I'll readily admit to being pretty persnickety about my furnishings, but any dog I've had has always been allowed on my furniture. It's their home too! And while I like nice stuff, it's a home, not a showplace. Stuff is going to get old & worn no matter what, so might as well enjoy it while you have it.
I vacumn my fabric furniture weekly, not really because of ZoE, but because it helps prolong the life of it. You know how much dirt is in dust? And the forced air heat/air that I have kicks up alot of dust no matter how often filters are changed (I sure do miss the radiator heating of my England home). If I throw a blanket on the couch, ZoE is more likely to nap on it cos it's snuggly. I make my bed every morning, so even if she were to get on it, my sheets would still be clean, but I usually close the doors to the bedroom when I leave. ZoE gets a bath once a week and if we go for a walk after a rain and she gets a little muddy on her paws, I just wash them off when we get home. Having a pup does mean you have to clean a little more often, but it's sure worth it
