Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - Protecting Stairs

Have a beautiful cedar deck, 1 year old. Didn't think about the wear of the dog's claws on the soft wood, but that is the only real "wear" that shows.

Does anyone have ideas or suggestiongs for protecting the stair treds from the claws?

Thanks

I would suggest rubber stair treads. They won't be especially eye-appealing, but they will protect the wood and as a bonus will provide a little safety from slipping when the stairs are wet.

My neighbors cedar deck with stairs is 12yrs old, he has 3 dogs also. He stains his deck using a dark stain every 2 yrs or so to help hide the wear. You can see where the dogs have taken a toll, but overall it's not too bad.

If it were me, and it were mainly the stairs I was concerned about, I would just live with it and even if I had to replace the treads every couple of years it's still pretty cheap. The wood should wear smooth over time. Or you could flip em' as well. A small price for being able to keep man's best friend!

I agree with MeffaDawg. Rubber treads may trap water and may not be durable for the long-term. Keeping dog's nails trimmed tends to minimize damage on wood surfaces.