Laminate floors and Toby

[Sandy]

My son and his new wife have bought a house, and it is laminate flooring throughout.  Toby will not get off the mat at the back door.  He gets so nervous he emits "anal gland" scents - which clear a room - and his lips twitch.  He won't come off the mat for a treat, or to come see us if we're in another room, or if left alone.  We have not forced it - we thought he'd see the light and just walk already, but no.  My son and his wife are dog lovers, and have a dog that Toby loves, but he won't get off to be with it either.  This was my hope of going away overnight - that they would take Toby for us, and they gladly would, but like a fool, he won't walk on their floors.  I'm feeling frustrated, and starting to think that this dog is running my life!  Help.....anyone.

[Jennifer and Jack]

I just got laminate floors put in last November. Jack is not a fan and he slips a lot...one thing is to put a lot of throw rugs down as a trail for them...second is make sure the bottom of the feet are shaved and they feel like they have a firm grip.

Jack used to every night get his toys and have me throw them from one side of the house to the other..he won't do it anymore......

I don't know about your sons but mine is slippery as crud..I can't walk in socks on it..I have to walk bare footed...I would imagine it wold be like us walking with socks on... Try the throw rugs and make paths...it may not look pretty but it will help with security.

[Judy, Meg & Polly Wolly Doodle]

That was going to be my solution as well, generally at WalMart you can get runners and lay them end to end to give him a secure path.

[Donna K & Quincy]

Something like this might work, I'm sure the kids version would work just as well and for about a $5 investment there's not much to lose by trying them. Hope you find something that works. 

http://www.anythingdogz.co.uk/dog-products/Non-Slip-Socks/Power-Paw...

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

We have just the opposite in our home. My dog will not stop SLIDING, on purpose, on the oak floors.  It's like a baseball player sliding into home plate.  Honestly, this can be very dangerous.

So, what I try to do ( doesn't work well here because he is so rambunctious) is to use a carpet grip tape, and I purchase the longest runner rugs I can.  I usually just get mark down rugs from TJ Maxx or other stores that I can throw out if need be.

Can you take some rugs with you?  Slowly introduce the flooring to him.  Simple enough

He is smarter than you think. Many dogs slip and tear a knee, a hip, or like my dog, jammed his toes into the base boards on one of his famous slides.

[Sandy]

Well, I'm going to have to do something if I'm not going to be held hostage by my dog.  I guess I'll look for runners on sale.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I am fostering Honey right now (the Labradoodle with two bad knees).  My house has wood laminate in just about every room.  Right now it looks a little bit like a patchwork quilt I have so many throw rugs down to make paths for her to get all over the house.  Is it a pain in the a$$?  Yes it is, particularly when it is time to mop the floors, but she is worth it.  If they all matched it would help, but I wasn't going out and buy all new rugs for the amount of time she would be here. 

[Katie and Sophie]

We have this problem too.  The two of them get going sometimes and make me so nervous! 

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

 A suggestion for you, if you have not already done so, is to trim away the extra long hair that grows and covers the pads of the paws.  I don't have mine professionally groomed but most groomers do this anyway.    It keeps them from sliding so much.

I do it here, to slow my boy DOWN some.  For Toby, it would help with assured footing

[Kyoko]

Never thought about that. Great suggestion...

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

He may just need some time to get used to a slippery hard surface. JD had a lot of trouble with the floors in the pet supply stores when I first adopted him, and was very timid about walking on them, but with some practice and lots of visits, he got over it. I would keep bringing him over there, and don't force him, but maybe try placing treats where he will have to walk across the floor to get them. If he likes playing ball, or playing with any certain toy, you might try tossing or rolling the ball or toy across the floor and encouraging him to get it, that kind of thing.

[Sandy]

We tried treats - he wouldn't even look at them.  We gave him time, and he just stood there.  My son's dog, who Toby loves, was there, and he wouldn't even move to come see her.  There were dog toys 2 feet away, and he wouldn't move towards them.  I've decided that Toby is a great dog at home, but not so much when we go anywhere.  He's just a homebody.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Buy cheap rubber backed rugs and hall runners and bring them with you when you visit.  One of our dogs was fine with hardwood but had problems with our slick tile floors so we put rugs for him to use while navigating through that part of our home.  He outgrew his major problems with the slick floors, but always walked cautiously on them.