Shiny floors!!

[mjcrott]

Could you provide some suggestions on how to get my dog over his shiny floor phobia? He must have wiped out on one when he was a pup (my son was playing with him at the time), and ever since then, he is NOT fond of walking on them. He is a Therapy dog, so we encounter them when we visit hospitals. He will walk on them, but stays along the walls (actually helpful in crowded hospital corridors), but I would like to try getting him over this. Have had trainers suggest just pulling him onto them, or luring with food (only works sometimes...he ignores food if too uncomfortable). Have thought about going to a deserted corridor and just spending hours walking shiny floors. He gets better as we get into our routine, but it would be great to have him overcome this once and for all. Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks! Peggy

[Adrienne Farricelli]

Hi there!

This is not easy to overcome quickly, but I will provide a few strategies. Often this fear stems from the fact that dogs don't understand reflections as those appearing on shiny floors or on metal bowls. Us humans instead can rationalize that certain surfaces absorb lights and therefore we can readily accept and understand reflections. Dogs instead startle and struggle with the visual aspect of shiny floors, but on top of that, they also have trouble navigating them. Indeed, dogs dislike the sensation of poor footing and therefore sense shiny floors as not safe either instinctively or due to some past negative experience.

 

To put ourselves in a dog's "paws" when a dog slips on a slippery, shiny floor, the dog may not understand what is happening precisely as it almost feels as if the floor itself is moving under him and he has little choice in stopping it from moving. They may feel it like if they are walking on a treadmill.This can be a frightening experience to a dog, and can be similar to what one person experiences when walking over a street covered in ice.

 

So how to work on the issue. Forcing the dog to walk on the floor won't help as the dog will likely just panic and become more reluctant in the future. Luring with food won't help either because it's perceived as a trap that puts the dog close to the source of fear and the dog often puts on the brakes. In dog behavior modification instead, we use what's known as desensitization and counterconditioning techniques (DS+CC). That means taking a systematic step by step approach going at the dog's pace and comfort level and creating positive associations.

You can read on these strategies here:

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/desensitization/

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/counterconditioning/

 

Here are some methods based on these powerful methods:

 

-Feed the dog near the slippery surface each day. Every day when mealtime comes, feed nearby the slippery area, gradually getting closer and closer to the areas the dog is terrorized with. If the dog is reluctant to eat, use super high value treats rather than regular kibble and/or throw a rug (rug corridors) or a long yoga mat on the area, and feed on it, and then gradually fold the rug r cut the yoga mat making it smaller and smaller, therefore encouraging the dog to be gradually on a larger and larger amount of floor.

-If you are into clicker training, consider using the floor as a target. Click and treat every time your dog gets closer and closer to the floor or close to a sticky note you place on the floor. Keep sessions brief and end on a positive note by giving a bonus (a handful of treats) for taking initiative and throwing a party with lots of praise and pats. Here is how to train targeting with the use of sticky notes: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/preschool/targeting/

-If your dog doesn't take treats, consider that he's over threshold. This means he is being exposed to a too intense form of what he fears. You can read about threshold levels here: https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/threshold-levels/

-Use super high-value treats for the exercises.

-Trim the hair in between your dog's paws. That hair may predispose a dog to slipping. Your vet or groomer may be able to help you with this delicate task.

-Trim the nails. Long nails cause a dog's foot to rock backwards, which makes it difficult for the dog's toe pads to make normal weight-bearing contact on the floor. If your dog has long nails, you may want to trim them as short as possible.

-Consider using "toe grips." When dogs detect a slippery floor and are hesitant to walk over it, they instinctively tense up and start walking on their nails. Dogs do this in an attempt to "clench" their paws while digging their nails in, but a dog who is tensing up and walking on his nails will only make matters worse because it creates less traction. While trimming the nails is helpful, another additional option is now available. Dr. Buzby, a dedicated veterinarian concerned about dogs slipping on slippery floors, invented a great solution for dogs in need of some extra traction. She invented a product known as "toe grips." Toe grips are ideal for dog who are struggling to obtain traction on hardwood floors or smooth surfaces.

-If your dog walks on those hospital floors although prefers the walls, try feeding him high value treats every few steps he walks on them. Then, once off that surface no more treats. You want to make it clear that it is the shiny surface that predicts treats and other surface do not grant them. Make it a jolly routine! https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/archive/using-jolly-routine-fearful-dogs/

-As your dog gains confidence, try to do several steps of attention heeling so that your dog focuses on you rather than the surface he is walking on.

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/heeling-attention-heeling/

-Finally, something to consider is potential joint problems especially in dogs after a certain age. Some vets have found that dogs who have trouble navigating slippery floors may have some joint issue such as underlying arthritis or nerve inflammation which can reduce limb function on certain surfaces making them scary to navigate and predisposing dogs to slipping.

Hope this helps,

Adrienne

Edited August 17, 2019 by Adrienne Farricelli