You love your dog – that's a given. Unfortunately, having a dog means thinking a little harder when you make any home improvements, such as picking out carpet flooring. Carpets are nice for dogs because they offer a soft, warm surface on which to walk and sleep, and carpet isn't slippery like tile, wood, or vinyl. 

Of course, some carpets work better than others. Here are just five tips dog owners should follow when looking for a carpet.  

1. Look for Low-Pile Options

One thing you'll already know is that dogs can track mud and dirt into your home. There's no way to prevent that entirely, but you can reduce damage by choosing a dense low-pile carpet. Dirt won't be able to penetrate far, so you'll be able to get it all with a simple vacuuming.

2. Avoid Looped Style Carpet

Some carpets are looped. Berber carpet is probably the most well-known example. Looped carpet can look great, but it's not ideal for dog owners since their claws can get caught in open loops. That can lead to snags or even extensive unravelling. Instead, choose a cut-pile carpet and make sure you trim your dog's nails on a regular basis.

3. Pick a Matching Colour

Still wondering which colour carpet to pick? You might want to take inspiration from your dog's coat. After all, they are going to lose hair each day, and picking a carpet that matches means this won't be too obvious. For example, if you have a black Labrador you should think twice about choosing a white carpet.

4. Choose a Stain-Resistant Fabric

Even the most well-behaved of dogs can still have an accident here and there. That means your carpet could be exposed to liquid and solid waste, not to mention things like chewed-up grass and mud. That's why choosing a stain-resistant fabric is so important. Stains will sit on the surface of your carpet instead of sinking in, so they'll be easy to clean up. Polypropylene and nylon are good choices for this.

5. Go for Waterproof Backing

Finally, try to lay down a carpet with waterproof backing. Again, this is down to the fact that all dogs can have accidents. If yours relieves itself on your carpet, you want to know none of it is going to seep through to the underfloor. This can present unpleasant odours and even cause structural damage, which is clearly something you want to avoid.