The Best Colors of Carpeting for Houses With Dogs

Dark Colors

• It is often assumed that dark-colored carpets will hide the dirt more than lighter colors. While this is true of general dirt, a dark carpet will show up every speck of dust, debris and hair. If your dog has a light-colored coat, a dark carpet is the worst option, because this light-colored hair will stand out. Even if your dog has only a small patch of white on an otherwise black coat, you will be surprised how much white hair ends up on the carpet.

Light Colors

• Light colors are the extreme opposite of dark colors, but the problems are the same. Oily patches and hair where the dog lies, dirt brought inside on paws and stains from accidents can be extremely tough to remove completely. One option is to have the carpet treated with a stain repellent, along with a regular vacuuming schedule and professional carpet cleaning every six to 12 months. The addition of floor rugs in areas of heavy traffic, such as the hallway, and cozy cushions available for the dog to lie on help to maintain a clean carpet.

Patterned Carpets

• Patterned carpets are by far the best choice for a home with dogs. Although the carpet still will require regular cleaning for health reasons, the dirt won't show up again five minutes after you have vacuumed. If you feel a patterned carpet isn't for you or will not match your interior decor, choose a color somewhere in between dark and light. Earthy-colored carpets will look clean for a lot longer than dark or light options.

Pile

• Pile is another important factor when selecting a carpet. Carpets with loops such as Berber are likely to catch delicate claws and really hold onto hairs, making vacuuming very difficult. Nylon is a far better choice because of its short pile. Another option is natural carpets such as seagrass, sisal, hemp and jute. These carpets are extremely hard-wearing, totally natural, static-free and don't attract dust. An alternative to carpet is wood flooring with large, natural-fiber rugs that almost entirely cover the floor, except for a foot or two of border around the edge of the room.