Being an animal lover, I would take the suggestion and use a throw.

I have three cats, and don't particuliarly like them laying on my bedsread, so I keep a washable blanket on the bed at all times, only to be removed when I know i'll be showing the house to someone. ;o)

My pup is allowed up on couch and bed at certain times (only when invited) and he's definitely gotten saliva on my bedspread without leaving any mark. He also drools all over his dog cushion, which has cream sides, without leaving marks.

Is this specific to certain breeds? I've never heard of this problem.

Several years ago we were visiting friends in Idaho - they had two sharpei dogs, one who drooled 24/7. I had on black jeans one evening and the next day it looked like someone had poured bleach where the dog's saliva had dripped. No kidding.

Yes it stains, our bichon stained many things permanently; I read somewhere that Accent salt can remove them, I have not tried it though. Try also the pet forum perhaps for more hints for those stains.

Odd. I wonder if it's a diet and/or breed difference. One of my girls, Gracie, has systemic allergies* which cause her to lick a lot (mostly her paws). My other girl, Miss Lucci, has this "thing" about licking sofas and beds. We visit family fairly frequently with dogs in tow so I've seen lots of fabric with lots of puppy saliva. Never noticed any stains, though. the boy. Casanova, licks but rarely.

They're all chihuahuas, BTW.

*She is on a specialized diet and under excellent care just in case anyone is concerned.

patty cakes: I'm researching as I type. I found a waterproof comforter on Orvis that looks like a good idea. No nylon backing so our pup is more likely to use it.

jeannine: I don't know if it is true only of certain breeds, but our dog is a Havanese, which is in the Bichon family. So maybe it's only small dogs? (Thankfully we're not talking about the buckets of saliva from a St. Bernard!)

wodka: that sounds right as our purported puppy stains caused the couch fabric to lose color. It's as if that area had been bleached, rather than stained in the truer sense.

mitchdesj: I'll keep the Accent in mind with clothing issues, but I don't think I'll attempt anything with the couch.

I still don't know what that newer, darker stain is, but I guess a comforter will protect the couch from anything further. Thanks for the comments.

Yeah, I'm wondering about the breed as well. We've a one year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and while she is not a drooling dog (that's not in the breed), we have caught her occasionally licking the upholstery. And, like pbrisjar's Miss Lucci, often licking duvet covers / pillow cases. (She l-o-v-e-s the children [& their scents] and one of the cats is her best friend, so we suspect that's her motivation.) I just went and looked again at my four year-old's (he's the puppy's "daddy") duvet and pillows and cannot see any puppy-remnants ....

What's your puppy's breed?

That is strange! I have a pup - yorki-poo and while she is not a drooler, I'm sure she has gotten saliva on some type of fabric. Never any discoloration or bleaching though. I too wonder if it is the breed or the diet?

It's great they are going to re-do the cushion! I'd go with some type blanket/throw, personally I cannot see keeping a family pet off furniture.

tina

My Golden Retriever loves to lick the couch. I have a solid color fabric and yes yuck it leaves big wet looking stains even after it has dried. I am able to wash most of it out but still is noticeable. This is the second couch she has done this with, two distinctly different fabrics as well. I know she does it as a comforting/boredom sort of thing. I guess it's better than tearing everything apart like some dogs do. Did the furniture company suggest how to clean it? What with?

This is a really timely post for me. I bred and showed Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers for 14 years, had Wheatens for 25 years, and never noticed any stains.

But now I have a mohair velvet couch. Yes it really does have a marvelous glow. But I was just vacuuming it and noticed two spots on it. Not paw shaped, btw. But the only explanation I have for it is my hyper, ADD dog who loves to jump on and off it at breakneck speed, darn her.

Now I'm thinking about a cover too. What a drag!

I wonder if it has something to do with the saliva? I know that lots of small dogs, Havanese included, have an enzyme or something in their tears and saliva that causes their light fur or hair to turn a reddish color. We have been giving our dog Angel Eyes, a supplement, that lessens the reddish staining of her hair. Our pup is also on a wheat-free and corn-free diet, so maybe that has something to do with it too.

Then again, maybe it's a combo of the breed of dog AND the type of fabric. We don't seem to be having a problem with other pieces of furniture, just the mohair couch.

I did find some waterproof comforters but they're pretty big. Everything else I found was fleece on one side and nylon on the other. I'd prefer both sides to be soft--more like a throw than a pad, if that makes sense.

If you want to keep the dog off the sofa, try aluminum foil. My stubborn bulldogs made a home out of a loveseat in our sunroom, but then I had the loveseat recovered and I didn't want them on it any more. I figured it would be nearly impossible, but someone (perhaps on this forum) told me to put a sheet of aluminum foil across the seat. Well, it worked like magic. One of the dogs jumped on the sofa once, immediately jumped off, and never tried again. Dog #2 was too scared to even try once. Something about the shiny foil? or the little noise it made? I don't know, but I thought it was pretty amazing. P.S. We kept the foil on the loveseat for a few weeks, then took it off and the dogs still haven't gotten up there.

We have one sofa that we allow our dog on and I keep a doubled up flat sheet on one half of it - that's where he's allowed. If he licks his paws, I'll find paw prints on the sheet but they do wash out - easy to do with a sheet. No, it's not the most fashion forward look, but it's easy to whip off when we have company and for family.....well, the dog is family, too!

My 2 labs are lickers and I've never noticed any stain. I am wondering if it is particular breeds that leave behind a stain? Thank heavens labs don't, for I'd be replacing duvet covers, etc. on a daily basis!

Maybe ask your vet. Perhaps you breed has a more acidic system causing the saliva to leave a stain?

Even baby saliva can stain, LOL! My cousin's child drooled on a pair of black pants and I can still see the mark.

Sue B that was me with the aluminum. works like a charm. Trainer told me -not my original idea.
Our guys aren't allowed on the furniture or beds( park benches outside are ok and Cooper likes run and jump on top of the picnic table to escape Bailey)
Cooper is now a slim 98lbs and Bailey 80 lbs so they are just too big. It sure keeps the furniture hairfree and cleaner. We cuddle with them on the carpet.
Cooper is small time drooler when he is hot or nervous( doesnt antfish like a Newfie.) and his drool dries white on my pants of course- but it doesn't stain it wipes off with damp cloth. He also lays on our Karastan orientals and they are not stained either.
(we send them out to be cleaned btw) Bailey's saliva doesnt stain either.
I have never had a dog with staining saliva. Maybe its the angel eyes supplements? anyones guess I think.
Good luck with that.

I have only had one piece of furniture stain from dog drool and licking-- and it was the one piece with guardian protection. I wonder if it isnt a chemical reaction with their protection chemicals and saliva?? It sounded like Guardian was sure aware of the problem.

I have a mastiff/rottie mix-- and she has an adrenal tumor so she drools a lot. None of my clothes, rugs or other furniture have been stained. I had to replace the sofa because the seats and arms were a mess (she liked to lay on the sofa with her head draped over the arm-- in fact, both my dogs love pillows or headrests.. what a princess!)

FWIW, I have been told that licking furniture, rugs, and the air are all signs of an upset tummy. Grace gets an upset tummy often from her cancer and as soon as I see her licking anything, I give her a pepcid. It works like a charm.

As for the throw-- I wouldnt worry about waterproofing unless your puppy also "leaks". All you need is a barrier between her tongue/damp feet and the fabric-- she shouldnt be generating enough saliva to wet through the throw into the upholstery.

I have a 1 yr old English Mastiff, black face and brindle. I have him groomed and still I find black smudges on my velvet coverlet. It does come out in the wash but washing it three or four times a week has ruined the once beautiful look. So it is not just small breeds.