Mi casa es su casa, I told the monster-pawed pup I brought home two years ago. That, my Marley-wannabe understood. But not this: In mi casa, 40-mile-per-hour running leaps onto leather club chairs are not allowed. Not recommended either.

I would have tried Mandarin (if I knew it) since my Bailey is part Shar-Pei. German, too (she’s part shepherd). But I was stuck with English.

Which leads me to the pet owner’s eternal challenge: How to repair the damage your four-footed gang inflicts on your sweet home? After much pondering, several pets and lots of advice from experts, I offer these solutions to the Four Universal Pet-Owning Truths:

1. Your furniture is not safe. Apparently those claws are sharper than I thought – and my leather chair has the wounds to prove it. I dashed off to pick up some Mend-It (AS SEEN ON TV!) only to learn that it’s not the perfect solution. I couldn’t pull the ripped leather together tight enough to get an invisible (or even inconspicuous) seam. So I bought an affordable throw, one the color of my chair, and I draped it over the damaged back, tucking it tightly between the back and the seat. Guess what? Neat. Handsome. Not bad for a short-term fix.
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Alternative: Professional leather repair a la Color Glo Quality Leather Restoration (847-719-2934 or www.qualityleatherestoration.com). Owner Kathy Nelson will give you an estimate by phone and the repair will be done in your home. The cost, she says, depends on the amount of damage and the kind and finish of the leather. A 4-inch gash in a finished leather will cost $225 to $275.

2. Come critters, come odors. But we have it from a great source (Susan Noyes, founder of makeitbetter.net, the online “community network that helps North Shore women make our lives and the lives of others better”) that you can stop holding your nose. Gonzo Odor Eliminator’s little bags of lava rocks really get the stink out.

Tuck the 2-pound bags of rocks under sofas, on shelves, wherever, and they’ll draw odors from a 600-square-foot area. How? The non-toxic minerals, according to Gonzo, “have a negative charge, allowing them to attract positively charged odors and trap them for good.”

And if that’s not enough joy: After eight months or so, the rocks can be taken out of their bag, placed outside in the sun for six hours and their odor-sucking powers will be renewed.

About $11 at Linden True Value Hardware, 411 Linden St., Wilmette, 847-251-2841; Home Depot stores; or www.achooallergy.com.

3. Hall runners + running pets = flying carpets. Try DuraHold padding, says Sevak Alaverdyan, a sales associate at Oscar Isberian Rugs (1028 Chicago Ave., Evanston, 847-475-0000, 3330 Skokie Blvd., Highland Park, 847-266-1515; or isberian.com). With felt on one side and the other side rubberized, this ¼-inch-thick pad (about $1.50 per square foot) is the best thing for keeping carpets in their place.
For lighter-weight rugs, try placing pieces of a strong double-stick tape between the pad and the rug, especially at the corners.

4. There will be accidents. OK, some things, I’ve learned, are a bit like Humpty Dumpty and can’t be made like new. Every expert I turned to says that if urine gets into carpet padding, it’s done for. But wait, I still have advice: Make housetraining a priority. Clean up wet accidents pronto (and pay attention to the padding). Call a professional for stains. Give up on a badly stained rug.

So why put yourself through this for a pet? Because my wild Bailey’s now lying here at my feet, sweet and calm as can be. If we can have hope each year for the Cubs, why not for these loyal fans?

If you’re contemplating pet ownership, check out an animal shelter near you at animalshelter.org and give a pet a chance:

~ Elaine Matsushita

(For more on life as a pet owner, click here.