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5 Ways You Can Prevent Your Dog Slipping and Sliding on Laminate Flooring

Dogs tend to get excited easily and run around the house instead of walking, which often leads to slipping and sliding if you have laminate wood flooring. A dog that loses control can knock over furniture or drag deep grooves across your flooring with their paws. Smashes and scratches may not even be the worst of it, older dogs can find laminate flooring quite distressing, and even younger ones will get anxious if it restricts their ability to move around the house.

Luckily enough, there are several things you can do to help your four-legged friend keep all four feet planted firmly.

Here are just five ways to address the problem.

1. Keep Everything Dry

One of the most important things to do is make sure your laminate flooring remains dry, so clean up spills quickly and make sure you don't let your dog in right after mopping up. Of course, it isn't just the floor itself that you need to keep dry; when you've taken your dog out for a walk while or after it has been raining, take the time to dry off their paws before you let them wander off into the house for a snooze.

2. Get Those Paws Trimmed

You might think that a dog with longer nails would find it easier to grip a slippery surface like wood laminate, but, in reality, the opposite is true. Dogs whose nails haven't been properly trimmed tend to slip and slide a lot more since the pads of their paws lose some contact with the floor. Make sure you keep those nails maintained. At the same time, try to trim away any hair that slips between your dog's toes; this hair can get stuck next to the pad, making it far harder for your dog to walk properly across laminate flooring.  

3. Invest in Some Special Booties

If your dog is really having trouble maintaining its composure across your laminate floors, you might think about picking up some special booties for them to wear around the house. These slip easily over a dog's paws to let them jump, leap, and run without losing traction on the floor below.

4. Place Rugs in Key Areas

If you're dealing with a larger room, consider putting rugs across the areas where your dog likes to walk most frequently, making sure they are secured to the floor themselves to prevent other slips. One area to pay attention to is where your doggy likes to nap. Dogs can find it particularly hard to get up on a slippery surface after a long snooze, and a rug will also make it more comfortable to lie down on that spot.

5. Consider the Weight of Your Dog

In the eyes of its owner, every dog is perfect. However, it's worth remembering that the floor itself might not carry all the blame, especially if your pooch has been slipping more regularly. If a dog is overweight, it makes it harder for them to keep all paws steady across a slippery surface. Of course, this won't always be the reason for skids and slides, but it's worth thinking about, especially since the health of your dog might be affected.


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