Choosing flooring if you have dogs is sometimes an exercise in serious frustration. After all, what withstands those wet spots you get from time to time?

If you have a dog or even cats, you will identify with this consumer dilemma: what type of flooring is good to have for animals that leave little piles of unidentified matter on the floor (usually at 3:00 am where you step in it)? Well OK, we all know what we’ve stepped in, but the real question is what about the floor tiles? And it’s not just trying to handle the wet spots and other goodies deposited by accident; it’s about dealing with nice long nails that leave scratches on the floor.

If you’re serious about a floor that handles pets with ease, check out planks for luxury vinyl tiles. These are newer products on the market and they really do a good job of making you think the floor is natural work or other types of tile. You could use real wood, but the stories we could tell you about that kind of flooring and puppies would curl your hair.

On the newer products, you get registered embossing, which basically just means you get a good feel when you handle them. Since they simulate what the real thing would look and feel like, you get some advantages here. For instance, the durability of these new tiles is amazing and it is very hard to scratch or even scuff the planks or tiles.

And this is the thing you have been waiting for: they are waterproof. So the next time your dog accidently pees on the floor, the urine doesn’t affect the tiles. And no, the smell won’t linger either. If this kind of tile fits your lifestyle, then ask your flooring contractor about Konnecto or Earthwerks. There are several other tile manufacturers out there as well that your contractor will know about.

If you would prefer natural tile, that would work as well. They don’t scratch easily, nor do they tend to stain if the sealant is applied properly. If not, then it defeats the purpose of repelling liquids and there would also be lingering odor. In any event, this is definitely another option if you have older dogs and cats that don’t have accidents as much as the younger crowd.

And last, but not least, would be choosing the trusty, sturdy standby, vinyl flooring. If you choose high end material, it does well when repelling scratches and liquids. The main thing with this type of flooring is that a lot of people don’t like how it looks. In other words, it is functional, will do the job, is a bit less expensive, but if you don’t like the way it looks, what’s the point?