The year of 2021 was certainly the year everyone who had been longing for a furry friend finally went ahead and bought a puppy – or adopted a dog from a shelter. Or, perhaps, because of historically high demand, you are still waiting to welcome your new four-legged family member into your home. No matter what stage of puppy-planning or training you are in, you may be wondering how to keep your dog from scratching your beautiful hardwood floors . With just a few considerations, you can make sure to keep those floors looking their best, while letting your dog enjoy, well, being a dog.
Keeping nails short
Trim your dog’s nails often. If you find this to be tricky, you can always enlist the services of a professional dog groomer to perform the task. However, it is also possible to do it yourself, and is a fairly straightforward and easy procedure when done correctly. A good rule of thumb is to trim your dog’s nails once they start touching the ground. Make sure you have the right size clippers for your dog and watch a good number of instructional videos to prepare. Go slowly and work your way up. And remember that even one paw or one nail a day is an accomplishment if you have a dog that does not like having their nails trimmed.
Plenty of exercise
The very best way to make sure that your dog does not get the zoomies indoors and run back and forth repeatedly across your well-polished and cared for hardwood floors is to take them for long walks. Let them expend as much energy as possible and make sure there is an ample amount of play, such as old-fashioned ball-chasing and stick-throwing. Socialising with other dogs is also important for most breeds for them to feel psychologically balanced.
Refinish your floors
As wonderful as it is to have your pup rush up to greet you with jumps and enthusiastic tail wags when you walk through the door, you may consider training them to remain (relatively) calm at your return to avoid any skidding through doorways at the sound of keys. You could also consider an anti-slip coating for your floor. This allows your dog to get a good grip and not have to use their nails to keep from sliding. It will also cover up any already existing light scratches.
Strategically placed rugs
If you discover that your dog has a favourite place to run through the house – such as come crashing through the hallway to greet you at the door, just in case that training did not work, or maybe in the kitchen when anticipating a meal – you might want to consider placing a rug in that area. When used in the right way, rugs can compliment the beautiful finish or your hardwood floors, rather than just cover them up. This will also allow you to have fun with design elements of your home.
