Rearview image of a medium-size dog at the lake with a Walkin' Hind leg support

How To Help Your Dog Walk on Smooth Floors

Solid-surface flooring such as hardwood, laminate, and vinyl can make dealing with pet accidents or household spills easier. However, the slickness of such a floor can pose issues for your dog, especially one with paw, leg, or joint problems. A dog that experiences pain or partial dislocation on unstable surfaces may find your flooring to be treacherous. Learning how to help your dog walk on smooth floors will ensure its safety and comfort within your home.

Support Braces

In older dogs or ones that experience issues with their legs, paws, or joints, you don’t want them to slip or bend the wrong way. Walkin’ Pets offers an array of dog front leg splints, as well as rear leg supports. These dog leg braces keep the dog’s paws in the proper position and prevent them from bending in an unwanted way. The sturdiness and support of these braces allow dogs to walk with more comfort and ease, with less opportunity for injury on slippery surfaces.

Traction Socks for Extra Grip

German Shepherd wears Traction Socks

Special dog boots called traction socks help senior dogs to grip the floor as they walk. The extra traction under their paws helps older dogs keep their feet underneath them as the walk across the slippery floor. Dog booties make it easier for dogs to stand and walk on their own.

Depending on your dog's needs, boots can be worn on just the front feet, the back feet only, or on all four paws.

Cleaning Products

Often, the slickness of your flooring comes from a build-up of cleaning soaps and solutions. Be cognizant of the products you put on your floors as you try to keep them clean and in good condition. Many people are unaware of the more natural cleaning options, such as a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water for cleaning vinyl. If you must wax your hardwood, even periodically, consider bracing your pup with the proper equipment or laying down no-slip rugs or yoga mats for it to walk on until the initial slipperiness dissipates.

There are many tips and tricks to consider when deciding how to help your dog walk on smooth floors. Sometimes, the combination of flooring material, cleaning products, and your dog’s paws just isn’t ideal. The better you can plan with precautionary or support equipment, the easier it will be to prevent slips that can cause painful injuries. Of course, there are many other ideas and suggestions online to help your dog get around on smooth surfaces; however, injury prevention certainly ranks higher than the response to it.

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