. Truthfully, it depends on the pet. Pumba said she's never had any problems, but if the pet likes to scratch at it (like TexasErin said), then you could have a problem. The thing about loop berber is if one of the loops pulls, it won't stop on its own.

Tighter loop berbers would perform better than larger loop berbers. If you want to avoid berber, go with a high density cut pile.

Since I work for a carpet manufacturer, I won't post any of my suggestions on the board, but, Dodie, if you'd like I can PM or e-mail you with some info.