My ladies have their very own sofa in the conservatory, and it has now reached the end of its life so I am looking for a replacement.
My initial thought was to have a fabric one with washable covers (I always use throws on top as well), but have been toying with the idea of leather as I wonder if this will resist "odour de doggie" better than fabric.

If your dogs are allowed on your sofa do you have fabric or leather? Which would you recommend and why?

Thank you x

I have leather sofas. Easy to wipe clean and don't retain odours. Just need to find one big enough to accommodate all the dogs and still leave room for me :)

When we replaced a sofa years ago, we decided to go for leather as we had come to realise that GR hairs don't stick (like glue) to leather as they do to everything else! One of my GR's enjoyed sitting on the sofa with me, but when we bought the leather ones home we decided that we weren't letting the dogs on them in case their nails scratched or made holes in the leather. Bit self defeating really. As it happened, this particular leather was a good quality one and would probably have withstood dog nails quite well. We now have some different leather chairs and sofa and will be unlikely to have the new pup on them either, but they are great for not getting dog hairs on them, they just slide off. If you are prepared to continue with the throws and also make sure you have a care insurance with the purchase, which will cover scratches etc with pets, then I say go for it.

Tried both and by far leather are best and just for comfort i pop a throw over them which gets washed. I have never bought new though, i always get people seconds if they have a new one.

> If your dogs are allowed on your sofa do you have fabric or leather?

We have two sofas - one of each (in different rooms) - dogs are not allowed on the leather sofa. One of our two dogs never goes on the other sofa (unless to bark at the postman etc - she has only ventured onto the sofa since we have moved, she was never allowed to go on the sofa in our previous house). The sofa is fabric and has a very large throw on it (very thick cotton 'sheet' type bedspread from The Range - the cream colour reminds me to wash it). This suits us well as we found when using a throw on the leather sofa that it slipped off all the time. The sofa is about 20 years old and still in excellent condition which is another beneft of using a throw :) :) I have two identical throws, so one can be in the wash.

However, the next dog will not be allowed on any sofa :)

Leather, always, as it wipes clean and fur does not stick. I only EVER buy on Ebay for a maximum of £50 for a 3 seater or £100 for two 3 seaters or one corner couch, and replace EVERY YEAR, always. That way it doesn't matter how much damage is done. With my latest pup, I'm giving up on our current corner one which I've had for 9 months, and am looking to replace now. Just imagine if I'd paid new price for it!! And on Ebay you can get almost new ones for next to nothing. I lost out last week as our van is broken and we therefore had no way to transport furniture, when a 9 month old leather couch sold for £5.50!

Leather every time, although I do have a very large padded mat on top to avoid claws/nail damage. The mat I have is the sort you buy to go inside a crate, only a very large size one. It fits at least 2/3 dogs on it and a little space at the end for me. ( A bit like my bed really with just a little space on the edge for me !!!!)

we have fabric sofa's, we put a big throw over it and spary it down with fabric freshener when needed, but the fur when moulting does coat it.
I don't like leather sofa's the ones friends have had when its been hot you stick to them and they have felt freezing in winter when you first sit down.

I think it may depend on the type of leather, one of our sofa's is a rough finish leather in a natural rather beaten up colour, it's been great and has resisted the claws of many an enthusiastic Staffie, the leather does mark, but sit on it a few times, and the marks just disappear.
One of my friends however, got a sofa with a fine shiney finish in a rather smashing bright red, it didn't last very long at all, the leather soon looked awful and started peeling.

What do you put in the search engine for a £5.50 sofa Goldmali :o :o Only ones I ever see are £200 =+ :(
Lea :)

There's often some starting at 99 p Lea. :) I've set Ebay to send me daily e-mails (saved search) for 3 or 4 seater leather sofas in my selected colours, within 25 miles, price up to £100. There's at least a few every week.

Our dogs don't go on the furniture in the sitting room or the snug (all furniture leather but different types in different rooms), they have their own leather settee in the kitchen, we've had it for nearly 15 years, it's been fab, just wipes clean, after I've taken the 2 bottom cushions off and hovered the base, I spray the fabric base with Febreeze, when dry, replace the cushions.

I've just had a look on E Bay, some cracking sofa's for very little money, I'd be very tempted by a couple if they weren't all collection only in England.
There's a really sweet wee two seater brown job for £50, and a couple of big heefters, for £150 or under.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LEATHER-SOFA-AN-CHAIR-/171101111961?pt=UK_Home_Garden_LivingRoom_Sofas_UK&hash=item27d66bc699

1hour left at £51..... Buyer picks up in Sheffield...looks to be a bargain.

If you are putting blankets or throws over then I dont think it really matters if you go for leather or fabric.
If you do get a leather sofa you may have to look at a way or securing the throw as it will probably slip off the sofa.
Presumably you arent too bothered about claw marks or scratches as that is the other danger with leather?

Thank you for all the replies..

my last one was a £100 ebay purchase and has been brilliant so will be going down that route again. I am not fussed about scratches etc, I suppose my biggest concern is odour, as however vigilant I am over a period of time the fabric one is definitely "odour de doggy" even though it has throws over it, which are changed daily, and the actual covers are washed fortnightly, and the foam is sprayed at the same time with febreze I do wonder if leather resists the smell better than fabric?

I think it does, I have one all leather sofa, and one which is just leather on the arms, the all leather one doesn't smell at all, but the other one can be a bit whiffy, despite changing throws, cushion covers and Febreze.

When I bought my last leather suite we were told to wipe it down with a solution of hot water,a few drops of vinegar and a squirt of fairy liquid.....twenty two years later and two kids plus multiple dogs it has done us proud. The leather we chose was hide leather in dark brown..we are just about to replace it but are awaiting our new pup to reach two years to be able to do so without holding our breath.

Leather.
Had leather arms and fabric sofa before, covered with throws but the doggy smell still gets to the sofa (and my dogs are not very smelly dogs if that makes sense) and just general dirt from when a wet dog for example sneaks up, even is the cover can be washed, the water will go to the cushioning and stay there.

Now have second hand leather sofas from ebay and I'm so pleased :-) Will never get a fabric one again.

I have leather sofas after having a fabric. I would prefer fabric but I find leather so much easier than fabric as I just wipe clean.