[GooseD]

We just moved to a new house with hardwood on the first floor. We have carpet upstairs. Our old apartment was mostly carpeted with some tile. Our dog is now scared to walk on the hardwood floors and stays upstairs or on the steps! We have to carry him to the door to go outside. Any suggestions?

[GeorgieCKCS]

Oh no, maybe try getting an area rug and/or runner on the hardwood floors to help him get adjusted? Also try sprinkling treats on the floor from the stairs to lure him down to the floor. Hopefully with time he’ll understand that the hardwoods are not scary.

[Sadie Cornelius]

Yeah our Cavalier Lucy used to be scared of floors too, like anything acclimation is the best way to desensitize them, good luck and keep us posted @GooseD

[Danielle DeGroot]

Quote:
Our dog is now scared to walk on the hardwood floors

Hi GooseD. I am sorry your pup is having some trouble. My older dog, Daisy, has the same issue. We recently removed our carpet and replaced it with wood laminate. Poor Daisy has been slipping and sliding all over the place. As a senior dog, she has a few conditions like arthritis and hip dysplasia that can impact her mobility, so having slippery floors is not really safe for her. Along with adding slip-resistant rugs, keeping her nails trimmed has been a big help. With properly trimmed nails, she has better control of herself on the floors. I also check to make sure her paw hair is not too long and causing her to slip. We cover how to trim your dog’s nails safely here. If your pup has other sudden behavior changes, it’s worth a trip to the vet to rule out any underlying health issues.

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