A good wool rug should be very durable.
Can you post a picture, and tell us what you know about the manufacture? Is it an oriental design? Do you know where it was made?

In any case, the number one necessity is a first-quality rug pad. Spend the money for a good felt pad, and it will repay you in luxury underfoot, and, more important, greatly increased life for your rug. Talk to your rug dealer about what is available. Overstock usually has them for about half to two-thirds of the usual cost, if you find one that fits. In any case, you want them to be cut about 2" smaller than the actual dimensions of your rug, which gives you a 1" overlap all around.

The register shouldn't be a problem. Furniture will make dents, but they can be brushed up if you move it. A proper pad will make a big difference there, too, by absorbing some of the pressure. Sunlight, if it's intense, can be an issue, but you can turn the rug regularly to help that. The type of dye can make a difference there, too.

Is the rug already treated for stain-resistance? There are products that can be sprayed on carpets and upholstery to keep stains at bay...I have a guy who uses some miraculous stuff, and it really works (much better than the teflon treatments and way better than Scotchguard), and if I find out what it is, I'll post that here.

Meanwhile, treat spills and spots just like you would on your clothes. Check your rug for color-fastness, so you'll know. Blot them up quickly with cold water - I use a wet wrung-out clean terry washcloth...don't soak them, and don't rub them. If that doesn't do it, I use a product called "White Wizard," which is this odd white gel-like stuff that comes in a plastic tub, and works quite well on just about any fiber. I gently rub a bit of it into the stain with my fingers, and then work it back out with dry paper toweling or a dry washcloth.

Do we get to see a picture of your pretty rug?

I've noticed there is a lot of color variation in the "solid color" parts. I assume that's a characteristic of the dyed wool, and not a defect?

It's called abrash.

Allision is correct. It is more characteristic of old Persians and the way that the wool interacts with the dye. New rugs often will mimic that look so that the new rug looks like an old Persian.

Sorry for not responding sooner - I can only access the internet via my iPhone now - tiny screen, and I lose my posts. :) We've been on the uverse waiting list forever, and it's finally being installed tomorrow.

I don't think it is a super great (quality) rug, which is ok - it will last, or not -- in which case I can get a different one when it won't be at the mercy of a 2 year old.

I bought it at Home Goods - while looking for a Halloween wreath. :)

It is from "Transatlantic Design Company" and is the "Lily" design. I cannot find much about that company. It is predominantly a deep rust color, with gold, cream, chocolate and "army green" accents, and just a touch of a very light blue. My drapes I ordered 3 weeks ago are in and I'll pick them up tonight - I'm very eager to see how they look together. Probably horrible, knowing my design sense.

This is the only pic I have, taken with a camera phone. The colors are really off. But you can see the color splotching (or abrash - thank you allison0704!) I was asking about.

One member of your family appears to be very happy with the rug.

Don't put too thick a pad under the rug. Dents should not be a problem. Do turn the rug regularly, say once a year.

I've found my wool rug to be incredibly durable. We've spilled everything you can imagine on it: tea, coffee, dog puke (well we weren't responsible for that) and numerous glasses of wine (I guess we're clumsy). I've never cleaned it with anything but water. I blot up as much of the liquid as I can and then dab with ice water (I literally fill up a bowl with ice and water and use that), then get a clean towel to soak up all that water. Every once in a while I throw some baking powder on it and let it sit for about an hour and then vaccuum it up to keep it smelling fresh.

Gorgeous rug! Totally agree that wool is really durable and comfy - I clean ours the same as wi-sailorgirl and have had an incontinent labrador for years (sigh) and the rug is no worse for the wear. Every so often I have to bust out some oxygen carpet cleaner and have found that works for me. Turning it is a great idea - never thought to do that. Enjoy it, it looks super cozy!

Oh yes, the minute we unrolled the rug, the dog began wallering. Then my dd came over and started pointing out all the "fwowers - wight thayur!". We'd previously had a synthetic seagrass look-alike there that wasn't doing anything for the space at all. DH noted that the king (dog) and queen (dd) had spoken...

Thank you all for the tips. I have had kilims but never anything with pile.

Got the drapes tonight and I just don't know. They're a good color, but shiny and I really don't like shone. Why are all the textiles nowadays shiny faux silk, dupioni, taffeta... Us simple taste folks don't have much to choose from.

Will have Internet tomorrow and post se pics. Maybe there's a way to salvage this hot mess of a room.

Spelling errors are thanks to my phone's auto "correct". Sorry 'bout that.

There can be no question that you picked the correct rug.

I've had wool rugs down in most of the house since we bought them when we lived in Turkey in the early 80s, including large ones in the LR and DR. They were mostly older rugs at the time we bought them. They stand up to anything, in my opinion, and they get prettier with age. I've gotten lax in recent years, but I used to set aside a day annually to vacuum them top, bottom, top, bottom, etc., as many times as it took for no dirt to be beaten down to the floor below. Then I got down on my hands and knees and blotted it gently with a vinegar-water mix (four parts water to one part vinegar, I "think") until I had covered all the rug. (This is what we were told to do by the different rug merchants in Turkey.) They would look renewed almost instantly. Even with their being somewhat neglected the past few years (vacuumed but not "washed"), they still look like they did when we bought them. Do be careful of the fringe, however, as it will "eat" it if it gets too close. I think your rug is very pretty, and I hope you enjoy it for years to come.