I don't have any flooring suggestions, but you may want to consider crate-training your dogs, so that they don't have free run of the house when you're not there. You can also train them to stay with you when you are home, so they don't go "sneaking downstairs."

Ceramic tile. Can you do pet gates and keep them in the kitchen when you are not there?

I've also adopted several tramatized dogs. I had to leash them and tie the free end to myself to keep them with me at all times until they got over their problem. Finally they have worked it out. It wasn't their fault--they had very rough lives before they came here. They also are not allowed in certain rooms--which they are perfectly fine with. This is something easily trained into a dog--in nature, around the den, the alpha dogs have "territories" that are off limits to the rest of the pack--it's in their DNA to accept this.

I'd buy something on a roll and lay it down. There are attractive patterns these days, including those that look like tile. Goes down easy, cleans up easy, no grout to absorb the residue, and replaces easy later on. They're also heavy enough that they don't have to be glued, except maybe near the edge (optional).

I'd also recommend crate training and tying the dogs to you whenever they are out of the crate so they can't have "accidents." Tile is your best option if you have animals who are not housebroken.

We are in the same situation. We have several dogs and one has ruined the carpet in the basement. Yes we are training but we have to deal with it in the meantime.

We are now agonizing over what to put below-grade with its possible moisture problems.

Your floor is on the "walkout level". Does that mean it is a basement with a walkout door? if so, consider it below-grade.

Anyway, our house has a mix of flooring - ceramic, vinyl, hardwood, and the carpet which will soon be gone. The ceramic, vinyl, and hardwood clean up OK. The ceramic is impervious but the sealed grout is not. Grout sealer is stripped by ammonia, and urine contains ammonia. The hardwood is old-skool (sic) oak both sanded and poly coated. The vinyl tile endures d--n near anything

But none of those are perfectly good below-grade with moisture wicking up through the concrete. If we use laminate, I'll put down a plastic film. If vinyl, I need to apply a concrete conditioner , not a sealer but something else. If ceramic, I will first apply a Ditra membrane.

Laminate just does not appeal to me for sanitary and durability reasons. The pet urine and its proteins will get between the joints and be absorbed by the paperboard composition. anyone, please correct me if I am wrong.

Ceramic is great over concrete. I've done several rooms but I just don't want to lay 600 sq ft in the basement and I can't afford others to do it.

Which leaves vinyl tile. And I am hesitant about vinyl for our basement because the concrete gets wet.

Thanks for your responses!

I do keep the most problematic dog in a crate at night. I think it will be difficult to train them to stay out of the downstairs, but I could try it.

I don't think it would be practical for me to tie my dogs to me with a leash. One is a very well-muscled 45 pounder, another is around 70 pounds. Also, they are getting older and have started sleeping a great deal of the day.

I like the idea of training them that downstairs is "off limits."

Karen

Measure Twice:

Have you considered concrete staining and etching? Apparently many people are very happy with it. I don't *think* it would look right in my house, but I can see how it could be beautiful. This is something that people can do for themselves I am told.

The dogs lack of training, is no accident. That is totally unacceptable. It is a big bio-hazard.
Your kids don't go downstairs and poo & pee on the floor, do they?

If you must put up with your lack of training. Cheap sheet vinyl is going to be about your best bet. But no flooring is warranted against urine, or intestinal track acids.

Stand up and be "The Pack Leader" Show that dog who is boss!!

This warrants a call to cesar milan :)

The best floor would be vinyl. It's probably not what you want to hear. There is some nice wood and tile look vinyl out now. Good vinyl (not the cheap stuff) is very durable and easy to take care of and poo and pee would not be a problem to clean up.

Trade the dogs for a cat...

I do love Cesar Milan! And his show has helped me with my dogs. The dominant (coon hound x?) dog who has had four different homes before me is so so much better thanks to Cesar. But I'm not sure that this would be his domain. My dogs do get exercise and limits. I am the pack leader. But I think I would have to catch them "in the act" to correct them. Easier said than done!

My concerns are more about smells and stains. (I do have two cats. Never thought I could love them like a dog, but I do!)

I actually can really like the look of vinyl - and I am a practical girl. But I think it is out of the question for this house. It would look too out of place.

Thanks for all your responses.

Krylander, I agree either vinyl or finished concrete. For enough money you can get REALLY REALLY beautiful and expensive looking vinyl. Sorry, don't know the brand, but I had to look hard to see if it was real wood. There are many classic looks you can get. Ditto the finished concrete, but I would not get any cuts or etches in it, you don't need those grooves for "stuff" to gather in. I've seen beautiful suede like look. Just make sure it gets well sealed. I wonder if it can be treated and just re-sealed as time goes on.

Best wishes on your situation and keep loving those dogs.

Spidermonkey! Couldn't have said it better myself. The woman didn't ask those self righteous idiots anything about "How to train a dog" she simply asked what flooring was better. My dog is 10 years old now, and a better dog you can not find. I potty trained him from a baby, and he was excellent until recently. Now that he is older he seems to forget that and other things. It seems at times he has some kind of dementia. Now would any of you know-it-alls put your grandmother in a crate? No, you adapt, that is why the lady was asking for help. And for that matter so was I, and only a handfull of these people did that. If you can't help, don't say anything.

I also have an old dog that is on water pills, and a young one that is just not"getting it". They both wear dog diapers. You can find them on e-bay for not too much money. I have thought about what type of flooring would be better too. We will be moving, and I thought hard wood would be better than carpet, or maybe the laminate.

Bamboo Flooring

Bamboo is an excellent choice for homes with pets, for many different reasons. It�s harder than the hardest hardwoods, meaning it will stand up to more traffic. It won�t wear out, and it�s completely renewable, so it makes a good choice for those who are trying to be green. It is stain resistant, so people don�t have to worry about accidents or spills. Due to bamboo�s hardness it will save money compared to repairing other types of flooring. For those who are trying to decide between using hardwood and vinyl flooring, choosing bamboo floors is a great compromise.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dana Brown

The only room my dog "goes" in is the bathroom! Is it possible the stone grout from previous owners has dog urine in it?

And kudos to you, Humane Society Dog Lover. I had a girl from there that was The Best Dog Ever, and I owe her my life. Since then we've only taken rescue dogs, but also one who was thrown out of a van at Walgreen's. Life with Rascal was--a real adventure!! ;D

Can bamboo ACTUALLY stand up to the dampness of a bathroom? (not the dog pee, the steam, etc.!) ;)

My dog was born with a deformed kidney, and already had one operation which did not work. It turns out her internal organs are not too good. So, therefore even though she is toilet trained, she keeps leaking. It is not her fault and no type of training will change her deformed body. I have replaced carpet with vinyl flooring, and forever mopping it. She has puppy training pads on her bed and a different places. Also in the car. So I am also desperate to find a better solution for a better type of durable flooring that doesn't discolour, and is more appealing to look at. Any ideas?

I find Brazilian Cherry floors hold up to pee mistakes if you clean them up immediately.

thank you

Have you come up with a solution? I want to make a floor for a larg dog pen. Perhaps something machine washable on top and no leak flooring on bottom? Any ideas? Perhaps a vinyl piece of flooring and top of my porcelain floor an then attach a thick machine wash material from a fabric store which can be washed while another is placed?? Ideas?

My dog is old and on diuretics :(

Findit77, a company called PoochPads make a waterproof, washable fabric pad, that I believe come in sizes up to 48 x 60. They also make dog diapers and wraps. I have a little disabled dog that is in her Iris x pen most of the time on these. They've been a godsend for me! Very absorbent and wash up well...

Vinyl or porcelain tile, tile can soak in the smell. That is what I would suggest as the best options but urine can do a lot of damage to any type of flooring product.

I've researched A LOT on this and found that Cork is the way to go but you must be careful that it comes from Portugal. Anywhere else is likely to be mixed with something and you want 100%. Cork is naturally water repellent, antimicrobial, resistant to mold and mildew. It is a little pricey but well worth it. A bonus is it is bug repellent and great for those with allergies. Unfortunately, there is no sealant so far that resists ammonia which is the main component of pet urine. Waterproof only means water, we are dealing with a chemical here. That being said, while not resistant to it cork holds up best to the ammonia, meaning you still have to thoroughly clean that spot with the proper cleaner but not within 5 minutes of the dog peeing. Less wiggle room with waterproof sealants but cheaper. Definitely want to go for vinyl or tile if looking for the cheapest route and no floating floors or sticky floors use grout and seal it well and stay on top of cleaning. Again make sure you use the appropriate cleaners. BTW I have 3 Chihuahua's one who is an inbred so had some incontinent issues and another who was diagnosed with diabetes so also has some issues with incontinence it was just suggested to me to try a belly band so I am going to look into that. I hope I was of some help. Good luck.

If you think about it, porcelain tile is probably the best bet. There is a special grout out now that doesn't require a sealant called fusion pro. Tile is used in showers - there is water, sweat, soap, kids, etc., and it doesn't leak. Use a good cement board underneath and to be extra careful paint the subfloor with Kilz original or Kilz max or a water-based polyurethane to seal it before applying the cement board. This also works for stopping permanent stains thru carpets. I spoke to professional home repair people who handle disasters, like when our piping in the ceiling broke. To repair a stained carpet, they take it up along with the pad, paint the floor or seal it, put down a new pad with a moisture proof barrier, then put back the old carpet and clean it. The stains come out and you have a stain free floor. Vinyl also works but does not stand up to wear like tile does. Finally, there are so many reasons a dog may have an accident in the house that you can't control. For example, we are expecting puppies. They will arrive in December and it will be down into the teens and 20s so they won't be going outside. Don't think they are going to be born crate-trained. I've rescued and fostered many dogs and puppies over the past 40 years and you just do your best and give them love.

I had this problem with an elderly dog. I installed heavy inlaid linoleum and it cleaned up beautifully. I always made sure that the final rinse water on the floor had some bleach in it to sanitize.

LVT is the way to go now, it looks so good now and since it's vinyl it cleans up very well. I would never put down hardwood like I have now even though it has not been damaged by my old ones, it is so much easier with vinyl plank and a lot less stress. I have tile in the new tile in the bath and I worry about cleaning the grout in the future. I have never seen any grout a few years old that looks good.

You can buy britches with Velcro and come in different cotton looking colors. Put a pad inside. Throw it in the wash after a quick rinse. I took care of an older dog and it was a way of life. Owners were smart and dealt with it directly. I have a neighbor who never trained her dog and it lifts its leg cause it can. She should consider this unacceptable but she is not concerned or sorry. I think she bought them on line. It's a simple answer.

I have the exact problem! My old dog can’t hold it, has hip nerve damage and can’t feel it! I’m thinking of either painting concrete or or The lanolin option. I would love to know what you decided to do!! Good luck!

The grout WILL smell and discolour! We have the same issue with tile floors and a cat who shows her displeasure at not being able to go outside when she wants by peeing in front of all 3 doors in the landing. I have tried everything from Javex to enzyme cleaners - the enzyme works for the smell, but the grout is ruined. Hubby is taking up the tile now and I am on the hunt to find something better. Suggestions would be most welcome!

How about painting the concrete with an epoxy type paint?