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Hardwood Floors (Advice)

ksimm033

Member
Any advice for soon to be BM owners that have hardwood (bamboo) floors throughout 70% of the house (scratches/accidents/cleanup/etc..)?
 

Iymala

Well-Known Member
Keep nails short to avoid scratches, but you will still get some. Make sure you are on top of any accidents as urine sitting to long on the floors is really bad news. Use baby gates to section of areas that the puppy is allowed and you can supervise. You can also use the umbilical method, leash puppy and attach leash to your waist. This keeps the puppy with you and able to be supervised. It is also a great opportunity to work on training here or there and bond with the puppy.

Cleanup, nature's miracle is a great cleaner and removes the scent so not to encourage accidents in the same area.

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enzo_canecorso

Well-Known Member
The only advice I have is just dont look down...because the scratches are inevitable. We actually ended up getting a laminate that looks like big slate tiles in our new house because the dogs completely destroyed the floors in our previous house. So far, so good.
 

Hector

Well-Known Member
My brand new refinished floors all scratched up. It doesn't even matter if nails are short. They don't have traction on hardwood floors so they will dig into it to not slip. I use carpet tiles I buy from home depot to keep the main areas protected and most importantly from them slipping when running around. It's no fun when they slip and hurt themselves. Been there, done that.
 

TricAP

Well-Known Member
You can always leave the floor covered in dog hair to hide the scratches. 2x that scratches are inevitable on hardwood, but for some reason especially bamboo. A neighbor of ours made the mistake of redoing their house with it and their 25 lb dog has scratched it up in less than a year even with very short nails. We have hardwood in half of our house and its scratched up beyond repair from 3 dogs with their nails done weekly. Plan is this winter to do a laminate with a hand scraped finish - still not great traction for the dogs but better than slick wood. Throw rugs with nonslip backing do help them get traction.
 

tmricciuto

Well-Known Member
I agree with getting some rugs or runners. I have tile, but you could get ceramic tile that looks like wood. But still could use rugs for zoomie traction.


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teodora

Well-Known Member
there will be scratches, the girls even tried to chew the corners... (they are actively involved in a project - to dig a hole in a wall...) Like young kids, puppies can be very messy. And mastiffs are puppies for a long time, even when they're over 80 lbs or so. Of course they shouldn't be let to roam unsupervised - bad news, they can destroy the exterior of a house in no time - but accidents can happen in few seconds: a phone call/shower/someone knocking at the door. You turn back and find out that, surprise, the curtain is so much shorter and there's a piece of wood on the couch in the living room... one that looks like the wooden floors btw.
 

DDSK

Well-Known Member
Our hardwood floors are over 50 years old, they look great when refinished but the dog nails have them thrashed.
We use area rugs to give them traction and protect the floor.
 

Hector

Well-Known Member
If you get rugs or runners, make sure they are large and heavy and buy additional rubber non slip padding for the bottom layer or use carpet strip tape around the edges. Rugs that come with built in non slip rubber wears out and with large dogs zooming around - they will slip and slide. I actually think Hector thinks it's fun to slide around.
 

cinnamon roll

Super Moderator
Super Moderator
I purchased 6 ft long industrial runners at sams club about 25 a pop. Saves the floors and slipping for the pups
 

ksimm033

Member
Keep nails short to avoid scratches, but you will still get some. Make sure you are on top of any accidents as urine sitting to long on the floors is really bad news. Use baby gates to section of areas that the puppy is allowed and you can supervise. You can also use the umbilical method, leash puppy and attach leash to your waist. This keeps the puppy with you and able to be supervised. It is also a great opportunity to work on training here or there and bond with the puppy.

Cleanup, nature's miracle is a great cleaner and removes the scent so not to encourage accidents in the same area.

Sent from my SCH-I605 using Tapatalk

Thank you for the advice! I never thought of attaching a leash to my waist but it makes sense and will give it a try.


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ksimm033

Member
I figured the scratches were inevitable. I do currently have rugs in most rooms and will get some runners. Do a lot of you have issues with BM damaging your house? Like chewing on the kitchen table, putting holes in the wall, chewing everything? Is this something that can be prevented with obedience training?


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JamieHalverson

Well-Known Member
I figured the scratches were inevitable. I do currently have rugs in most rooms and will get some runners. Do a lot of you have issues with BM damaging your house? Like chewing on the kitchen table, putting holes in the wall, chewing everything? Is this something that can be prevented with obedience training?

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It can be prevented with supervision and providing appropriate chew toys for puppies. I have a 5 month old puppy and while she never tried to destroy the house, if she paused anywhere, she tried to put whatever was in front of her face in her mouth - like the corner of the kitchen cabinet, the coffee table top, my wicker chairs. She was with me or crated, still is, except she's out on the couch sleeping right now. I can hear her from where I am, but I also found out that if I hear her chewing a remote, it's pretty much already too late :p so it's a risk.
 

dpenning

Well-Known Member
There will be chewing. Unless the pup is tied to you or in a crate... there will be chewing. Emma tried to chew the chair I was sitting in. Now if I say furniture she will quit chewing because she knows it is a no no. :)
 

Iymala

Well-Known Member
If your puppy is quiet and out of sight.....Something is being destroyed.

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tmricciuto

Well-Known Member
My pups were much worse about chewing while they were teething. Anything was game so I had to keep them crated or within arms reach to correct them and give them a chewing appropriate toy. Now, at 7 1/2 months, they very seldom chew on anything that is not a chew toy. I did catch Bella chewing on the coffee table the other day while coming out of a play session with her sister but a quick 'Uh ah' stopped that in it's tracks.
 

DennasMom

Well-Known Member
RUGS!!!!

Hardwood floors are SLICK and hard on growing joints... lots of slipping and falling at odd angles when zoomies occur... :)

We have engineered hardwoods (they don't scratch), and use the non-slip cushions under big area rugs in every room. Costco has 8x10 rugs for ~$100 (indoor/outdoor variety) which work well for us. Cheap enough to replace every few years, as needed.

Denna never chewed on anything we didn't give her... not sure how we lucked out on that, other than we always gave her tasty things to chew, made them interesting (i.e. played with her with them, held one end while she chewed the other, etc.), and kept her crated when unsupervised.