If your dog is living in fear of hardwood floors help is here
SUMMARY: Is your dog afraid of hardwood floors? Dogs who are slipping on smooth surfaces live in fear. So much so, that the dogs’ fear of walking from point A to point B in their homes can affect the way they interact with their families. Learn why dogs are fearful of hardwood floors and get five practical solutions from integrative veterinarian Dr. Julie Buzby.
Are hardwood floors and smooth surfaces fear-inducing for your dog? If this is the case, let’s dig into understanding how a dog’s fear of hardwood floors changes daily routines, lowers confidence, takes a toll on the dog’s body, and clearly impacts quality of life.
When a dog’s afraid of hardwood floors: a common and heartbreaking scenario
When a dog is afraid of hardwood floors it means the dog is afraid to traverse some areas of the home. He often isolates himself to a throw rug, area rug, or a bed in the house. This is distressing for the dog because canines are pack animals. Your dog doesn’t want to be isolated. But he is physically unable to safely join the family fun if it is occurring in a room with slick floors. In addition to the physical impact of slipping, it takes an emotional toll on both the dog and his people.
I remember having a conversation with another veterinarian about this years ago. My argument: when a dog is afraid of hardwood floors in the home it impacts his or her confidence.
At the time, there was such an emphasis on physical well-being that emotional words like “confidence” sounded out of place in a discussion about dog health. My colleague, an excellent practitioner, retorted that my concern about “confidence” was frivolous, almost anthropomorphic.
But it’s not. Confidence and fear are opposites. Both are obvious in the posture and body language of dogs. And I’m convinced that lack of confidence impacts quality of life.
Understanding what is behind the fear: why dogs slip
So why does your dog slip on hardwood floors?
Your dog’s paws were made for gripping the earth. The nails “dig” into the ground for traction like soccer cleats.
“dig” into the ground for traction.
But hard nails can’t grip hard floors. On smooth surfaces, when a dog tries to “dig” the nails into the slippery floor for traction, it just makes matters worse. You may have seen this scene at your vet’s office: a dog frozen in fear, standing on his “tippy toes” in the middle of a slick (and therefore easily disinfectable) floor in the reception area. Without grip, panic sets in.
Slipping on a slick floor resembles hydroplaning on a wet road
I liken it to the terror that instantly washed over me when the SUV I was driving began hydroplaning on a rain-soaked road. I had lost control of the vehicle and the mechanisms that I trusted to keep me in control—the steering and brakes—failed me.
When the dog instinctually engages his mechanism for traction—flexing his paws and gripping with his nails—and it doesn’t work, it can be absolutely terrifying for the dog. This is especially true for senior and special needs dogs who don’t compensate as well as younger dogs.
Senior and special needs dogs are especially prone to slipping
I’m not saying slipping isn’t dangerous for dogs of all ages, but usually young dogs can compensate. If they slip and slide on hardwood floors, they have the balance, the muscle strength, and tendon and ligament function to avoid wiping out.
However, this may not be the case for older dogs. Much like older people, our grey-muzzled companions often lack balance, their reflexes aren’t as sharp, and their muscles are atrophied. This puts these dogs at a real disadvantage in their struggle against gravity.
Additionally, senior dogs have more difficulty going from a lying down to standing position. Slipping during the act of rising compounds the problem by several magnitudes. When these dogs sense that they are falling and try to “catch” themselves, they can be injured in the struggle to stay upright.
Dogs remember past experiences of slipping
And dogs remember. As a self-preservation mechanism, dogs remember the experience of falling or slipping on the hardwood floor, and that fear of falling again takes an emotional toll. In many cases, fear of slipping from a prior bad experience is the “why” behind your dog’s fear of hardwood floors and other slick surfaces.
So, how can you help your dog in a way that supports his natural reflexes and abilities? Here are five solutions to help your dog gain confidence on hardwood floors.
If your dog is afraid of hardwood floors, here are 5 steps you can take right now
1. Speak with your veterinarian about underlying medical conditions
If your dog has a fear of hardwood floors, it’s important to talk with your veterinarian. For young dogs, a fear of hardwood floors that comes on suddenly could be a clue to an underlying medical or behavioral condition.
For elderly dogs, underlying medical conditions could be the root cause of his or her reluctance to rise and walk on hardwood floors. Common conditions in senior dogs such as arthritis, thyroid disease, hip dysplasia, and Cushing’s may contribute to difficulty navigating slippery surfaces.
can rule out underlying medical conditions.
Additionally, dogs suffering from impaired vision or blindness are prone to slipping on hardwood floors. Blind dogs who are limited in their mobility can experience isolation, fear, and anxiety. If you have concerns about your dog’s vision, be sure to mention it to your veterinarian.
Related article: 7 Tips for Living with a Blind Dog
2. Commit to keeping your dog’s nails trimmed
a dog who is fearful of hardwood floors.
If your dog has long nails, when he or she flexes the toes in an attempt to gain traction on hardwood floors, the excess nail length interferes with the biomechanics of the paw. This decreases your dog’s traction and increases the risk of a slip-and-fall injury. Long nails negatively impact a dog’s posture and gait. If you have a nail trimming routine in place, that’s great. If you’re ready to learn how to trim your dog’s nails in the comfort of your own home, please check out these additional resources:
- Nail Trimming Without Fear, my step-by-step video training series
- Best Dog Nail Clippers for DIY Dog Owners blog post
3. Make sure your dog is maintaining a healthy weight
Not only has research shown that dogs who maintain an ideal weight can live two years longer than their overweight counterparts, maintaining a healthy weight puts less pressure on dogs’ joints. Just like humans, overweight and obese dogs are more sedentary and may struggle to walk, especially on slick flooring. Weight management is key to keeping your dog moving, and mobility is essential for your dog’s long-term health.
4. Keep the fur trimmed on your dog’s paw pads
If your dog is sitting by you as you’re reading this article, you can check this right now. Examine the bottom of your dog’s paw pads. Do they look more like furry slippers than paws? If so, it’s time to either schedule a visit to your groomer or trim the hair that grows around your dog’s paw pads yourself. Keeping the fur trimmed on the underside of the paws is an effective and simple way to help reduce slipping and improve your dog’s traction. If you’re unsure of how to trim your dog’s paw pads, my colleagues at Preventive Vet offer tips. You can learn more by clicking here.
5. Give your dog instant traction with ToeGrips® dog nail grips
If your senior or special needs dog slips on the slick floors of your home, ToeGrips® dog nail grips may be the ideal solution. Applied to the dog’s toenails, the non-slip grips enable traction to help the dog walk on slick surfaces and can dramatically improve mobility.
How Gibson overcame his fear of hardwood floors
My customers’ stories and reviews are more powerful than my words. If your dog is afraid of hardwood floors, you may relate to this true story of a dog named Gibson who was also fearful of hardwood floors.
Gibson’s parents shared his story with me and described how he suffered from anxiety and fear of walking on hardwood and slippery floors. Gibson went from throw rug to throw rug so his feet wouldn’t touch the hardwood floor. He’d even stopped greeting his pet parents at the door when they came home. But that changed when Gibson tried his first pair of ToeGrips® dog nail grips.
Watching Gibson’s happy transformation illustrates how real fear and confidence are for dogs. Both can be seen clearly in this short video.
I receive many happy-ending stories like Gibson’s every day from ToeGrips® believers. Each success story touches my heart and makes me even more passionate about my mission to help dog owners help their dogs restore confident mobility. I’d welcome the opportunity to help your dog too! If your dog is afraid of hardwood floors, please leave a comment below and I’ll be sure to reply.
Is your dog afraid of hardwood floors?
Please comment below. I’d like to help.
My dog has Cushing’s Disease and is almost 14 years old. In the last couple of weeks, she started slipping on the outside deck stairs. I bought rubber treads which stopped this. Now, seemingly overnight, she is afraid of hardwood and tile floors. She shuffles rather than picks up her feet. I noticed that the article says Cushing’s dogs may suffer from this difficulty. Why is that? She’s been through so much lately. I don’t think she would tolerate toe grips well (or booties). I will put down area rugs/mats. I wish I could help her more.
Hi Erin,
This is a good question. Cushing’s disease can lead to muscle wasting and/or muscle weakness, both of which make it more difficult for the dog to have the strength to support herself and get from place to place. Your dog may feel like she is going to slip or fall on the hardwood or tile floors and therefore want to avoid them. You can definitely try out some yoga mats or area rugs. However, I would also urge you to reconsider ToeGrips. Amazingly most dogs don’t seem to notice them, and they can be so great for dogs with hind end weakness because they both provide grip and a better sensation of where the feet are. If she is dragging or scuffing her feet, you may need to glue them on so they don’t get pulled off. Check out our ToeGrips Instructions for videos on sizing, applying, and gluing ToeGrips. The great thing too is that if ToeGrips don’t work out well for your dog, we do offer a 30 day money back guarantee. Plus, our customer service team is amazing at helping dog parents with ToeGrips troubleshooting. I hope you are able to find a solution for her, whatever that ends up being!
We have two collies. the older one is 4 (male), the younger one is 1.5 yrs (female). We changed our floors in the basement from carpet to hardwood as the younger one would use it as a place to go to the bathroom. Once we changed the floors, no more accidents. Both dogs would play with eachother on the new floor daily. Then one day, the younger one would not get off the couch. She has a lot of anxiety normally so we do a lot of positive reinforcement, socialization, and treat training. She is now too afraid of walking on the hardwood floor in our basement. She will not go near the stairs to the basement. We bought some area rugs and rugs for the stairs to help her. She is still to scared. we have carried her down and she immediately starts shaking and walking on her claws not paw pads on the area rug. Our older dog has no issues spending time with us downstairs. it’s now gotten so bad we can’t even say stairs or basement around her without her running to our bed to hide. I don’t know what to do. the rest of our house is hardwood as well and she is okay upstairs.
Hi Robyn,
Thank you so much for your comment. I am so sorry to hear that your younger Collie is now experiencing this new fear of the basement. I can only imagine how difficult that has been for you and for her. It’s very interesting that she is fine on the hardwood upstairs but not downstairs. It is possible that she injured herself somehow and is now either afraid of the stairs or too painful to go up and down them. I would recommend starting with a visit to your veterinarian to have her assessed for any pain. Because sometimes dogs can hide back or leg pain very well, and it may be subtle enough that you can’t see it normally when she walks or plays. If pain is ruled out, I would investigate more in your basement and stairs to see if there is anything that could be scaring her. When she is down there with you, you may need to watch her closely for clues. You also can take videos of your dog being scared or reacting when you say “stairs” or “basement”. If you take videos, you can show them to your veterinarian. Sometimes being able to see the behavior that is happening at home can help your vet better determine the cause and help your dog. I hope you can determine the cause of your sweet girl’s fear and help her. I will be thinking of you both.
I have a 5 1/2 year old English Cream Golden retriever named Lily. She’s had some trouble with flooring transitions (going from carpet to wood floor mostly) and now she’s afraid of drinking from her water bowl without us holding it for her. Of course, we can’t anticipate when she’s thirsty, so I’m thinking she’s not getting enough to drink. She’s fine to eat her food, but is much faster than getting a drink. My husband thinks she’s apprehensive about the floor but it’s the way her bowls have been forever. She tore her right rear ACL a few winters ago and maybe she’s slippery on the floor and can’t get enough traction to get a drink? She’s basically recovered but did not have surgery, so it’s possible it still gives her trouble now. Her food bowls are currently living on a rubber mat. I hate to think she’s too scared to drink. We’re trying a rug under her food today to see if putting her body on the rug to eat might help. Have you heard of something like this before?
Hi Patt,
I am sorry Lily is having issues with anxiety especially when trying to drink from her water bowl. I am not sure I have seen this exact problem before but do think a lack of traction may be contributing to the situation. Using a rug under her bowl sounds like a great idea. Hoping this will be a quick and easy solution for your girl. If this problem persists, I do think it would be good to discuss it with your vet. I like to err on the side of caution and try and rule out potential medical causes before assuming something is purely behavioral. Wishing you and Lily all the best of luck. Take care and keep up the good work!
I think I may check into those Toe Grips! My 12 year old long coat chihuahua is starting to slip more and more on the kitchen floor. I grind her nails every 2 weeks, as well as trim her super furry pads of her feet, but she still does a lot of slipping. She’s now getting pretty hesitant about walking on the floor. Her vision is failing, so I’m sure that just contributes to her anxiety about the slipping. I can’t block off the kitchen as that is the only way out to the yard when she needs to go potty. So, my concern about the Toe Grips…what keeps the dog from chewing them off? Ginger has Cushing’s and one of the things she does is a lot of paw-licking. I would love to know if others have had similar issues and how they conquered the problem. Thanks!
Hi Donna,
I am sorry Ginger is staring to have mobility issues and is hesitant to walk on the kitchen floor. Thank you for reaching out about ToeGrips and giving me a chance to offer information. When placed correctly, ToeGrips only touch the nail and do not make contact with the nail bed or surrounding tissues. In this position they cannot cause irritation and your girl shouldn’t even feel them. While some dogs are just very curious, it is rare we have a dog actually chew them off. If ingestion occurs, they are completely non-toxic and should pass through the digestive tract without an issue. If you have any other questions about how ToeGrips work or the application process, don’t hesitate to reach out to our expert customer care team at: [email protected]
They can also assist with sizing and help troubleshoot should any problems arise. Best wishes to you and your sweet girl and give Ginger a hug for me! ♥
My Carolina Dog is now 9.5 yo and has suddenly developed a phobia of wood floors and steps. He avoids walking on our wood flooring as much as possible and will suddenly frantically run across that surface if he absolutely has to get to the other side. We have added all sorts of area rugs around the place to help get him from one place to another without a sudden panic and slipping episode which only increases his anxiety each time it happens.
He tends to stand around on the rugs for long periods when he would normally choose a couch or soft dog bed to lounge on. This behavior is only 2 weeks old but has changed his normal diminor to seem like a different dog. Any suggestions would be very welcome if you have any ideas on what we can do to help him through this.
Hi Paul,
I am sorry your senior guy is experiencing fear and anxiety in his home. The first step is to have your veterinarian evaluate him and make sure there are no medical conditions contributing to the issue that need to be treated (arthritis, IVDD, hip dysplasia, etc.). If everything checks out ok, I strongly encourage you to give ToeGrips a try! They have helped thousands of dogs regain mobility and confidence while walking on hard flooring. If you decide to try them, please let me know what you think. Wishing you and your sweet boy all the best of luck!
i have a14 1/2 yr old dog he recently became scared of the floor even the Garage floor what can i do i got a pair of boots with grips on the bottom doesn,t help
Hi Sandra,
Many readers have had great success with using yoga mats or other area type rugs. Also, have you considered giving ToeGrips a try? They were made for exactly this purpose in senior dogs, and we offer a great money back guarantee and return policy.
I have a 5 year overweight miniature schnauzer. I am having trouble getting my husband to stop feeding him table food and over feeding him dog food. I am in control of the feeding now. That’s part of my problem, Winston has become terrified of wood floors and steps. I am guessing he fell and it scared him. He won’t go out the doggy dog and go up and down the stairs to the patio to the door. It’s difficult for me to carry him at 25lbs. It’s breaking my heart. He loves to go on walks, but lately the weather is to cold for us, but I do take him to the doggy park. Our main living level is all hardwood and I have put throw rugs around and he goes from rug to rug but I want him to get over his fear, he needs to use the doggy door. I am going to get the booties.
Hi Laura,
I am sorry Winston has developed a fear of walking on the floors in your house. I think it is a great idea you are planning to try the boots. Have you considered ToeGrips? If you have any questions about the product don’t hesitate to reach out to our fabulous customer care team at [email protected]
If you have a chance, let me know how things are going. Best wishes to you both!
Hello! We recently got a 18 month old Black Lab, he seems terrified of the hardwood floor and refuses to leave the room and go on the hard wood flooring unless we make him but picking him up or nudging him. He won’t use the bathroom most times by himself and we really want him to be less nervous.
Hi Nathan,
I am sorry your young dog has this phobia of hardwood floors. I hope you were able to find some good ideas to try at home from reading the article and other’s comments. Don’t forget to discuss these concerns with your vet. They may have other options to explore that could greatly improve your pup’s quality of life. Best wishes and good luck.
We just moved to Florida 2 weeks ago. My 4 year old pitbull came from a hardwood and tile floor where we were previously living in jersey… and when we first moved here to Florida he was fine with it as well… but for like the last 5/6 days he’s scared to go to certain parts of the house at different times of the day… but other times has no problem with it. He even cries when he’s on the couch and wants to come down to follow me or come into my room but seems scared of the floor. I thought it was maybe from falling or hitting something when we were not around, but he only does it here n there in different parts of the house and it seems to be getting worse. I feel so bad I don’t know what to do. My son even has to carry him to the backdoor at times to go outside cuz he whines to want to come out but won’t get down from the couch.
Hi Nanette,
I am sorry your dog is having trouble since moving to your new house in Florida. It is odd that the fearful behavior is not consistent but with what you described it still seems like a traction issue with the floors. ToeGrips might be a good idea for your big guy! Also, you can try adding yoga mats or other rugs with a non-slip backing in specific areas that seem to cause the most problems. Just as the article stated, it is also a good idea to have your pup evaluated by a vet to make sure there are no medical issues contributing to these behaviors. I hope you can find the right combination of things to help your sweet boy feel more confident and comfortable in your home. Wishing you both the best!
Hi my dog is 1 year and 3 months old, we got her when she was 4 months old and she has been great walking on our hard wood floors though when she ran around the house her feet would skid around the house but that didnt stop her but up until recently probaly a month ago she dosnt get off the couch or off the bed and when she wants to she cries, when she is on the floor she is too scared to walk on it sometimes she will walk on the edge of the room close to the wall and not in the middle and sometimes just run across the room as quick as she can like she gets scared of something, even when she wants to come back inside from outside she dosnt want to step foot inside the house
Hi Lucas,
I am sorry your pup has developed a fear of the hardwood floors. I know it must be difficult to watch her struggle with this anxiety daily. It sounds like she may have slipped at some point and it was painful or frightening, so now she is afraid of repeating this experience again. The ideas in the article may be perfect for your dog. I recommend keeping the fur trimmed around her feet and her nails short. ToeGrips might make a big difference in her comfort level and confidence when walking through the house. Also, it is very important to have her examined by your vet. You want to make sure she doesn’t have a medical reason for avoiding slick floors, such as arthritis or hip dysplasia. I hope you can find the answers you need to help keep your girl calm and comfortable. Best wishes and good luck!
I have a 7 year old border collie — we got him when he was 1.5. Try as we might, we have not been able to break his fear of our hardwood floor (or of water bowls). I’ve smeared the floor and bowls with pumpkin and peanut butter. I’ve clicked and praised and treated. We trim his toe nails and the fur on the bottom of his paws. We even sometimes massage his paws, to get him to stop putting his nails out. That helps for about ten seconds and at least gets him from one floor mat to the next. We did try runners everywhere (bought reams of runners from Home Depot and gave him a path through the entire house, but he won’t go on those either. When we put his booties on him, then he’s fine, but they inevitably fall off or bother his dew claws. The result is he spends his days in fear, as the places in the house he feels comfortable walking in the house shrink and shrink. He whines with anxiety all day long. We considered stickers for the pads of this paws to give traction, but it seemed ridiculous because we walk him twice a day, so it seemed expensive to use them only to have them rub off on the asphalt or the hiking trail or the dog park. Thoughts?
Hi Jen,
I am sorry your poor boy is suffering from such debilitating anxiety and fear every day. I applaud you for going above and beyond to try and make him comfortable. It sounds like you have exhausted all the options I usually recommend. Have you considered trying ToeGrips? You can always reach out to our customer care team at [email protected] or via text at (843)781-7430 with any questions or concerns. We are always happy to help and offer hassle-free, fast and easy exchanges. I hope you can find a solution that works for you and your sweet boy. I wish you both the best.
Hi there
I have a chocolate Labrador named Bella, she’s 7 years old and her whole life she has been terrified of going up and down stairs in the house carpeted or laminated (she does them fine outside) and she is also only sometimes afraid of the laminate, some days she walks on the floor no problem and other days she stands in the middle terrified to move, we keep on top her nails and paw pads cause I know that makes it slippier but I just don’t like the idea of the nail grips as I think my dog would find them uncomfortable, any advice would be greatly appreciated
Hi Andrew,
I am glad you are looking for ways to help your girl feel more comfortable in her environment. You can add some extra rugs with a non-slip backing to certain areas of the house but unfortunately this really won’t help with the stairs. I understand your concern about the ToeGrips, but it sounds like Bella is already uncomfortable and dealing with anxiety due to her lack of freedom and mobility. I hope you will reconsider giving ToeGrips a try, and if they really do make Bella uncomfortable or don’t work for her, there is a 30-day return policy. I wish you and Bella the best and pray you can find a solution you are both comfortable with.
I have a Shar Pei who is 3 1/2 years old. Been with us since 8 weeks. He has Familial Shar Pei Fever and it occasionally effects his back hocks, they swell quite badly and can be quite painful during a fever. At about 1 he became terrified of any surface that was not rugs, concrete or any other nonslip surface to the point my husband has had to carry him across non carpeted areas in hotels.. We will soon be moving into an apartment with nothing but vinyl. I love the yoga mat idea, Is there anything else you can think of that might help him?
Hi Elizabeth,
I am sorry your pup is living with Shar Pei Fever. I can imagine how difficult it must be to watch such a young dog struggle and suffer during one of his flare ups. I highly recommend you try ToeGrips! They are easy to apply and would give him freedom to go anywhere inside your house, whether a rug is present or not. If you have any questions about ToeGrips, don’t hesitate to reach out. Also, feel free to read through some of the testimonials on the website. I hope you can find a solution that works for you and your sweet boy.
Thanks for posting this article. We have adopted a dog that came from a reservation in South Dakota. She is a mix of Shephard and other things. The rescue we got her from anticipates she is 2-3 years old.
She avoides hard floors at all costs and it pains us to see she is not comfortable in our house. Her nails were trimmed and it helped a little. Next we’re going to have the hair in her paws trimmed.
Is there anything else we can do for a younger dog?
Hi Cole,
I am glad you are trying different things to see what helps your girl. Rugs with a non-slip backing are always a good idea. Also, even though she isn’t a senior dog and there are no mobility issues, have you thought about trying ToeGrips®? I hope you can figure out what works best for your pup and make her time indoors just as comfortable as when she is outside in her element.
Yes, I agree with everything in this article. Our dog used to always fall and slip with the floors especially with the many stairs in our house, even though he is not overweight nor old. He then developed a fear for the floor. 1/2 our house flooring is wooden and so it was not good for neither him or us. It got to an extent where we were calling for him and couldn’t find him. We then found him sitting on a rug, silently waiting for someone to find him. This happens all the time. He cannot walk towards the front door, but has to be carried to the front door to be walked. We’ve tried everything to get rid of his fear, but it does not seem to work. Any tips for our dog? Thank you!
Dear Michelle,
So sorry to hear of your dogs fear of the hardwood floors. It is not uncommon, but that doesn’t make it any easier when it is your dog who is struggling. My two main suggestions would be to use yoga mats or non-slip runners to create a “safe” path for him to take from room to room and/or trying out ToeGrips for him.
Typically we do not recommend ToeGrips for younger dogs, simply because they tend to fall off of the nails of dogs who are very active, especially outdoors. However, your dog’s situation is different. I do think there is a place for ToeGrips in dogs with a slick floor phobia like your dog has. We have even had a few dogs who were “rehabbed” through this fear by using ToeGrips. Over the course of time, the owners were able to wean the dogs off the ToeGrips, and they went on to do well on the floors, overcoming their phobia. Keep in mind this is a small sample set—maybe about 5-10 dogs, but it was very exciting in all cases because the dogs’ lives were dramatically improved.
Keeping all of this in mind, I think it’s reasonable to try ToeGrips to help your dog. But you may need to remove the ToeGrips for outdoor play (not necessarily leash walks for bathroom breaks). If you apply the ToeGrips and notice a definite improvement in the subsequent 24-48 hours, I would be very optimistic that ToeGrips will be helpful for your dog.
Should this be the case, you may wish to glue the ToeGrips in place to increase the likelihood of them staying on the nails (which will no longer require you to remove them for outdoor play). Gluing ToeGrips is not our standard application technique, but it can be useful in situations like this to help keep the ToeGrips on reliably. You can learn how to glue ToeGrips on here:
I hope one of these tools helps your dog overcome his fear of the floors! If you do decide to try out ToeGrips and have any issues or questions, feel free to reach out to our customer support team!
My 3 lb Yorker has Luxating Patella in both knees and he hates walking on our floors. I tried booties with rubber pads but they didn’t stay on because he’s so tiny.
Any suggestions?
Hi Pam,
I have a few ideas that might help your pup with the floors:
1) Our signature product, Dr. Buzby’s ToeGrips for Dogs can make a big difference for dogs who are having trouble getting a grip on the floor. I know of several 3-4 lb Yorkies that are wearing the XS size of ToeGrips, so there is a good chance they would work well for your tiny pup too. If you decide to try them and realize they are too big for him, we offer a 30-day money back guarantee. This lets you try them risk free. The XS size can be a bit more difficult to apply because they are small and the dog’s nails are tiny too, so we created a special video to help owners apply the XS ToeGrips with confidence. Here is the video: Applying XS ToeGrips
2) Some people have luck with laying down carpet runners or yoga mats to create a pathway through the house. This allows your dog to walk from room to room on surfaces that are easier for him to gain traction on.
Hope this helps!
Our chocolate lab bear ( about 2 years old) was fine, and developed this weird fear out of the blue. My girlfriend messaged me when I was away at work, month on month off aboard ships and told me this. And I thought, ok, anxiety from me being away. But no, he still does it when I’m home. It seems to go away during periods of excitement, like when I come home, or feeding time. But the fear comes back not long after.
Is this common for puppies, a 2 year who has no history of this strange fear? He hasn’t had any slips or falls that i recall. And his nails are kept short.
We did get him some booties, have not tried them on yet though. but I just find it weird that it come out of nowhere, he fears nothing, not the vacuum, lawnmower, all the classic goto things dogs hate….he’s just a giant smiling friendly goof. Who is now afraid of our floor….
Cheers, and stay safe!
Hi Eric,
I love your description of your dog as a giant smiling goof! Unfortunately, even otherwise happy-go-lucky dogs do sometimes develop strange fears that we may or may not be able to identify a reason for. It is possible that Bear did have some sort of scary episode on the floor when no one was around to see it, but we may never know for sure. I was recently talking to one of my veterinarian friends whose dog suddenly decided that the food and water dishes were terrifying. She mentioned that she has an even better understanding now of what it is like to have a dog with a seemingly odd fear, so know you are not alone! It is good that his excitement can overcome his fear sometimes, and hopefully eventually he will become comfortable on the floor all the time. You could consider laying out yoga mat or carpet runner pathways through the house to help him become more comfortable. If he is food motivated (as most labs are), you can also see if he would use a lickmat or other puzzle toy on the floor as licking/working to get the food out of a toy can be calming and may help him associate being on the floor with good things. Cheers to you too and stay safe! Give your silly boy some snuggles from our team the next time you are home!
Hi, my dog developed a sudden fear of floors and he basically stays on his bed the whole day unless it’s to go for walks or play outside. It has hindered his quality of life. I can see how much it has affected his confidence , I can see it through his body language and it breaks my heart. He doesn’t do anything unless he his coaxed into it and highly praised or has someone close by. What can I do about this? How long do the tow grippers last?
Hi Sandy,
Aww your poor pup! It can be so difficult to see your dog feeling fearful and isolated and be at a loss as to how to help him feel more confident. Some people have had good luck laying down enough yoga mats/carpet runners that they make a safe path through the rooms for their dog, so you could try that. ToeGrips can also help a dog grip the slippery floor. A dog’s natural mechanism for traction is to engage the nails like soccer cleats, which works great on grass or earthen terrain. ToeGrips provide just a little bit of “grab” so the dog’s natural mechanism for traction works well on hard-surface floors. Typically they last for 1-3 months, with the average being close to two months. As a word of caution, sometimes they don’t stay on super active or young dogs quite as well. If you have more questions about ToeGrips, my customer service team would be happy to help you out. Finally, you can also keep trying to make being on the floors as positive of an experience as possible, just like you have been doing (toy/treats/praise for setting one foot on the floor, work up to being on the floor for longer stretches etc). Some anxious dogs may also benefit from calming pheromone collars and/or from short term use of prescription anti-anxiety meds from the vet. I hope you are able to find a good solution for your sweet boy so he can gain his confidence back. ❤
We have 13 year old Collie/Shepard mix who has been an outside dog until recently. For the first week she did fine in the house on our wood floors then all of a sudden she is terrified to leave the carpeted living room. She also will not drink water inside even though we leave it out for her. Any suggestions?
Hi Regina,
I’m sure it is distressing to watch your dog refuse to drink water inside and be scared to leave the carpeted areas, and I can understand your concern. It will probably take some time to build your dog’s confidence in the house because she is experiencing many new things that she didn’t previously encounter during her first 13 years as an outdoor dog. Change is hard for everyone. Here are a few things you could consider doing:
1. Have your veterinarian give her a good nose to tail examination with special emphasis on her eyes (to make sure she can see well to navigate) and her joints/muscles (to ensure she isn’t showing signs of arthritis or weakness that would make it harder to walk on the slippery floors.) If you do discover that she has some orthopedic issues, I would highly recommend Encore Mobility, a green-lipped mussel and deer velvet supplement that has worked wonders in many of my patients.
2. Consider using ToeGrips to give her some extra traction and help build her confidence. If she does well with them, you can either try to wean her off of them once she has built her confidence, or continue to use them if your veterinarian finds orthopedic issues that may make it harder for her to walk on the floors long term.
3. Use carpet runners or yoga mats on the hardwood floors to give her a safe non-slip trail around the house so she can still move from room to room.
4. Allow free access to water inside and outside while she is adjusting, use the same type of bowl both places, put it somewhere that she is confident walking (probably in the carpeted area), ensure that her tags aren’t clanging against the bowl when she drinks (some dogs don’t like the noise), or have multiple types of bowls in different locations in the house. I would also recommend discussing this concern with your veterinarian to ensure there isn’t a medical reason keeping her from drinking water.
I hope these suggestions plus some time and patience will help your sweet girl adjust to being in the house.
I have a 3yr old husky that slipped on our hard wood floor after the rain. I have put runners down an she will run really fast to them but will not come in the kitchen at all. She will stand on the carpeted stairs all day if she feels she cant get to the runner. Do you think these groups will help build her confidence?
Hi Katrina,
Great thinking to put some runners down to give your husky a more secure walking surface. I would keep the runners down for now and use enough runners or yoga mats that she has a safe pathway through all the different parts of the house. Did the fall happen in the kitchen? If so, I wouldn’t be surprised if she is more nervous there because she remembers slipping and wants to ensure it doesn’t happen again. We don’t traditionally recommend ToeGrips for younger dogs because it is a bit harder to keep them on, but they may be worth a try to give her some of her confidence back. We do offer a 30-day money back guarantee if you find that they don’t work well for her. I hope you are able to find a solution for your sweet girl. If you do decide to try ToeGrips, we would love to know how they worked out and are happy to answer any questions you might have about them.
I am a foster with the rescue. I am currently fostering a 6 year old female whippet doberman mix she is very fearful of hard surfaces and when she walks on hard surfaces she always stays to the outside she will never walk through the middle of the room. Do you have any advice?
Hi Jennifer,
It is wonderful that you are a foster for a rescue. You can make such a difference in the lives of the dogs that pass through your home on their way to their forever home. It sounds like this dog needs to build some confidence on hard surfaces, and it is hard to know what kind of experiences she had before. I would recommend using yoga mats or carpet runners to see if giving her a safe highway through the rooms will help. It may also take her a bit to come out of her shell and build confidence if she has not been at your house very long, so we can cross our fingers that tincture of time is all she needs. You could also consider trying ToeGrips for her. We don’t use them as much in younger dogs, but they might be worth trying to see if a bit more grip will build her confidence. I hope you are able to find a solution that works for her, and thanks again for being a foster. ❤
I have a 5 1/2 week puppy who is terrified of any room with hardwood visible I put down blankets and mats but he won’t walk on them
Hi Mason, at that tender young age, it’s more a matter of patience and training than anything else. I’m sure as he grows in size and maturity, this will get better. ?
My black lab is going to be 3 years old, we recently moved into a new home where hardwood floors make up about 60% of the downstairs. It gets to the point where in the morning she will not come off of the couch, and she traps herself in the kitchen. Because she does not want to walk through the dining room. Our previous home also had hardwood floors and she never had this issue.
Were you able to overcome this with your lab? We have a 2 year old male and he out of no where is afraid of hard floors and some concrete surfaces and grates. Have no idea what happened but it is not good. He is very active and a hunting dog. All I can think of is he must have slipped at home real bad sometime when we weren’t there and is now terrified.
I recently moved to a new house and had minimal issues with the floors at first but instantly it was like a switch was flipped and now my 6 year old lab/mix is terrified. I have tried leading with treats, walking on a leash, and laying towels to create a path but he is terrified to the point of shaking and freezing. Its heartbreaking to see because it is impacting his mobility to be with me in the office while i work during the day.
I’m not sure if the towels are still too slick and maybe rugs will provide a more secure feeling but its becoming a huge and very sad problem to coax him out of the bedroom or living room areas during the day. Has anyone had any positive results??
Hi Lauren,
What your sweet boy is experiencing is heartbreaking and all to common. Did he have a bad fall or slipping accident on the floors in the new house? Has he been examined by your vet to rule out a medical cause? Rugs may provide a more secure feeling than the towels and might be a good idea in specific areas. I would recommend you check out my product, ToeGrips. What are ToeGrips? The goal with ToeGrips is to give your dog the freedom to go anywhere in the house, even if a towel or rug isn’t present. He also may need some of the hair trimmed from around the bottom of his paw pads. Trimming the hair will help his pads grip the floor better. This can be done at home, if you are comfortable trying yourself, or a groomer can help with this task. I hope you can find a solution that works for you and your boy. Good luck and enjoy these senior years together!
Hi, I have a 5 year old boxer mix named Zeus. We just moved into a new house with hard wood floors. He walked around just fine initially and almost regularly but all of a sudden he has a slip spasm and he then is afraid to walk on the floor. I’ve gotten some space rugs for him and he moves around on and off the rugs but then all of a sudden the spasm happens again and he freaks out. I’ve trimmed his nails and trimmed the hair on the paws. Not sure how to help him and I don’t understand where his fear is coming from. He is a rescue and was abandoned twice. I got him soon after an ACL surgery repair. The other ACL tore 4 months after he had the first surgery. His trust of people has grown gradually and his confidence has been gradually improving. I’ve had him for a year and half and it breaks my heart to see him afraid of the floors.
Hello Nancy, sadly this is a common problem. We don’t typically recommend ToeGrips for young dogs, just because they may not stay on all that well. But if Zeus is a fairly calm 5-yr-old Boxer, it would be worth a try! (We offer a 30-day money back guarantee if they aren’t the right solution.) Ultimately you are going to have to win back his confidence by equipping him to be secure on those floors (ie. ToeGrips, throw rugs, yoga mats, etc.) and then patiently working on his “mind” to show him he can, in fact, do it! I hope this helps! ?
Hi Dr. Buzby, I have a 6 year old pug who almost overnight became traumatized walking on hardwood floors. He is very much overweight which we are actively working on to change because he has to have knee surgery due to luxating. We currently have runners down to help him get from point A to point B. I’m told if we continue this it will never change. In addition, it’s a herculean event to trim his nails – but I managed to do so but I fear he won’t let me put on the nails grips. Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated!
Hello Angela, Thanks for the comments/questions. I imagine the “overnight” fear of the floor developed because of an injury or wipeout on that floor. Poor guy. More on this in a minute…
Good job on the weight loss. It will be helpful for you to be able to body condition score him as you work on his weight: https://toegrips.com/canine-body-condition-score/ As he loses weight, he will feel so much better and be more active!
One thing I have found to be very helpful for my patients with luxating patellas is New Zealand Deer Velvet: https://toegrips.com/best-supplement-joint-pain-dogs/
Ultimately, you are right; sometimes surgery is the best option.
As for the ToeGrips, I can tell you that dogs don’t mind ToeGrips application nearly as mind as nail trims, as a general rule. I would suggest watching our videos several times before trying: https://toegrips.com/instructions-2/
I think ToeGrips would make a big difference in his fear and you may even be able to wean him slowly off of ToeGrips over several months once he regains confidence. I hope this helps!
I just got a new dog she’s 3 months and she’s very scared to walk on my hard wood Floor what can I do:(
For a baby like that, Briana, I would just do throw rugs/runners or yoga mats to try to build her confidence. Hopefully it is short lived.
i have a 3 yrs old pitbull he will not walk on the floor living room hardwood floor just in the last week he just started doing this WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP HIM????
Hello Samantha, Typically at 3, your dog can rehab through his fears and go on to be fine. In the meantime, I’d recommend carpet runners and yoga mats to provide safe “pathways” around your home.
Our 9 year old standard poodle has suddenly got scared about crossing our faux wood floor. Then tonight he started licking it. He has a sore paw and doesnt like his paws touched at the best of times so toe guards wouldnt be tolerated. Has he got Cushings disease?
Hello Deirdre, I’m not necessarily jumping right to Cushing’s disease from what you describe, but I am thinking your dog needs to be examined now by a vet. You can go from there on diagnosis and treatment plan. Good luck!
My 10 year old yorkie is suddenly acting this way. We have always had hardwood floors. We have not seen any sort of accident or see her slip. 🙁
Hi Kaycee, I would strongly recommend ToeGrips (https://shop.toegrips.com/products/toegrips) even if only for the short term. It’s so hard to see our dog struggle and I’m confident these will help her.
Yes all of a sudden she won’t walk on wood floor. She pulls away. . She is 6 months old and loves to run but now she is very skiddish she goes rug to rug . But we do have lots of hardwood. What do you think
Hi Trish, It sounds like your dog had some sort of a bad experience (ie. slip and fall) on the wood floor. Dogs are so smart. They remember these things and associate the floor with the fear/pain. Your dog is too young to use ToeGrips (because they just won’t stay on reliably in a 6-month-old puppy), and I think some patient, positive training is your best option. Don’t be afraid to seek the help of a reputable trainer for help.