Is it a big or small dog? Long or short hair? Do you keep the nails clipped?

i have two dogs that are not allowed on the furniture. They sit on our laps, or run outside.

Our dog is smallish and has short hair. I found if I clip her nails they are still sharp. She is 10 yrs old and set in her ways. I must admit she is a part of the family and we all love a snuggle on the couch , she is a snuggly dog and always wants to be with us inside or out.

vinyl for sure!

We have a warwick microsuede couch (prob 8-9yo) that has held up very well to dogs (short haired incessant shedders big and small and one who licks paws on couch) and kids (oh my, it has copped the lot!). I'm not sure if it recommended but the slip covers come up well after a cold, gentle machine wash.

Another vote for leather from a person with an old lab who loves to drop fur everywhere.

Like my hubby.

I have to join the chorus recommending leather. Be prepared to spend up front, as cheap leather is thin leather, and will tear. Vinyl is useless, as it will tear, and fabric? That could actually work if you get two or three sets of loose covers that you can wash and change often. But for that price you may as well go with good leather.

Definitely leather and, as others have said, good quality. Think about colour too - over the years we have had dark green and black and both were forgiving colours. With one dog who liked to dig a nest some soft knitted throws did the trick.

If looking at leather, check out the warranty also. Don't be fooled by pleather lounges! Ours came with a long term warranty that included pet damage. Good qual is hard to put a hole through. It may scratch but so will sitting down with keys in your pocket :) On a side note though leather takes on oils from skin contact and will smell doggy- To fix the scratching, oil and smell issue use a washable rug that you can remove when guests come over. Best of both worlds.

sorry but my dog is not allowed on the couch but if it was me ... I would not go to the expense of leather and I would stick with vinyl that way you can use cleaning products on it, if required. It is never to late to train the dog(s) off the couch if you give them, their own bed and blankets that can be washed once a week to keep any dog smell at bay.

We have the Ektorp Ikea couch for the last 10 years. The thing that I learned from that couch is that there are fabrics where the dog hair doesn't stick to terribly and that I want to continue having slip covers in the future again.

So my recommendation: a couch where you can wash the covers.

Also, if you dremmel the nails( or manually file the edges with a regular nail file for people), then they won't be sharp.

Agree with @zealart, emery board to file down any sharp nails. We have a fabric lounge and I purchased a sheep skin rug for our pooch to sit on. Our dog, Ellie, loves it and knows it's her spot.

(P.S. @Lilliana Lees, I just noticed your gorgeous dog in your photo - wow, definitely well camouflaged in the blanket )

Some absolutely fabulous ideas ! Thanks for the the doggy pictures. I love the outdoor fabric covered couches as posted by Q Design, now that's thinking outside the box! I just have to find someone that will do this in Victoria, Australia, If Its not available, then I will choose good leather with a sheepskin or throw for the dog.

I've gone for leather and I cover the seats with a snugly throw rug. Easy to wash and helps prevent scratching. Also easy to remove when you want a tidier look.

Not that you need further endorsement of leather. But we have always had dogs and have 2 black leather couch suites. They don't look any different from dogs, just age from being sat in, but we are talking 7-10 years for one and up to 20 years for the other couch. Best recommendation is not buying cheap leather couches. If you can afford it go for leather.

What an awesome job!

Definitely leather! They're easy to wipe down, and won't hold on to any dog hair. Don't do vinyl - the difference between leather and vinyl is that vinyl gets worse over time, but a good quality leather will get even better the more beaten up it gets.