Child's puzzle used as non-slip pet mat
Unless dog socks are used to protect the bandaging of a wound on a dog's foot, I have a hard time supporting them for indoor use. Here are just a few, but important, reasons why dogs should not wear socks:
- A dog's feet are part of his communication with the world.
- A dog's feet help him identify where he is, whether to move forward or avoid.
- A dog's feet are heat regulators for his entire body, as they contain his sweat glands. They keep him cool in summer and warm in winter.
- A dog's paws contain claws that perform scratching duties for your dog when he itches, and move things around, and hold down bones and other treats...
- And, yes, their feet help dogs get up and down, and they grip floor and furniture surfaces.
Your dog could tell you more reasons her feet are important to her. But what happens if, as she ages, she looses her ability to grip your tile, wood, or linoleum floors? Or if, even as a young pup, she slips and slides on them?
Dogs' foot pads are grainy and grippy when dogs are young, but they wear down from use as dogs age, and so their pads slide on the floor rather than grip it.
Three of my dogs had this problem as they got older. I made a big mistake with the first dog. I wanted to give him as much grip as possible, so I made him wear rubber booties in the house.... He hated them, of course, but more than that, the booties actually caused an infection in his pads due to excessive moisture that couldn't evaporate within the rubber booties.
But when my second dog started "slip slidin' away*," I knew better. I bought him socks that 'breathed.' Well, they didn't really breathe. And they didn't keep him from slipping either. There wasn't enough traction on the soles of the socks. And, did I mention, my dog kept removing them from his paws?
I had a decision to make: my dog or my decor? I have beautiful dark wood floors and tiling in the halls.... So what.
I bought some throw rugs, laid some non-slip rug pads under them, and said the heck with my decor. I'm never going to make my dogs wear boots or socks in the house. If some special company comes over, I'll lift the carpets.... or make excuses for the funky rugs.
So, now I face the slip slidin' again with my third canine sweetheart. I took out my throw rugs and hall carpets again. And since that time, my dog started having difficulty just standing over his drinking fountain and his raised food bowl, and I couldn't get him to step on his rug or on his Hoki Found, which he usually eats from! I chose some colorful square tiles to place strategically near them, so he can keep his balance and have a little cushioning under his paws. I bought the child puzzle pads, just for fun, but here are some plain colorful squares with no design if you want to try them.
BalanceFrom Kids' Puzzle Exercise Mat
A good pair of dog boots should be worn to protect your dog's feet on certain surfaces, mostly those that contain harmful particles like sharp objects or chemicals. These can also be used to take your dog out for more than a short walk in extremely hot or cold weather.
*Slip Slidin' Away By Paul Simon (have a good listen!)
related reads:
Some Dog Foods Actually Contribute To Heart Disease In Dogs: Ingredients To Avoid
Can Your Dog Help You Find Things? Sniffer, Tracking, & Trailing Dogs (w/videos)
Save The Forgotten: Certain British Dog Breeds Facing Extinction
