Bella Boxer and 43 Year Carpet - Incompatible

Bella Boxer in quiet mode

Forty-three years ago (well it will be 43 in 2 more months) we decided to carpet over the hardwood floors in our new house. After living with the hardwood for 3 months including a Christmas holiday, my wife and I concluded that carpet might be less work to maintain compared to the labor-intensive hardwood (remember this was 1969).

At the time I thought we paid quite a bit for the carpet and padding, but it held up really well until we separated almost 20 years ago. It outlived 3 kids, 2 dogs and lord only knows what else. The carpet has held up for another 20 years since with adult kids living at home, the occasional grandchild running around and my daily use. The last 11 years it has only had to endure me and for the past 4 years regular visits from the cleaning lady's 'wear it out' vacuum cleaner.

Granted it has holes worn in spots, but I learned that some spots can be covered with throw rugs and other stuff. I ain't one to spend money on things I don't really need. Granted I get new computers regularly and like my DVR and big screen TV, but carpet is a whole other world. More like a female thing rather than my 'old man' thing.

At least that was true until about 10 days ago when my daughter and her family, including 18 month-old Bella Boxer, began a temporary stay while awaiting their relocation to a new home. The carpet adjusted well to the mother, father and 11 year old daughter, but Bella Boxer is a different story.

This dog seems to have tremendous muscles in her legs and finds the traction of the carpet just what she needs for a spirited sprint down the hall into the living room, a quick turn-around and sprint back down the hall. I can hear and almost feel her claws digging into the carpet and scattering my 'cover up the holes' rugs.

Bella Boxer also loves to CHEW. She's discovered that holes in the carpet provide "Bella Boxer Chewies." I have no idea how she can go down and up the stairs with the rush she has, but she seems to make it each time.

I had planned to remove the carpet and expose the original hardwood floors and have someone replace the baseboard trim, but I didn't really want to do that until I had the walls painted, given the mess painting can be. So my plan was to have that happen this spring/summer.

You're probably aware that us old folks like to settle on a plan and go with it, but Bella Boxer appears to be "the fly in the ointment." She may be causing a complete revamp of the repair/replace schedule.

JD, still shaking my head here in the BToS

PS - The added people in the house seem to cause little, if any, problems to the carpet.