Light Colored Carpet

I don't have any carpet in my house, just a small area rug in the living area and a rug under the formal dining table.  I have never really liked carpet, it always seemed dirty to me even after vacuuming and shampooing.  After I got the dogs it gave me a good excuse to get rid of the Berber carpet in the bedrooms and put in the hardwood floor.

So yesterday at the dog park a lady and her daughter had stopped to admire and pet Sawyer and Bentley  As the little girl petted the dogs I asked if they had a dog.  The mother explained that they had had an older dog that they had to put down right before the moved here.  I asked if they were considering another dog, the little girl was about 10 or 11 years old and really enjoying my dogs.  The mother explained that they had bought a spec home and the builder had installed a light beige colored carpet so they felt they couldn't have a dog until the carpet wore out and could be replaced with flooring.  She commented, regretfully, the carpet would probably last for 8-10 years. I reminisced with her that I had also had a house with similar carpet but that my children did more damage than the dogs.  Her reply was, "oh, we don't wear shoes in the house". 

While I wouldn't want anyone that isn't an animal lover to own a dog or cat (some people just aren't pet people and that is okay) I did have to think that it was sad that her children would miss out on the companionship of a dog while they grew up because she wanted to keep her light colored carpet beautiful.   I'm sure the memory of beautiful carpet will not be one that her children retain after they are grown.