I have a question for all of you
We have wall to wall berber carpet in the house and want to change it
We were thinking laminate that looks like wood
Do any of you have this and how does it hold up to wet and dog nails and puke?

I don't really think laminate is ideal for dogs...definitely not for the main living areas...they can slip and slide so easily...mine make it very obvious that they do not like walking on it! I only have it in 2 bedrooms and the dogs really don't like going in those rooms. Also when I stayed at my Aunts over christmas one year, she has laminate throughout the downstairs and my god...the tapping of dog nails on it is SO annoying. I thought her dogs must need their nails trimmed but they were fairly short but still made such an annoying noise, I can only think they had gotten used to it so didn't hear it much but it drove me mad!! I have real wood flooring in my dining room and don't particularly like that for the dogs either...it is easy to clean any 'accidents' but I find day to day cleaning easier on carpet as at least the hair sticks so you can vacuum it rather than it floating on top and having to chase it round with a brush!! I'm going the other way and am about to get the dining room carpeted as I find it easier and cosier!

We have laminate in the kitchen, it is great for clean up and no markings from Sabre's nails. However, it is like Bambi on Ice with him... he spins for a few seconds before he gets any traction. I'm always afraid of his hips on it...

Very slippery for people too....

We have Vinyl tiles. 12x12's. For the most part they do pretty good. For Snowball only having three legs we put down throw rugs for her and she does well. None of the others have any problems. I got the kind that isn't slippery. It is so nice to just vacuum and mop.

No more shampooing. :ph43r:

Thanks for the impute. It will give us something to consider
Don't want them slipping all over the place

We laid viny wood effect flooring last year & Abbey hates it. Alfie is ok, although he ended up on his belly with his legs splayed the first day, but it didn't put him off :rolleyes: We now have a couple of big rugs to allow Abbey to get across the room. Before she would just stand there & wait for one of us to lift her. Obviously Abbey is more nervous as she has busted both her back legs before, so this makes her more warey.

As for the cleaning, its great for fur, just sweeps or vacs away & you know you have it all. I damp mop with a laminate cleaner once a week & it looks lovely. BUT!! as soon as we laid it we realised that if one of the dogs had an accident (wee or poop) it would run through the joins into the underlay & sit there forever!!! So we now shut them out of that room at night & if we go out.

I have non slip tiles through out the downstairs, laminate in the upstairs hall and bedrooms, yes I end up with tons of fur bunnies cos the fur has nothing to catch onto but it's soooooo much easier when you have intact bitches (seasons) and puppies running around the house having accidents, I use non slip vet beds as rugs as they can be boil washed and dry in an hour or so hung over the banister (nothing but rain here lately).

We had the carpeting in our basement pulled up and had a laminate floor put down. It's much easier to keep clean than carpeting. It's less expensive to maintain too. At first, the dogs slipped a bit but they got used to it. You can put washable rugs down too to help them. I am very happy with it.

We just finished remodeling our kitchen and put laminate flooring down. Its Armstrong Cherry Bronze and looks like hardwood. Even has that shiny appearance to it. My dogs don't have a problem. The only thing is Sunny is getting old and has some arthritis in her back legs. it takes her a little longer to rise from a laying position that it does on a carpet but thats about it. They know not to run in the kitchen so thats not a problem. It cleans beautifully too!

IM A CARPET FREAK, NOT ONLY FOR MY KIDS, BUT FOR MEEEEEEE :laughingsmile

BUT TRUELY, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE LINOLEUM, (sp) IN OUR KITCHEN ITS STILL COVERED IN A HUGE FLOOR RUG....

MY KIDS ARE WAY TO BOUNCY, JUMPY TO EVER PUT THEM ON ANYTHING OTHER THAN CARPET....

I DONT DISAGREE WITH THOSE WHO HAVE HARD WOOD FLOORS. BUT I JUST CANNOT WATCH MY KIDS, SLIP AND SLID AND HAVE THEIR HIPS AND SHOULDERS GOT OUT FROM UNDER THEM DUE TO SLICK FLOORING.......

BUT LIKE I SAID EVEN IF I DIDNT HAVE THE KIDS,,,,,OHHHHHHHHHH I SO LOVE AS NICE CARPET UNDER MY BARE FEET......... :laughingsmile

My house came with granite flooring. To counter that, I bought carpet tiles and laid them along certain sections of the house where I know the dogs will run. These carpet tiles provide excellent traction and are easily lifted for thorough mopping of the floors, and if one section is spoiled, you just run that piece under water and let it dry...

Love those carpet tiles...!!

We have a big black area rug now over the carpet so it would be left there is we got laminate. Plus I want a matching runner rug going down the hall
I think that would help because that is where they run the most. Down the Hall!
This all gives us something to think about. We want to do it this year as our Government is give a 15% tax rebate on any renovations this year.

Well we're on the topic of flooring
My vacuum bit the dust yesterday. I just had a cheapy upright that only lasted 2 years
Hubs went out yesterday and bought me a Dyson DC21 canister one. Anyone that owns Golden's knows you can't be without a vacuum for even one day :shrug
That thing almost pull the carpet off the floor it had so much suction :laughingsmile
That should pick up all the Golden Hair
Hope it last more then 2 years at those prices
Anyone else have one and what do you think of them?