Dogs - carpets/tiles/laminate floors? Fabric/leather sofas? Washable paint on walls?

Ruby_Moon

gettingready wrote: »

Because they can?
Because they choose to and it is their choice?
etc etc

I understand that part about it.
What I don't understand about it goes much deeper. Its the general attitude today that everything is easily bought, easily ruined and easily replaced.
The attitude of people today is "I will have what I want." or even "What's the problem? If they wreck it, I'll just buy a new one.".
It isn't about if you have enough money. Its about having the attitude of respecting items that you have bought and paid good money for. Making things last, and we need to look after our belongings because that is what makes them last longer.
Most people don't just go pay for a sofa either. They pay on card or by credit which results in debt. The sofas that so many people worked hard for are often ruined through lack of care before they have even been paid off.
I don't believe this attitude rubs off well on children either, as they pick up the same ideas...that everything is easy to get and therefore lack any respect for their items from a young age.
Respecting the furniture that cost a lot of money and making it last for many years to come is easily achieved by using a throw. It gets dirty, wash it and put a spare on.

gettingready

Just so you do not lose your sleep over my sofas Ruby Moon..... I got them for next to nothing off Gumtree... they were 4 years old when I got them - from somoene who had a labrador that also enjoyed those sofas.. for 4 years... I had them for 2 years now and they are fine - good quality leather (not the cheap leather stuff) lasts yearssssssssssssssssss, much longer than any throws.

Now.... take a chill pill

lisawood78

Ruby Moon, if I put throws on my sofas it will encourage them that I want to have them on there, which as I put earlier in the thread I really try not to (more for the fact that there isn't room for them!!)
Plus, they would take them off the sofa and either eat them or lie on them, cos they are big monkeys.
So i'm afraid, if/when they wreck it/we wreck it we will go out and buy a new one and enjoy that also.

gettingready, the only thing mine go in the bathroom for is to drink from the taps, its at a convenient height, and I agree that your dog will create more cleaning than mine, due to coat length. Looks gorgeous though!
What photo did you want, sorry I missed that bit?

lostinrates

Ruby_Moon wrote: »

I understand that part about it.
What I don't understand about it goes much deeper. Its the general attitude today that everything is easily bought, easily ruined and easily replaced.
The attitude of people today is "I will have what I want." or even "What's the problem? If they wreck it, I'll just buy a new one.".
It isn't about if you have enough money. Its about having the attitude of respecting items that you have bought and paid good money for. Making things last, and we need to look after our belongings because that is what makes them last longer.
Most people don't just go pay for a sofa either. They pay on card or by credit which results in debt. The sofas that so many people worked hard for are often ruined through lack of care before they have even been paid off.
I don't believe this attitude rubs off well on children either, as they pick up the same ideas...that everything is easy to get and therefore lack any respect for their items from a young age.
Respecting the furniture that cost a lot of money and making it last for many years to come is easily achieved by using a throw. It gets dirty, wash it and put a spare on.

Actually I do agree with a lot of that: but how things are taken care of is different. For example, I have some saddlery that was used by my great grandfatherm daily, and I still use some of it...its not avoided, its just well maintained, although I keep it for best now, because its beuatiful: these are beautiful old items that to me are irreplacable but I get joy in using them. One of the sofas my dog is allowed on is Victorian, one is much older....and my husbands. The victorian one has had a dog in it since new (through my mother's family), its travelled down a female line who all had spoiled dogs of different breedsEach generation has maintain the sofa, re upholstering etc, and thats why its well covered and protected and dogs aren't allowed in on it when wet or grubby. I love nice linens (and have some antique linen I use too, as well as beautiful new things) and I tend to buy rarely but well: but maintain things. For me maintaining is something I can do while using, not for its own sake and use to suit one's own purpose isn't necessarily misuse or abuse: just care. I put washable layers over my beautiful bedding to protect from the dogs, and its why I try and clean the animals as they enter, immeadiately.

We are lucky to live in a beautiful home, and our animals are part of what makes it beautiful to me. I probably do spend a bit of time cleaning them that I wouldn't have to otherwise, but as you say, it protects our loved things, and the alternative is a disposable life that I like you find undesirable and disrespectful. However, we have different solutions that suit us...as seems pretty reasonable!

Cissi

cyberbob wrote: »

So shampoo it. Its very easy I have a vax that I shampoo the carpet on a regular basis. No problem

Couldn't be bothered to do that every day or even every week to be honest My floors in the rooms where the dog spends his time get mopped most days, only takes a few minutes.

Completely agree with the "no dogs on furniture, in beds or even upstairs" comments. Our dog is a happy, loved member of the family, but he knows his place, which is on the floor!

cyberbob

Ruby_Moon wrote: »

I can't understand it either. Why do people spend so much money on nice furniture just to let their dog sprawl all over it and leave it a dirty mess.

Why do people spend so much money on there furniture just to let there children sprawl all over it and leave it in a dirty mess

gettingready

cyberbob wrote: »

Why do people spend so much money on there furniture just to let there children sprawl all over it and leave it in a dirty mess

Or drunk friends... or... LOL

gettingready

Introducing .. Chloe - my friend's cat who was with me for a few weeks as he needs to rehome her - unfortunately she wanted to kill my little dog Zara and did not want to make friends with the dog and believe me, my dog was tryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyying so much to make friends with Chloe and I so much wanted to keep her - she would NOT have anything to do with Zara though so after 3 weeks my friend took her back to his place... She is such a lovely little thing, about 2.5 years old, semi long haired tabby with bushy tail, short legs (she walks like a ferret LOL0 and black feet.. not socks but actually feet... When she wants a cuddle (and she wants it a lot) she headbuts you till you give her one, little lovely purring machine

- if anyone from London is looking for a catttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt....

As you can see on the photos, Chloe is a true woman, likes to be in the kitchen and sleep under the covers.. she sits on the setee to watch the telly too











By the way - the pink/black room with Playboy bedding belongs to my daughter ....Chloe was eating on the bed because it was her first night here and she did not wanted to move anywhere, just adopted my daughter's bed... Few days later she moved onto my bed.. then to the kitchen and the living room.

If it is not for her hating dogs, I would have kept her...

Fire_Fox

May I take this opportunity to remind everyone NOT to feed the trolls?

gettingready

Fire Fox - fancy a kitty?