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You are here: Home / Dog Health & Wellness / Yoga Mats are a Cheap, Easy Way to Give Old Dogs Traction on Slick Floors

Yoga Mats are a Cheap, Easy Way to Give Old Dogs Traction on Slick Floors

September 17, 2018 by Seattle DogSpot 21 Comments

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Old Dog, Weak Legs

Yoga Mats for Old Dogs

Walking or standing on hardwood floors can be a challenge for old dogs with creaky legs.

Now that we have an old dog in the house, we’ve realized that while hardwood and cement floors might look nice, they make it very difficult for an almost 12-year-old Labrador Retriever with weakening hind legs to stand up.

Dylan would never complain about our slick floors (or anything else), but we realized we needed to do something to give him some traction and allow him to stand up without his legs slipping out from under him.

One alternative would have been to lay down carpet in the house, but if I told you how much we spent ripping the nasty old carpet out of our house and refinishing our floors you’d understand why this was NOT a viable solution.

Another would be to try an item called Toe Grips, which are rubber rings you slip over a dog’s toenails to give them traction on slick surfaces. Unfortunately, Dylan can’t stand to have his feet touched by anyone, and that’s my fault.

When he was a puppy, I tried to cut his nails, but I cut into the quick of one of them. The subsequent pain and blood that caused convinced Dylan that anyone touching his paws was the worst thing he could possibly imagine, so it would have been tough to slip the rubber rings over his toes.

We ended up trying rubber “Puzzle Mats” on Amazon. Unfortunately they had a really strong chemical smell that didn’t dissipate after a couple of days, so we sent them back.

Yoga Mats Help Old Dogs Stay Upright

My wife Randy saw some Gaiam rubber yoga mats in a store and decided to give them a try.

And they worked!

Yoga Mats for Old Dogs

The landing on our stairs was a particularly tough spot for Dylan to navigate as he grew older.

Even though they’re thin, they grip the floor well. And they’re inexpensive.

These mats don’t have that nasty chemical smell, probably because they don’t have the 6 worst types of phthalates, a class of chemicals linked to breast cancer, birth defects, asthma, neurodevelopmental problems in newborns, fertility issues and obesity.

The mats we bought are 68″ x 24″ x 3mm so they cover a lot of ground. You can find these mats in stores like Target and Bed, Bath, and Beyond for about $20, but Amazon has a great selection, and its site makes it easy to find the mats that are 3mm thick.

Gaiam has thicker mats but they are more expensive. Don’t waste your money on them.

You can get the mats in a number of solid colors or patterns. They’re easy to clean, too. Soap and water or any commercial cleaning spray will do the trick.

Having the Gaiam yoga mats around our house has really helped Dylan, and I think they’re one of the most cost effective ways to keep your older dog from sliding on hardwood or cement floors.

Yoga Mats for Old Dogs

Dylan found another use for the yoga mats.

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Filed Under: Dog Health & Wellness

Comments

  1. Leslie says

    September 17, 2018 at 5:37 pm

    I bet my dog will simply lie on it and treat it as a bed! She is already doing this while I am exercising on my yoga mat!

    Reply
  2. Dana says

    September 18, 2018 at 7:16 pm

    Great idea!!

    Reply
    • Seattle DogSpot says

      September 19, 2018 at 7:29 am

      Thanks!

      Reply
  3. Karen says

    September 19, 2018 at 4:09 am

    Buy the yoga mats at 36” wide and on a 100’ roll. Cut to lengths needed. This is much more cost effective. Perfect for long hallways etc. the longer the mat the more stable it is. We’ve used this for years with our old dogs.

    Reply
    • Seattle DogSpot says

      September 19, 2018 at 7:24 am

      Great suggestions, thanks!

      Reply
      • jeanne ashworth says

        August 11, 2019 at 9:52 am

        Where do you get these rolls? There is another company that has 103ft rolls.
        Our beautiful 14 yr old beardie still runs in the field but is beginning to slip on hard wood floors. We have runners but she seems to find the bare spots and can’t get up. We want to cover the kitchen area and Yoga mats seem good.
        Amazon had Gaiam but not in the 100 ft length.
        Would appreciate your help.
        thanks

        Reply
        • Seattle DogSpot says

          August 12, 2019 at 6:12 am

          I haven’t tried to find rolls that long. Most yoga mats are about 6ft long. Not sure where you are but in Seattle you can get them at Bartell Drug or Fred Meyer, but not sure they are cheaper than Amazon.

          Reply
        • annmarie says

          June 1, 2021 at 10:44 am

          sunshineyoga.com has bulk roll and they have a 10%coupon THANKS
          lasts a long time. I just replace it when I can’t clean it anymore. good luck

          Reply
      • Terri says

        August 9, 2021 at 4:59 pm

        Our vet actually reccomended this today! Going to try them for our 15 year old Gordon Setter.
        Vet also said “keep him moving”. He promised his daily walks will do him more good than drugs.
        Along as he gets excited about his two short strolls each day, we will be each other’s personal trainers!
        Yoga on, Chewbacca!

        Reply
        • RPregulman says

          August 10, 2021 at 5:29 am

          Great! Hope it helps.

          Reply
    • Seattle DogSpot says

      September 19, 2018 at 7:29 am

      Great suggestion, thanks!

      Reply
    • Sally says

      September 20, 2018 at 9:02 am

      Where do you get the rolls?

      Reply
  4. Sharon says

    September 19, 2018 at 1:09 pm

    This is a great idea! My labs tip-toe through the kitchen, I’ve tried kitchen mats but they slide! I’m going to give it a try!

    Reply
    • Seattle DogSpot says

      September 20, 2018 at 9:13 am

      Great! Hope it works for you.

      Reply
  5. Linda says

    September 25, 2018 at 6:14 pm

    These can often be found at Goodwill too!

    Reply
    • Seattle DogSpot says

      September 26, 2018 at 7:34 am

      Good idea!

      Reply
  6. Michael says

    September 26, 2018 at 2:37 am

    We use yoga mats as well, can be found at thrift shops for .25 – .50 cents. Could check garage sales as well as health clubs that need to rotate out old yoga mats. No need to buy new for those that are consumer conscious and like to repurpose items that are landfill bound.

    Reply
    • Seattle DogSpot says

      September 26, 2018 at 7:34 am

      Excellent point, thanks!

      Reply
  7. Maria Zervos says

    July 9, 2019 at 4:24 am

    Any recommendations for a yoga mat for my dog. He has trouble walking and looking for a yoga mat for my deck.

    It needs to be water proof since it will be staying out on my deck.

    Reply
    • Seattle DogSpot says

      July 9, 2019 at 7:11 am

      I’m sorry your dog is having trouble. Most yoga mats waterproof and in my experience, there isn’t a difference between brands. We got ours at Bartell Drugs for about $15.

      Reply
  8. White Centaur says

    March 25, 2022 at 12:08 pm

    Thank you so much for sharing this solution and for the commenter who recommended the roll from Sunshine Yoga! I purchased a few Ruggable washable, non-slip rugs but it’s not realistic to blow the bank on rugs for every doggo pathway so I just bought the yoga mat roll to help my elderly greyhound with the coverage gaps. <3

    Reply

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