Linoleum Panic

[Guest Fluffy]

So, my entire apartment is uncarpeted, with linoleum tile floors. Badger's never quite gotten the hang of catching his footing on it, and now that he's becoming less cautious around the house in general, he is a constant mass of flying paws and sliding dead weight. We're both getting kind of freaked out about it, because in my small place, any loss of his footing leads to him smacking into walls and/or doors. I bought some anti-slip drawer liners at the dollar store today with the idea that maybe I could make dog-safe walkways with it, but he seems to be even more freaked out by the prospect of walking on this alien material than he is about sliding into walls at 10mph, and he's taking all routes to avoid where I put it down, including climbing onto a table to drink out of the far side of his water bowl rather than stand in front of it near the drawer liner. And besides, the liner strips are only a foot wide, and convincing him to walk directly on them, even if he wasn't afraid of them, well...unlikely.

 

I'm terrified he's going to slide into something and do himself real damage, and I'm sure my fear isn't helping him become more comfortable with any of this, but I can't help myself. He's started avoiding getting off the beanbag, and tonight after we went outside he stood in the front door crying, (apparently?) afraid to come in and brave the floor. I've been told "oh, he'll get used to it," but...he doesn't seem to be. It's getting worse.

 

Money is tight, and I don't think I can afford to buy carpet in any significant quantity. $50 is probably my outside limit, and even that will hurt. Help, please. Anything. Cheap carpet source? Anti-slip booties for the dog? Reassurances that slamming into walls can't really hurt him that badly?

[Batmom]

Cheap rubber-backed rugs from Home Depot. You can usually get 3' x 5' or 4' x 6' for @ $15 per. They're the ribbed doormat type, dark brown or dark gray, not so beautiful but pretty much indestructible.

[RobinM]

He can get hurt so I can't tell you he can't. he can also become so freaked that that will become another problem.

 

The cheapest way to fix the problem is to buy many non slip throw rugs. Simple solution! This is not an unusual problem.

[FiveRoooooers]

Cheap rubber-backed rugs from Home Depot. You can usually get 3' x 5' or 4' x 6' for @ $15 per. They're the ribbed doormat type, dark brown or dark gray, not so beautiful but pretty much indestructible.

 

This.

[Guest Fluffy]

Cheap rubber-backed rugs from Home Depot. You can usually get 3' x 5' or 4' x 6' for @ $15 per. They're the ribbed doormat type, dark brown or dark gray, not so beautiful but pretty much indestructible.

 

Thank you so, so much! I have a Home Depot nearby, so I will swing by there tomorrow. A 4x6 rug should just about cover the main problem spot.

[Guest sorenkkg]

Also check Walmart-- I get them there for the front entry, back door, top of the stairs-- geez, they used to run up the stairs and skid on the landing and smack into the back wall... then they got wise and stopped coming up the stairs

 

Anyway-- walmart, cute carpets, cheap, lots of patterns that are quite tolerable and go with home decor-- and they are WASHABLE, which is good, b/c if mine are going to puke, they WILL aim for a carpet

[Guest FreddyGirl]

I had to do this for my 11 year old dog Bobbi. My entire first floor of hardwood floors has been covered by area rugs and runners bought at KMart, machine washable, rubber backed, even the tiled kitchen floor! Home Depot's runners will be a lot cheaper than what I paid.

[sobesmom]

Do you have a Dollar General store near you? You can pick up 2ft x 3 ft rubber backed rugs (ugly) for $2. Buy a few. Drop them down. Put a leash on the dog, and have a handfull or good treats. Walk the dog across the rugs, giving treats freely. Back and forth a few times. Then, sit on the floor, and let the dog wander around - and toss the treats around the room so the dog has to walk over the rugs to get them.

 

Leave the rugs in place for a few days, until the dog is comfortable. Then take one away. A couple days later, take another away. Eventaully, the dog will get used to the bigger and bigger spaces in the rugs, and get used to the floor.

 

The whole process might take a week and ten bucks. I'm a big believer in cheap and low tech!

 

ETA: I keep my stash of cheapo rugs and pull them out every time we get a foster that struggles with our lamiant floors. Works every time!

Edited April 26, 2010 by sobesmom

[ivon]

At Home Depot or Lowe's you can get cheap indoor/outdoor carpet, it comes in big rolls, 6 feet wide, and you can get it by the foot. Not pretty, but it should do the trick, it is rubber backed, I used it to cover a wooden ramp, no sliding. Also, you want to keep the nails as short as possible, they tend to slip more when the nails are touching the floor. This might be less expensive than buying rubber backed rugs, they are surprisingly pricey sometimes, though, I have those too, the nice part is, they can be thrown in the washer if needed.

[Guest 4dogscrazy]

We have the same problem with landings, I have three steps up, tiled, inside the back door. Heaven forbid someone moves the rugs, you will get yipped at by me! We can not let the dogs out when the rugs are in the wash. They would slip and fall and break bones if I did not have those rugs at the bottom and top. I have two leapers up, and two leapers down! Shudder...

 

Definately check the dollar stores, any kind of discount store in fact. In the fall, Wal-Mart carries dorm room sized rugs for fairly cheap, now we do live by a college, so I'm not sure if that's store specific or not! But any cheap rug will do!

[KF_in_Georgia]

Consider rubber-backed bath mats. You might be able to find them in thrift stores, charity stores, etc. And if they're wide enough, you can cut the mats in half length-wise and get two mats for the price of one. You won't need a complete path of them; just place them strategically (concentrate on places where he needs to change direction) and try to leave small gaps that he can step across safely. (If the mats seem to slip, try double-stick tape on the back of the mat. Or put your drawer liners under the mats.)

 

Also, if you guys go to meet and greets at stores with slick floors, roll up a mat and take it with you. And when you work on training, make sure he has a mat to practice his sits on; otherwise his back feet will slide apart under him, and that's going to make him reluctant to work.

[Guest Fluffy]

You guys are absolute lifesavers. I stopped at Walmart on the way home and picked up some cheapie carpet, which covers pretty much my entire living room for $55 (including non-slip thingies to go underneath the rugs). So I have gone from this:

(pardon the crazy drill-head dog pose, it's just the best photo I have of my floor "before")

 

To this:

(my first effort, with the dollar-store drawer liners, which did nothing)

 

To this:

Notice the dog standing up and eating his dinner, unafraid of flailing into a wall. It took him all of three minutes to figure out that this new material was safe and he could venture out of the crate. I still need to get something bigger to cover the area immediately in front of the door, but for the moment, I think we have averted a major crisis.

 

to everyone who offered advice and happy thoughts!

[Guest sorenkkg]

Good job!

 

side note-- were you watching Big Bang Theory? I loooove that show

[Guest Fluffy]

Good job!

 

side note-- were you watching Big Bang Theory? I loooove that show

 

lol I was, although I am not a regular watcher - I tivo'd it to see the latest Wil Wheaton episode, because I like him so much. But once I saw it, I was kind of in love with the whole show, so I think I might add it to my weekly rotation (gotta squeeze it in amongst all the USA "quirky person solves crimes, fails to solve own personal problems" shows I am also addicted to...)

[Guest 4dogscrazy]

"quirky person solves crimes, fails to solve own personal problems" shows I am also addicted to...

That's great!

 

Glad we could help, WMart to the rescue again!

[GeorgeofNE]

I'm surprised your adoption group didn't also warn you that slippery surfaces should be covered with throw rugs at least in the beginning.

 

Glad you figured it out! All will be well now!

 

 

 

[Guest longdoglady]

Badger is a gorgeous guy, I love the middle picture where he's decided the drawer liners must be for sleeping on seeing as they are no good for walking on

He must love you so much for putting an end to his Bambi impressions

[Guest earlkattangrey]

Another option is PAWZ. They are cheap, $15 for 12, and are like thick balloons so you can imagine they work great. Every once in a while Kattan decides he is scared of the hard floor and I put these on his front feet. Omg he was so happy! He was ripping around like an idiot. Took 'em off after an hour and he and the hard floor had made up Sometimes I wonder if maybe he slipped when I wasn't home and that's what renewed his fear.

 

Oh yeah, the link

http://www.gemgreyhounds.org/gem_store/houndwear.htm

 

The GEM people are AWESOME and incredibly fast to get your order out.

Edited April 27, 2010 by earlkattangrey