Got rugs?


The beach is a great place to run and play; there is lots of traction in sand. 


Wood floors, aren't they gorgeous?  Many people want wall to wall wood floors in their home but our dogs can suffer from this decision.  Real wood and laminate wood floors can be extremely slippery.  I know, we had one put in a couple of years ago and it's horribly slippery.  It was not my choice, I chose a rustic rough tile floor but lost the coin toss; so we have one very slippery floor.  It looks gorgeous but is now covered with rug which sort of defeats the purpose of getting rid of the carpet in the first place.  It is just too slippery for the dogs to move around on safely, especially old dogs.

Surface is something that we canine guardians need to pay close attention to.  From the moment a dog is born, there needs to be concern for the surface that they walk on.  I see lots of photos of puppies running around inside plastic pools, on the kitchen linoleum  floor and sliding across the living room wood floor and it makes me shudder.  One of the most important times for puppies to be on a non skid surface is when they are nursing.  Those little feet of theirs attempt to dig in and move them forward as they fight for placement at the milk bar.  Once they latch on the digging continues as they nurse; they need to be on a surface that gives them traction.

Whelping boxes and play areas should have non skid surfaces placed in them.  That can be small throw rugs, thick blankets or rubber matting.  But it needs to be put down in all areas of the box.  Having just one small piece for Mom to lay on in not sufficient.  When the puppies are little and crawling around, they need traction to help to build their little muscles.  Without the ability to build muscle the slippery surface does even more damage.  So the old newspaper lined box of the past should remain in the past. 

Slipping is not good, not for us and definitely not for our dogs.  As much as I hate carpet, it is essential in the form of a throw rug for safety.  If a floor is slippery then our dogs should not be playing on it.  Walking across a slippery floor in a calm manner is one thing but our dogs cannot be guaranteed to do that often, right?  Hearing nails clamor and skids across a slippery surface is a sound that causes me to cringe.  It may be only a matter of time until something is torn and the dog then requires surgery, plus an unbelievably long recovery time.   

I've got throw rugs everywhere in my home.  You can get throw rugs for next to nothing; making them easy to switch them out when needed.  A throw rug is only as good as it's non skid backing so as they wear, replace with new.  I actually need to get out and buy a few new ones to replace those that have been on the floor past their prime.  Place throw rugs in prime traffic areas and where corners can cause a wipeout.  We have two huge area rugs in the family room that cover the flooring and make for a great play place for Luke and Elsa. 

Slipping can cause all sorts of problems; from hip dysplasia to serious tendon, muscle and ligament tears.    When a dogs slips all their muscles cannot kick in to save the tendons, ligaments and joints.  They feel the full brunt of the slip and can suffer serious wear and tear.   Wear and tear can then cause a damage to tendons, ligaments and joints which then are susceptible to serious damage.  DO NOT play with your dog on slippery surfaces. 

Build muscle and offer traction.  This is the best way to avoid injury to tendons, ligaments and joints. 

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