Walking your dog on smooth, durable surfaces is an excellent way to strengthen their basic walk skills and prepare them for more advanced behaviors like trick walking or even outside!
Many dogs get scared when they have to walk on tile floors or hard surface areas due to fears of slipping or getting hurt. This can be very frustrating as you try to teach your dog new tricks!
Luckily there are some ways that you can help facilitate this learning process for your pooch. In this article, we will talk about some easy steps to get your furry friend up and moving on tiled floors. Keep reading for tips!
Disclaimer:We strive to provide helpful information, but please read our disclaimer first. Socialization is one of the most important things for any dog at risk for re-homing. Please do not let us influence you to keep a dog that is not yet socially stable.
Just because a puppy does not want to move forward on tiling doesn’t mean it won’t grow out of it
It may take a little bit longer, but don’t give up! Most puppies need around six months before they are comfortable walking on tiles, so don’t worry too much if yours takes a little extra time.
Use crinkles in your pocket
When you take your dog out for a walk, make sure there are no distractions like cars or people that could potentially scare or bother her.
If your dog is very nervous of other dogs, it can be quite difficult to get her to go outside with others. This is particularly true if the other dogs are barking or running around.
In these cases, she may feel confused and scared, which can then create more fear within her. To help your dog overcome her fears, you will need to work at it.
The best way to do this is by using exposure therapy. This means exposing your dog to the things she is afraid of little bit by little bit until she gets used to them.
For example, if your dog is very sensitive to noises, you would have to expose her to noise little by little. She might start off listening to music with headphones before letting you put onthe radio.
Dogs also become uncomfortable when they see new things so walking in an area where there are lots of new things can help.
There are many ways to train your dog to walk on tile floors, but one of our favorite tricks is to use crinkly materials as leg wear.
Make sure your shoes aren’t worn out
One of the biggest reasons dogs get stuck or even hurt while walking on tile is because they can’t get traction in their feet.
If your dog has been getting stuck every time you take a walk, it could be due to tired pawing or poor footing caused by dry, dirty paws or thick fur that prevents them from grabbing onto the tiles.
Make sure your footwear isn’t past its use-by date as this could contribute to the problem. Also check for any loose stones that may have got embedded under your dog’s foot – if you notice them moving around when you put pressure on them, try pulling off one shoe at a time until you find the source of the obstruction.
Make sure your dog has a fresh coat of water
Many dogs that are trained as walking companions will enjoy exploring new surfaces, but some types of floors just don’t feel good to them.
For example, if you go out for a short while with your dog, then return, he or she may try to walk on the newly-exposed tile floor instead of the carpeted one. This can be very frustrating since you have to drag him or her across the other surface!
If this happens during training, simply take off the collar and reward system until his or her feet feel more comfortable on the tiles. Repeat this process until your puppy comes back without hesitation.
Using rewards correctly is an important part of shaping any behavior. For instance, if your dog was not feeling well and had trouble moving, then removing toys and snacks would be a great way to reset his or her desire to play. By doing so, he or she will eventually get hungry enough to start interacting with you again.
Use a leash that’s secure but not too tight
Choosing the right length of leash for your dog is important, especially if they have trouble walking on tile or hard surfaces. A longer leash allows your dog more time to explore and take casual strolls outside, while a shorter one can help them feel more connected to you.
If your dog has issues keeping their feet still when walking on tiled floors, there are several things you can do to make it easier. Dogs need about two steps per foot so having even footsteps helps!
You can also use sandals instead of normal shoes since dogs tend to drag their paws as they walk, creating an uneven surface which may be difficult for some dogs.
Try a different spot to exercise
Walking your dog on uneven surfaces is a great way to strengthen their feet and muscles. If you can’t take them out for a walk due to weather or time constraints, you can always use the house!
Many people gain inspiration from watching sports while listening to music. It’s a nice combination that doesn’t require too much action aside from walking and listening. You can do this by laying down some blankets in the room with your dog and creating a comfortable environment.
By changing your exercise routine, it creates a new habit for your dogs. When they are not allowed outside, they will make another place part of their daily ritual instead.
Use a soft voice
When walking your dog on tiled floors, you want to be careful not to use too loud of a voice or shout commands. This could scare away your companion or even hurt his/her paws!
Dogs are sensitive beings that can pick up on tone and volume. If you are trying to get your dog to walk on tile, then using a quiet, gentle voice is the best way to go.
Try keeping the noise level down by only speaking when necessary. The sound of feet hitting tiles will do the trick in helping your dog learn how to navigate around such surfaces.
The dogs ear can pick up on the floor sounds so make sure they have good hearing if this issue arises.
Reward your dog when he is calm on the floor
The next step in helping your dog learn how to walk on tile floors is to teach him to be calm and comfortable walking on it.
He must know that walking on tiled floors is okay so that can be used as a reward for good behavior.
It’s easy to do this, just donlt think of it as teaching your dog to walk on carpet, you are actually teaching your pooch to show self-control!
The way to get your dog to understand that walking on tiles is okay is by using food rewards. By doing this, they will connect the action of walking on the tiles with getting something tasty.
Make sure you pick your rewards carefully though, make them small but frequent and meaningful.
Try using a harness instead of a leash
A more efficient way to train your dog is via a training technique called reward-based learning. This method uses food as a reward for good behaviors and removes need for a leash or buckle collar.
A basic premise of this technique is that teaching takes place in two steps: 1) The student (or behavior we want to learn) gets some motivation, or incentive, 2) To teach the student the opposite behavior.
With dogs, one of the most common behaviors students are asked to do is to walk on a flat surface. For example, if you ask your puppy to walk on grass, they may not know how!
By starting with a smooth tile floor, you can give your canine classmate their own level of inspiration to take off!
The trainer will use the appropriate tool for each individual dog, but for our purposes here, it does not matter what kind of tool you have, just make sure your dog has an empty stomach before attempting to get them to traverse the room.