We all love our furry friends, there’s no doubt about that. But as homeowners, we all love our beautiful hardwood floors too! In fact, they’re more than likely your favourite part of your home. Whether they were the feature that sold you on the home in the first place, or whether you had them recently installed to give your home a facelift, don’t fret. There are steps you can take in order to prevent dog scratches and keep your hardwood flooring look good as new.

5 Ways To Protect Hardwood Floors: Dog Ownership Guide

When you hear your dog’s claws on the hardwood floors, you’re probably cringing in the other room hoping they didn’t leave a scratch. While little accidents are bound to happen at times, there are some preventative steps you can take to keep your wood floors in mint condition, especially in high-traffic areas.

1. Add Carpets & Area Rugs

Just remember that always walking across hardwood floors or doing down hardwood stairs can be tough for your dog too. They can’t grip the wood underneath them as easily as other floor materials. The perfect solution is to provide them with extra grip while also protecting your hardwood floors and adding a little extra comfort and style to the room.
Placing rugs strategically in key areas will help prevent dog’s nails from digging into the floor, and also collect dust and fur (a perk if you have dark hardwood floors that, oftentimes, make it obvious that you have to vacuum).

2. Trim Your Dog’s Nails

This is often something that many homeowners forget to do, we’re all guilty of it. But remembering to keep your dog’s nails trimmed can help prevent scratch marks, especially if your dog runs around frequently and likes to play. When it comes time to trim their claws, just ensure you’re doing so correctly as cutting them too short can actually hurt them.

3. Use Pet Gates

If there are certain areas you’d like blocked off to prevent any accidents at all, pet gates act as the perfect stopper. When shopping around for a gate, you’ll need to purchase the proper one for your dog’s size so they can’t just conveniently jump over it!

4. Keep Dog Toys In A Different Area

If you don’t want to get a pet gate because you like giving your dog free roam, make sure to at least keep their dog toys in a different room, perhaps one that is carpeted where they can run and play until their heart’s content. Somewhere on the hardwood floor, place a dog bed so they can begin to resonate that with being their relaxing/sleeping spot and the carpeted area where they play.

5. Add A Protective Coating

Polyurethane is a hardwood flooring protectant that comes in a few different varieties. A water-based one will not alter the colour of the wood floor and it also dries more quickly, but you should typically avoid walking on it for 8-12 hours. However, because it’s not as strong, you’ll need to apply a few coats for it to act as the perfect barrier between dog nails and scratches.

Oil-based polyurethane does a great job in preventing wear and tear and scratches, but it will take longer to dry and because of the fumes, a mask should be worn during application. It will also help enhance the colour of the wood floor, something homeowners may not want if they have old, natural wood floors. In order for the protective coating to remain as durable as possible, it’s best to reapply it every 2-3 years depending on what is suggested on the product.

Ask A Professional For Tips

In order to prevent dogs from accidentally scratching your hardwood floors, following tips from an actual hardwood flooring installation expert is a sure way of keeping them protected.

Based in Mississauga, Ontario, we’re flooring experts with over 25 years of experience helping homeowners install and protect their beautiful hardwood floors. If you have any questions about your floor and how to protect it, or want to know what protective product is best for you, feel free to contact our team. Dogs run around, it’s only natural. But it’s also natural to want to preserve the state of your hardwood floor. We can help you do just that.