apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

It seems like there have been a number of similar questions posted here recently, the responses to which generally recommend rugs made of polypropylene.

No good rug is dog friendly, and most cannot be cleaned properly even when they say they can.

If it will have traffic and puppies, I'd get the most aesthetically pleasant one you can find off eBay and treat it as a disposable item.

This will still probably be of better quality than the Pottery Barn one, and much cheaper. I have two stunning looking rugs that I got on eBay for a tenth of their (supposed) retail price.

They look great, and are cheap enough that if the looks fade I'll simply buy another one.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/house-tours/house-tour-steves-mancave-sydney-076954

The red one cost me $75 and the wooly grey one was $150. The red one's predecessor was $25.

Look at the cat & rug thread from yesterday. Apparently AT likes to repeat themselves...

I thought the cat thread was more focused on hair rather than pet messes...

I've got two goldens and several types of rugs on my house. I've been pleasantly surprised at how well my seagrass rug has stood up to dog throw up, a bloody paw running across at full speed, wet dogs running in from playing in the rain, and one rather large tinkle accident when I first got one of my goldens (a rescue).

I was expecting the worst because you really can't get seagrass wet as it can stain from water, shrink, or hold moisture and mildew. What has been a lifesaver for me is a product called HOST that is a dry carpet cleaning substance the texture of brown sugar. It's the only product I've ever seen touted to clean seagrass safely. http://www.hostdry.com/ It works on all kinds of carpet too. And it's always been a "green" product if that is important to you! You just sprinkle it on, brush it in gently with the brush the kit comes with, let it dry out and vacuum it up. No more dog messes.

ikea egeby and erslev

Dash and Albert outdoor rugs, or Interface Flor's tiles--in "house pet" or "fedora" or similar high-traffic, durable styles. The Interface tiles can be lifted up, washed in a utility sink or shower, then returned to their spots. Very efficient, and can be sent back for recycling when they've lived out their purpose.

My solution to a similar dog and carpet mess issue are the FLOR tiles, I got mine from CB2 but you can order them from FLOR.com as well. The Fedora tiles are the ones I have which are low pile and washable. If my dog makes a mess I simply run it under cold water ASAP and let it air dry before putting it back in its place. Also, if they ruin one tile you can easily replace it. FLOR does recycle their carpet tiles as well and using recycled carpet in them too. At $8 a tile they are pretty inexpensive and have lots of color options. I've been happy with mine so far and have no complaints.

I like the look of the Dash and Albert rugs (both the indoor/outdoor and the cotton) but I went with Pottery Barn's graphic cotton mat in yellow because it seemed easier to clean. I looked at the one you're considering in person and if you have dogs, it's easy for their toenails to snag the looser weave.

I don't know if you live near a PB outlet, but the one near me has a ton of rugs on super sale -- the Williams Sonoma Home rugs were 85% off and they had some tightly woven, neutral ones that would be good for living with dogs. Check the sale sections of the PB and WSHome sites because when you have two dogs (as I do) you want to spend the least amount of money possible in case their antics result in a very short life for the rug.

I gave up on rugs and now enjoy the simple beauty of my rich heart pine wood floors … sans rugs. Rugs are a dust and dander trap.

www.fingerhut.com

I used that to cover all my hardwood floors in a new home and I have 3 dogs. It cost less than $400.00 for the whole house. Cleaning them with a dollar store pet carpet cleaner has been very easy. Easier than Ikea rugs that I've had in the past.

If you have dogs with sensitive tummies, DO NOT buy the egeby from Ikea.
Like LilyC says, piddles don't really make marks on the seagrass, but I have had a different experience with a garbage-eating scenthound.

Lady J is spot on with the Ikea Erslev rug - we have a rather large bulldog and a white Erslev. Because its cotton, when it gets dirty I soak it in the bath to get rid of any muddy stains, then just bundle it up and wash it in the washing machine. It comes out as good as new! I also do the same with our flokati rug.