# Dogs and Leather Couches...Good or Bad Idea?



## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

My mom is thinking of retiring her old icky couch and getting a leather one. Also when/if I move in with my boyfriend again, there's also leather couches.

Just wondering if its a good idea? Will dog nails puncture the leather? Tucker's never chewed on the couch but he loves to climb on up and sleep on it. 

I figure it would be easier to just wipe it off, but am worried the leather won't stand up to dog nails. 

Will the more expensive leather couches stand up better than the cheaper ones?


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

I have no direct experience with couches but my truck has leather seats that have held up to wet dog for almost 10 years and though not 100% I think they have held up pretty well. I thing Maggies Mom from this site has leather couches and a large pack of dogs.


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

Yes ...Rob I do have a leather couch...... Leather is all I will own with having dogs... and make sure its a med grade leather..... the soft sides arent good with the dogs nails.....It is very easy to clean off.....


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## Tuckman (Feb 26, 2007)

Yes I have Leather for years....No problems..Easy clean


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

What do you mean by "soft sides" 

Not only do you have leather, MM, but WHITE leather haha. That's daring 

The couches at my house out west are dark brown, my mom would probably get a similar brown/deep burgandy color...


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

GoldenLover84 said:


> What do you mean by "soft sides"
> 
> Not only do you have leather, MM, but WHITE leather haha. That's daring
> 
> The couches at my house out west are dark brown, my mom would probably get a similar brown/deep burgandy color...


Actually its cream... and I had the couch before I had the dogs..... I would do a darker color...but like I said it cleans easy...... and lord knows we all have seen the mud on my dogs and they have gotten in and jumped on the couch....:uhoh: :uhoh: :uhoh: There are different grades of leather......


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## Unshaken (Feb 26, 2007)

We have new leather couches and so far so good. Upon really close inspection I can see a couple of scratches that I'm sure are from the cat nails, not Toby. I think the leather is better than fabric for dogs.


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

Everything I've read and heard....leather is better for hair and cleanup....


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## Ardeagold (Feb 26, 2007)

> Everything I've read and heard....leather is better for hair and cleanup....


Yep...and there is no leftover doggie odor unlike cloth which picks up every odor around.

We've had leather for years and years. Ours is a firmer leather than you see above, but it's not slick and hard either. 

I'd never have anything else again. Got rid of carpet, put in tile in the FR/Kitchen. Got rid of a lot of wood, and put in stone/metal/glass tables, and have the leather. We use throw rugs that we can wash, or area rugs that we can hang and air outside. 

Life is easy!


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## Kirby'sMom (Feb 26, 2007)

We have leather. Got it new about 6 months before deciding to get a puppy!! I was worried, but Kirby hasn't hurt it at all. He sleeps up on the couch and loves the recliner!! It's easy to clean and no odor, no hair!


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## LibertyME (Jan 6, 2007)

I dont have leather, but after reading the thread would surely consider it!

I would think that grinding toenails (versus cutting) would help reduce scratches...nice, soft, rounded edges.....


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## vrocco1 (Feb 25, 2006)

Perfect timing. We are thinking of buying leather furniture also for the living room.


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## JPD (Feb 26, 2007)

We just bought a Leather sofa..love seat...and recliner yesterday. WHEW !!!!


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## Rocky (Dec 28, 2006)

We have leather, but I do not let Rocky up on the couch. The plus, it wipes off easy and we have the warranty, so if he does put a whole in it, they will come out and fix it. We have chocolate colored leather and the only thing I notice is that the dog hair has a tendency to static cling to it. I think as long as you regularly clean it and condition it, it would be fine.


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## Liams_Mommy (Jan 11, 2006)

I thought I would throw this in...we don't have leather but we just bought a microfiber (or microsuede) couch and loveseat. I love the look of leather, but find it a bit cold. Plus microfiber is cheaper  

We have a long hair cat too and I find that any hair that gets on it either wipes up or vacuums off so easily. I guess the microsuede doesn't have a weave, so hair can't get trapped in it and spills clean up easily.


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## lgnutah (Feb 26, 2007)

We have leather and dogs nails are no problem. We also have one car with leather seats and this is great regarding dog hair and dirt too. 
The cat claws are a different issue.
Our cat loves to do the growling, wild run through the house which includes going up the back or sides of one sofa across and down another. The leather we have is very thick and sturdy so the claws haven't punctured it, but there are definitely marks there....


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

So generally you all say go for it ?  The only thing I was worried about was the dog nails putting holes/scratches in it, but if you guys say you have little to no damage from them, then I think I'll let my mom know to go ahead and get a new couch


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## moverking (Feb 26, 2007)

Go for it! I just bought ours in December and wish I'd done it years ago!


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## Kirby'sMom (Feb 26, 2007)

GoldenLover84 said:


> So generally you all say go for it ?  The only thing I was worried about was the dog nails putting holes/scratches in it, but if you guys say you have little to no damage from them, then I think I'll let my mom know to go ahead and get a new couch


That was my worry, too, but after a year of Kirby being on it, no problem! We tried to keep him off, but, I guess I'm too much of a softy! He loves laying on it. He even gets goofy and zooms off of it, no scratches or punctures and he even needs his toenails cut as they're a little too long. My cats are declawed, so no problem there. I think it's the best investment we ever made. Should have done it years ago. 

I thought it'd be cold in the winter or hot in the summer, too, but it really isn't. Maybe fake leather would be. I haven't conditoned ours yet. All I do is take a flour sack dishtowel, after I've dried dishes and it's damp, and wipe the couch and chair off. So easy!! 

Microfiber is what we're considering for the family room. But, we tried one out in the furniture store and it was staticky and the dog hair on our jackets clung to the couch!! That didn't make me happy! So, it will probably be leather down there, too.


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## gold'nchocolate (May 31, 2005)

I bought a leather couch and chair with ottoman. If your dogs are allowed on the furniture then leather is the way to go! Both Jack and Biscuit will share the large chair and ottoman....they like that one the best. I think it's because they fit nice and snug in it. Jack does his goofy-ball rolling around on it and nothing has ever happened to it yet. I love it! I solved the static electricity thing by setting up a humidifier.


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## Taz Monkey (Feb 25, 2007)

love love love leather. My leather sofa and loveseat is almost 14 years old. I always told my dad that I wanted it when I got my own place, and he saved it for me. I have had it for 5 years, and had dogs for 4. I love leather. It's so easy to clean, and all you need is a dust buster to get dog hair off, no more scrubbing to get all the hair free from the fibers. Invest in a good leather cleaner and conditioner, and your leather will last you a lifetime. They also sell leather wipes at Target for furniture that work really well for everyday clean up jobs.


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## tintallie (May 31, 2006)

Liams_Mommy said:


> I thought I would throw this in...we don't have leather but we just bought a microfiber (or microsuede) couch and loveseat. I love the look of leather, but find it a bit cold. Plus microfiber is cheaper
> 
> We have a long hair cat too and I find that any hair that gets on it either wipes up or vacuums off so easily. I guess the microsuede doesn't have a weave, so hair can't get trapped in it and spills clean up easily.
> 
> View attachment 4152


We also have microfiber (it's polyester) couches and chairs and all it takes is the vacuum attachment or a quick swipe from the pet hair sticky tape and it's gone.


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## P NUT (Feb 28, 2007)

Leather, leather all the way. As long as it is good quality and not "pleather" (a very plastic or vinyl type of leather "fakery")


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## Tahnee GR (Aug 26, 2006)

I love my leather couch and chair-and so do the dogs! I bought a mid-grade leather and couldn't be happier. I have 2 adult Goldens, 2 Pugs and 2, 4-month old puppies, and they all like it too.

The salesman recommended this set (Ashley) so I asked to see some of the (more expensive) softer leather items. I could sure see why the really expensive stuff would not last-too, too soft.

I have had my set for over a year, and there is not a mark on it. My rambunctious boy even used it as a "push off" when he would have his zoomies between 8 months and a year of age.

Linda
Tahnee Golden Retrievers
Endeavor Golden Retrievers


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