Considering leather sofa but I have a dog that sits me and am concerned about damage

So we are upgrading our sofa and considering leather. I have been reading quite a bit but consider myself a novice. I am not sure I can tell the difference between fine leather and fake leather, I am sorry to say. So besides needing to get up to speed. I am concerned my Cocker Spaniel will damage the sofa as he gets on/off the sofa. In fact I was considering trying to find a color/type of leather where the additional scratches from a dog would fit right in.

So should I wait til we no longer have a dog? Can one find a finish/leather that would meet my needs?

(The sofa upgrade arises because we have just completely redone our home due to water damage from a fire. So the current beat up fabric sofa won't really fit).

You can definitely tell the difference between fine leather and vinyl (fake leather). Its telling the difference between cheaper leathers and vinyl that's hard to do, because essentially they are both embossed with a grain pattern and painted.

There is no dog-proof leather. On finished leathers they can scratch the topcoat, and on better aniline hides they can stain the leather. But the reality is that most dogs don't damage the hides in my experience (I currently have a Westie, and he doesn't bother or damage any of our leather pieces). If you get a pooch that wants to get after it though - all bets are off! I have both finished and aniline in my family room, and our dogs have always gone from one to another will no ill effects.

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Originally Posted by drcollie

You can definitely tell the difference between fine leather and vinyl (fake leather). Its telling the difference between cheaper leathers and vinyl that's hard to do, because essentially they are both embossed with a grain pattern and painted.

There is no dog-proof leather. On finished leathers they can scratch the topcoat, and on better aniline hides they can stain the leather. But the reality is that most dogs don't damage the hides in my experience (I currently have a Westie, and he doesn't bother or damage any of our leather pieces). If you get a pooch that wants to get after it though - all bets are off! I have both finished and aniline in my family room, and our dogs have always gone from one to another will no ill effects.

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I guess I was too hard on myself. Yes I can tell vinyl from leather but as you state I would be a poor judge of leather grades. When you say stain the leather on good aniline can you elaborate?

My dog currently will jump on the cloth couch and "rub" himself. You know what I mean, when a dog finds an odor they like (or are trying to rub off an odor?) they stretch out and roll around on their backs. And in doing so he is trying to schooch forward and pushes off with his feet. So the nails would be scratching on the surface. Same thing if he gets wet, though I expect he likes the moisture absorbing nature of the cloth. Until I wrote this note I did not realize how poorly I have trained this dog......

Naively I was hoping for a leather type and treatment that already looked pre-marred. And maybe a used couch is what I need. But then the dog treatment would just add to the distressed look.

Sure. Anilines typically do not have the top-coating that Finished leathers do. Many just have a light coat of a teflon product on the surface and that's all. So, they can more apt to absorb oily/greasy and acid-based spills.

No one knows your lifestyle like you do. For most homes, either leather is fine with pets, but if you have a dog that is really up and down on the leather furniture, you have to think about the scratching or staining issues. Probably the most durable cover on the market is medical grade vinyl. It looks like leather, is as expensive as real leather, and NOTHING short of fire can damage it.

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Originally Posted by drcollie

Sure. Anilines typically do not have the top-coating that Finished leathers do. Many just have a light coat of a teflon product on the surface and that's all. So, they can more apt to absorb oily/greasy and acid-based spills.

No one knows your lifestyle like you do. For most homes, either leather is fine with pets, but if you have a dog that is really up and down on the leather furniture, you have to think about the scratching or staining issues. Probably the most durable cover on the market is medical grade vinyl. It looks like leather, is as expensive as real leather, and NOTHING short of fire can damage it.

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Thanks for the thoughts. I had never heard of medical grade vinyl and maybe I will keep an eye open. Do any of the manufacturer's I see reviewed on this site have such a covering?

The dog is always up/down. If I am on the couch he is there by my side. I get up and he gets up. So I think I will wait on leather until I am dogless some long time in the future. This site and your comments have been very helpful. I am glad I found this site.

To find medical grade vinyl, you will probably have to look at companies that manufacture and sell to the healthcare industry. I have never seen a residential furniture dealer (or manufacturer) that used medical grade vinyl.

I've done a few pieces on H&M (they have a medical division under a different name), but the good stuff is as costly as a GR 3 leather. Most my customers for this are people that for personal reasons want the durability of leather, but no use of animal products in their home. Its quite nice actually, but not cheap. Here's a photo of a recliner I did in that material, called Ultra 2 (medical-grade vinyl)

As to having the dog on leather, I have to say I think you're over-thinking it some. Just get a leather like H&M Caress series and you'd be fine! Its durable, low or no sheen to not show scratches, and wipes clean with a damp rag...

I'm sure you are tired of this topic, and no sofa is dog-proof or scratch proof, but if you could clear a few things for me I would appreciate it. Went shopping two wks ago one furniture store the salesperson told me no matter what leather hide you go with it will scratch. Okay his dogs maybe rough so this could happen. The next store I went to told me to be sure the hide is dyed completely, dipped. Does she mean a aniline hide vs protected?? Now if Idecided on the unprotected, as you suggested, I should not get too crazy about protected vs unprotected, but the feel and then color? Right? So if I did go with unprotected and followed the cleaning twice a year or more due to the fact I have two small dogs that are allowed on the sofa when we are home only! This should be okay?? Or to safe only look and feel the protected hides. thanks for your time

Maxie-ann, you might want to take a look at the Duane's primer on leather: http://www.myfurnitureforum.com/showthread.php?1517

The best way to figure out if a leather meets your needs is to get a non-returnable sample, and test it with scratches and spills of various kinds.

Thanks, I will read that and try to get some samples over the weekend and test some. That will ease my mind and help me deciding on what hide I hope. thanks again