9 Smart Ways to Dog Proof Outdoor Furniture (And Get Rid of the Hair)

Dogs are amazing companions that bring joy to family and friends. However, they can wreak havoc all over your chic patio furniture if you’re not careful enough.

While many dogs are trained to keep their mess to a minimum indoors, things are different when it comes to outdoor furniture. Patio furniture is generally lower to the ground than normal indoor furniture, which may be tempting for your furry friend to hop onto. 

You may find yourself constantly battling shedded hair, muddy paw prints, or even gnawing on the fabric!

Luckily, there are several ways to dog proof outdoor furniture.  We’ll walk through some of the best methods that are sure to help keep your outdoor furniture looking in tip-top shape. 

So without further ado, let’s jump right in!

9 Ways to Dog Proof Your Outdoor Furniture

Dog proofing can take many forms. Here are some of the most effective methods to get the job done:

1. Use Covers to Keep the Furniture Clean

The golden standard when it comes to dog proofing is to use a furniture cover. This method is ideal because covers are affordable and much easier to clean and replace.

A nice cover will protect the furniture fabric from muddy paws, scratching, chewing, and even urination. It also preserves the furniture from the weather elements, such as precipitation and UV rays, to keep it looking new for longer.  

2. Choose a Durable Fabric for Your Furniture

If you’re in the process of shopping around for patio furniture, make sure that you consider the materials used to make them.  Patio furniture can be made from a wide range of materials. 

Polyester, mesh PVC, Textilene, olefin, and Sunbrella are all great options in resistance to pet damage.  Several of these also offer protection against UV rays and mildew.

When selecting the furniture, you may want to consider darker color fabrics to help mask any dirt that your pooch may drag onto the furniture.

3. Apply Bitter Deterrents to Prevent Chewing

If your dog has a chewing problem, you can spray a bitter deterrent on the furniture, which leaves an ultra bitter taste on the dog’s mouth if they try to chew into the furniture.

These sprays usually contain aloe and grapefruit skin concentrates, so you can create homemade alternatives. The good news is that some of them don’t have any lingering scent!

4. Train Your Dog to Not Get on the Furniture

If your dog is well trained, getting them to avoid the furniture should be an easy task for you. Teaching them basic obedience commands such as “off” or “down” using treats or praise can help.

Otherwise, if you’re finding that verbal commands are doing the trick, here’s a simple alternative method:

Fill a spray bottle with clean water, and keep it with you. Every time your dog hops on the furniture, spray its face with water until they get off the furniture.

Being consistent with the spray bottle will establish a connection to help keep your dog off the furniture.  

5. Invest in an Outdoor Dog Bed

While many of us don’t like to lay on a hard concrete patio, your dog may not enjoy it either.  Your dog will usually hop on the outdoor furniture if he or she doesn’t have any other option while staying outside.  

Yet, if you get your dog a comfortable dog bed with a canopy and teach them to use it instead, they will get on the furniture less often.

6. Keep Hair Removers Nearby

Even if your dog doesn’t gnaw on the furniture or leave muddy prints on the furniture, they may still leave a lot of hair behind, especially if they’re heavy shedders.

There’s a wide variety of methods that you can use in order to remove pet hair, such as lint rollers, pet hair removers, plucking tape, etc.

Regardless of the method that you use, it’s always essential to have your pet hair removal tools nearby in order to get rid of the hair before it piles up.

7. Consider Metal and Hard Plastic for the Frame

If your pooch loves to chew on wooden objects, avoid buying wood or wicker-based furniture at all costs.

Metal frames that are made of aluminum are durable, stylish, and healthy dogs won’t be able to chew on them, making them an ideal choice if your dogs have a knack for chewing.

8. Groom Your Dog Regularly

In many cases, we may not mind allowing our dogs to enjoy the patio furniture alongside us.  This is especially true if the dog is trained and won’t intentionally ruin the furniture.

In these situations, it’ll be worthwhile to help minimize the amount of hair that they shed.

You can do that simply by grooming your dog on a regular basis. For example, you can use a brush or deshedding tool frequently to remove all the loose hairs before they end up on the furniture.

This also comes with a bonus of keeping your dog’s coat looking nice and healthy.

9. Use Deterrents 

Even if you’re not concerned about chewing, you may still just not want the dog on the outdoor furniture.  In such cases, there are some easy deterrents that you can employ.

Double-sided tape on the furniture is likely to keep the dog from attempting to come back.  Otherwise, a mat with plastic spikes on the cushions will make it an uncomfortable place to lay.

As you can imagine, these deterrents will hinder your ability to use the furniture.  These can be considered temporary options to help prevent your dog from wanting to make the couch a resting spot.

Is Pet Hair Repellent Spray for Furniture Effective?

Pet hair repellent spray can be a lifesaver if you have a double-coat breed that sheds quite often, such as Chow Chow, Siberian Husky, Akita, Retrievers, etc.

Some types of sprays work by neutralizing the static charge buildup on fabrics to prevent pet hair from clinging.  Other sprays create a thin non-stick layer on the surface using silicone or polymer that repels pet hair.

Most hair repellent sprays work almost immediately and can make cleanup a breeze using a lint roller or vacuum cleaner.

DIY Pet Hair Repellent Spray

If you’re in a bind and don’t have any commercial pet hair repellent on-hand, you can whip up some of your own using everyday household ingredients.

Combine 1 cup of distilled water and 1 cup of white vinegar into a spray bottle. Mix 1 tablespoon of fabric softener into the spray bottle and add a few drops of essential oil for scent (optional).

Starting with an inconspicuous area, spray the mixture onto the patio furniture and allow it to air dry. Monitor your pet’s behavior to ensure they are not sensitive to the scent or ingredients in this homemade repellent.

How to Remove Dog Hair from Furniture

There are plenty of methods to collect, repel, and remove your dog’s hair from furniture. There are even some DIY pet hair removers if you’re in a bind.

Let’s check out some of the most effective ones:

1. Vacuum Cleaner

Using a vacuum cleaner to remove pet hair is the easiest and fastest method out there. However, the flow of air itself may create static electricity that makes the hairs cling.

For that reason, we highly recommend that you apply hair repellent spray on the furniture and let it sit for a minute before removing the hair with a vacuum.  

You can also use a handheld vacuum for easy use, but you might need to empty its dustbin more often.

2. Pet Hair Remover

Pet hair removers have handles with rollers that allow for easy use. These tools are usually equipped with electrostatic adsorbers that remove the static buildup of hairs.

Different removers use various mechanisms to work. The most popular ones are small rigid bristles that collect dog hair and dander into a large ball, removing it from fabric surfaces.

However, they don’t work properly on soft and wet surfaces, so you have to keep that in mind.

3. Lint Rollers

Lint rollers are quite similar to pet hair remover, except that they rely on adhesive paper or a sticky tap to get the job done.

While going back and forth with these rollers, all the lint and pet hairs will stick to the adhesive surface, which you can then remove. Lint rollers are quite effective, but the roll of adhesive will need to be replaced once it’s been depleted.

4. Hair Removal Gloves

Hair removal gloves, also known as grooming gloves, are great tools to get rid of all the dander and pet hair that cling to your dog’s body. Most dogs also enjoy the feel of these gloves!

These gloves have tiny silicone tips that act as collection points to gather all the stray hairs into a ball while massaging your dog.

5. Pumice Stone

This offbeat solution is actually remarkably effective for stubborn hairs that can’t be removed with standard measures.

Thanks to the rough texture of the stone, the tiny hairs that don’t cling to other objects are lifted off the fabric.

If removing the hairs with a vacuum seems impossible, simply run a pumice stone over the stubborn area and the hairs should be off immediately.

6. Fabric Softener

If you don’t have access to hair repellent spray and you want to make the hair less clingy to the fabric surface, you should definitely go for fabric softeners.

To use this method, all you have to do is mix the fabric softener and water in a 1:1 ratio and pour them into a spray bottle.

Spray some of the solution onto the furniture fabric, and let it sit for about a minute. This will help in breaking the static bonds that are created, making the hair easier to clean with a dry or damp towel.

How to Stop A Dog From Scratching Furniture

If your dog is yet to be trained and exhibits destructive behavior, scratching furniture may be a common sight in your household.

It’s usually best to try to address the problem from the core, but meanwhile, you should also prevent your dog from damaging the furniture in the process.

Here are some tips to help you stop your dog from scratching the furniture:

• Apply a cheap furniture cover to double as the first line of defense
• Spray a dog deterrent scent spray on the furniture and near it
• Provide your dog with plenty of toys that they can play with 
• Keep your dog active and give him or her more playtime
• Use various behavioral training techniques to prevent them from gnawing and scratching on things

Final Takeaway

There are a wide variety of methods to dog-proof your outdoor furniture.  Being selective in the type of materials your furniture is made is a great starting point to not only protect it against your pet, but also the natural elements.

While there are plenty of ways to keep your dog from damaging the patio furniture, it’s always best to provide your dog with an alternative and prevent the problem in the first place.  

Consistent grooming and proper behavioral training are two keys in keeping the problems at bay!

Happy Lounging!