It’s always cute when you see videos of the puppies on hardwood floors trying to gain traction. But in reality, it may make you worried as the hardwood seems a bit hard on them (your puppies).
Therefore, hardwood surfaces are smooth and slippery, which may bring this question to your mind: Are hardwood floors bad for dogs?
To get the answer to the question, stay in tune with us till the end. We hope we will get you covered with some needful feedback.
Here we go.
Are Hardwood Floors Bad For Dogs Hips & Legs?
Honestly, hardwood surfaces don’t bring any damage to your dog. But due to their slippery characteristics, they may become problematic for your puppy or dogs.
From our experience, we found smooth surfaces like hardwood & tile inhibit your puppy’s traction. Old dogs may have trouble with slipping & falling on the hardwood floor.
In the worst cases, your dog may slip on the hardwood surface and get severely injured in his legs, joints, and hips.
Therefore, slippery floors like hardwood can make it harder for a senior dog to lay down and get up.
However, whether the hardwood floor will be bad for your dogs or not depends on your dog.
For example, if your dog is full-grown that doesn’t tend to do zoomies all the time, and has no glaring structural issues, hardwood will not be an issue.
On the other hand, a still-growing puppy needs a carpeted floor to walk on as the hardwood base is not friendly to it.
Otherwise, most dogs discover hardwood or slippery floors and learn to navigate them safely.
Inspect Your Dog How to Get a Grip
From one species to another, every type of dog comes with its unique behavior and agility. Here is why you should inspect your dog-the way it likes to walk normally and also feel confident to do so.
Commonly, dogs utilize their toenails for traction. Again, they utilize their toes, flex, and paws altogether. Eventually, they dig their nails into the soil. But what happens when they will stalk around the hardwood floor? Well, in that case, they easily move around on the hardwood surface. It matters how it will get a grip on it.
How to Prevent Your Dogs From Slipping Away on the Hardwood Floor?
Here are some effective ways to prevent your fav pet from slipping away on the hardwood base.
Here are some effective ways to prevent your fav pet from slipping away on the hardwood base.
- Keep your dog nails short and paw trimmed. You can even put paw lotion on its paws to help keep them moisturized.
- Some puppies get excited when they see people coming up the walkway. In this case, you can put an area rug for the front door area.
- Place a mat or carpet runners on the areas where your dog often goes. Ensure the area rug is secure on the floor so that it doesn’t slip away when the dog keeps its feet on it.
- Put carpet on the area where your dog takes a rest or nap.
- Don’t forget to install a floor mat for the back door to keep your dog’s paws dry if it’s raining outside.
- Pay attention to the stairs of your home. Cover each of the steps with a carpet or rug. As a result, there will be a bit of a chance for your dog to slip away.
FAQs
Will the hardwood floor hurt my dog?
Your dog pows are not friendly to walk on smooth surfaces like hardwood, tile, and laminate. So, the dog will slip away and fall on the surface, and get hurt in its legs, hips, and joints.
What is the best flooring when you have dogs?
Vinyl surface is the best flooring option if you have dogs. It is comfortable for your dogs to walk on and this flooring type is affordable, waterproof, and scratch-proof.
Do slippery floors cause hip dysplasia?
If your puppies are less than 3 months old and you decide to raise them on the hardwood floor, they have a high risk of hip dysplasia.
Is it bad for dogs to run on hardwood floors?
Yes, it is bad for your dogs to run on hardwood floors as hardwood surfaces are smooth. Your puppies may slip away and fall on the hardwood floor that will hurt them.
Are tile floors bad for dogs?
Like hardwood floors, tile is also smooth, and your dog may fall on the floor when running on the slippery base.
Final Word
So, are hardwood floors bad for dogs?
In short, the hardwood floors are risky for your dog. But the hardwood surface doesn’t bring any health issues for your dogs.
As the hardwood surface is slippery, your puppy may fall on the floor that could hurt its legs, joint, and hip. However, you can prevent your dog from slipping away by putting rugs or mats on its walkways.
The happy news is- most dogs figure out your hardwood surfaces and start learning to navigate them on the floor.