The things we do for our dogs...

[amg35]

For some reason, my hardwood floors have become very slippery. All of a sudden I'm sliding all over the place and so is our dog!

After a couple of spread eagle slides across the floor, he is very timid about walking on the floor, which is making him slide even more.

So, today I went out and bought area rugs and runners to cover most of where he walks. I just need one more for the kitchen. Not the most attractive thing in the world, but better that than my dog with a broken hip.

He's older and I think he has a touch of arthritis -which makes the whole thing worse - but he can jump just as well as he always could and plays and runs on the carpet just fine. He walks outside well and doesn't seem to have trouble getting up or down. It's just those floors.

Oh well, I won't be featured in any design magazines soon, but he's worth it.

 

[saradela]

He is a very lucky dog!

 

[rapriebe]

That's what we do for our "kids". We had to do this for our Doberman also because she slipped on the floors so much that she wouldn't walk on them anymore. So we had to purchase area rugs.

 

[louey]

Lots of my friends have done this, anything to avoid an injury and a trip to the vet

 

[onelilspark]

Be careful. We had our puppy at my fiancé's parents house for the holidays. They have hardwood floors with rugs (and "no slip" pads) all over their floors. My pup started getting excited and dancing on one rug when it slipped right out from under him! We think he's twisted his leg or pulled a muscle (he didn't yelp when it happened, and he hasn't cried or whined yet.)

But yes, the things we do for our pets! ...We drove an hour out of our way today to stay on better roads so he wouldn't get carsick!


Before I get flamed, yes, I did call the vet. They told me to keep an eye on it and if it doesn't get better (it's not) to call them tomorrow.

 

[cristit14]

I just recently put a big rug down in the kitchen because Max was having a hard time sitting down on the hardwood floor and that is where he waits for his treats.

 

[bumbershoot]

I once knew a dog whose house was all polished wood floors. He would run from place to place, and he knew exactly at what point to stop running so he would skid into the spot he wanted to be. It was hilarious. And then each time you took him out for a walk on the sidwalk, he'd try to skid on the pavement, just once. Figured out quickly that skidding doesn't work on pavement. But every time he went out he had to go through that.

 

[Shagley]

I know exactly what you mean. My nice hard wood floor are also covered with throw rugs and runners because of my older dog with a bad knee. I also spent about 2 hours today building a set of steps for my dog to use for getting into my bed (the steps they sell for dogs seem to all be for small dogs, not my 50# dog).

 

[Hutchy]

I know exactly what you mean. My nice hard wood floor are also covered with throw rugs and runners because of my older dog with a bad knee. I also spent about 2 hours today building a set of steps for my dog to use for getting into my bed (the steps they sell for dogs seem to all be for small dogs, not my 50# dog).

We built a nightstand with steps in it recently for our dog! She is only 20 lbs so I could make the steps narrower but I wanted them built into the night stand so when I get up at night to go to the bathroom I don't have to worry about breaking my toes on steps at the end of the bed. The dog is strong willed and scared of new things so making her use them has been interesting, she's coming around slowly. lol My husband thought I was crazy when I told him that was my plan but even he admits it's a pretty awesome idea. I told him I should start selling them!

 

[Shagley]

We built a nightstand with steps in it recently for our dog! She is only 20 lbs so I could make the steps narrower but I wanted them built into the night stand so when I get up at night to go to the bathroom I don't have to worry about breaking my toes on steps at the end of the bed. The dog is strong willed and scared of new things so making her use them has been interesting, she's coming around slowly. lol My husband thought I was crazy when I told him that was my plan but even he admits it's a pretty awesome idea. I told him I should start selling them!

My dog wasn't too sure about the steps at first, but since I was up on the bed encouraging him - and holding a couple of McDonalds french fries - he figured it out pretty quickly

 

[dyna]

As a kid I lived in a house with a very long kitchen prolly 30 ft an I had a little boston terrier who would come runnin in the back door fast as he could go sit down an slide the full length of the kitchen just before hitting wall he'd lay over on his side put his legs out in front of him so feet would hit wall instead of face....must bumped his little short nose a time or 2.

Only time he ever slid on the floor was when he'd come runnin inside at full speed...I think he'd have been disappointed if we took his slide away from him an put down rugs. 1st time in the door with rugs would have been a shocker for sure.

 

[rszdtrvl]

We have laminate floors, and have a pair of puppy steps and a bath/shower rug (they are the best - washable and have that non-skid surface on the bottom) at the bottom of the couch for our dogs.

We also have a pair of puppy steps next to the "dog chair" - a $5 yard sale swivel padded chair that I got at a yard sale.

Our female dog has invertebral disc disease, which flares up on occasion. The dogs both either hop onto the couch, by using the rug, or use the puppy steps. Normally they both hop onto the rug when they are leaving the couch. Better than having them hop onto the floor and not be able to get a good grip and get hurt!

We have 2 spoiled Beagles, they are worth the crazy puppy step and bathroom rug clutter in our living room!

 

[polkadotminnie]

We named our 100 pound Great Pyreneese, Bambi, since she slides on the hardwoods like Bambi on ice. She has learned to walk backwards to avoid slipping. It is quite a sight. When she backs up, the kids make the beeping sound like the loading machines at Home Depot.

 

[KandD]

My dad loves to tell this story..

When he was younger and my grandparents bought their first house the stairs were uncarpeted and my dad were slip and slide on them all the time. One day the dog slipped on one of the stairs and my grandfather went out the next day to buy a rug to install!!!