Dogs And Furniture

bruce on sofa

Your furniture doesn’t need to be a casualty of owning a dog.

Dogs and furniture can be a tricky combination. Dogs are true members of the family and with most owners, it’s hard to not let your pet have their freedom when it comes to taking naps on the sofa and sitting on chairs for extra comfort. Unless you train your dog when it’s a puppy to not commit damage to any types of furniture (sofas being the most common), it can be quite difficult to keep them away from your expensive and favourite pieces of furniture. There are various repair services however, that can bring your furniture back to life!

We’d love to know though, which pet owner are you – the soppy kind who lets your dog snuggle up with you on the sofa or the type to enforce rules and tactics to keep them away from your beloved furniture?

Dog resistant furniture

To make your furniture dog resistant, there are various steps that you can take. While most of those are detailed below in our ‘preventing dog damage’ section, we’ve managed to discover awesome products which not only accommodate your dog, but keeps them off your own furniture too!

Dog Protective Cover for Sofa

Invest in dog slip covers / resistant furniture protectors

Dog protective coverings provide protection to furniture so that if your dog does come into contact with it, it’s safe from the worst of it under a thick cover. Coverings and protectors are mostly used on sofas – you can purchase them without having to compromise on style, there are quite a few fashionable ones about! Check out the Emma Barclay Quilted Resistant Protector as an example.

durable leather sofa

Choose pet friendly fabrics and leathers

There are fabrics and leathers that are pet friendly more than others. If we look at leather for example, it is a resilient and durable material so it is able to withstand most of the normal dog damage without much impact. Leather dye can be vulnerable to discolouration from dog slobber, so if your dog is drooling on your leather, clean it right away and get some protection before it becomes a stain. Side note – if you opt for aniline leather, it is easily marked and stained, so it’s probably not the best choice to go for. When it comes to fabrics, they can be easily damaged. It’s beneficial to look for heavy, tightly woven cloth material as it is more effective at preventing damage.

dog sofa bed

Roll Out Sofa Protector Beds

Sofa Protector Beds are a great way to show your dogs how much you love them, and they also help protect your furniture too! They can be used on any type of flat surface, whether that’s chairs, sofas or the floor. The base features a non slip material, so you don’t have to worry about it constantly moving or falling off the furniture.

It’s a cosy and cost effective way of preventing damage to your furniture, and they look pretty awesome too! There are many styles and designs available on Ebay, be sure to check them out.

Preventing dog damage

There are a few things that you can do to prevent different types of dog damage:

dog and owner

Dog House Training:

Any type of furniture you purchase is an investment, which is why you also need to ensure that it remains intact and looking good as ever. House training dogs is the most common and most effective solution to stop your pups from scratching, biting and potentially completely destroying furniture. Teaching your dog house manners can be a long term process but it is a worthwhile one. A beneficial tip is to make them play with toys rather than furniture!

dog repellent spray

Dog Deterrent Sprays:

There are several dog repellent sprays that are able to keep dogs off furniture as well as deter them from gnawing and biting furniture, including curtains, carpets and rugs.

Although sprays can be an effective solution in preventing damage, it’s important to look out for suitable and non-harmful sprays. Always check the labels, as they say!

dog playing with toy

Provide an Alternative:

If you have a playful and overexcited dog who tends to chew and scratch things, distract them with toys and bones. It’s a worthwhile process which will ultimately prevent damage and your dog can have fun with toys and accessories that were actually made for them! Invest in a cosy dog bed for them too, we’re sure they’ll appreciate a bit of luxury and it keeps them off the sofa in particular!

Repairing dog damage

Repairing damage that your dog has caused can seem quite daunting and expensive, but depending on the severity of the damage, it can be repaired to look as good as new for an affordable price. In many cases we come across, sofa damage proves to be popular for many dogs. Sofa repairs can be in the form of small rips and tears, stitching and foam replacement.

Chipped cabinets and damaged chairs also fall into the ‘things that dogs chew’ category but that doesn’t mean it’s time to throw them out and buy brand new. Specialist fillers and resins can be used to repair the damage and it’s pretty impressive how a little bit of repair magic can make furniture look great again! You can view our cabinet repair page for more information or general services to determine what type of repair you’re in need of!

If your furniture has suffered accidental damage or purposeful damage thanks to your beloved dog, we hope this article has given you some tips to prevent it from occurring again. We fix any sofa specialise in all kinds of damage to furniture, so whether it’s your sofa that is in need of a little repair, or you dining table or chairs, feel free to send us a few images and we can recommend the most effective, affordable solution for repair.

dog sitting on damaged sofa

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Furniture Repair