Here I have this beautiful, masculine looking gsd, we walk into Petsmart or Costco or Walmart and just as my dog hits the tile surface he freaks. What the heck??!! So far I haven't found anything this dog is afraid of and yet he goes weak in the knees whenever I take him on slippery surfaces. To be honest, he doesn't much care for my laminate wood floor surface either. Is this something that can be overcome? How does one approach this issue with the dog? He looks like a Great Dane on ski's when this happens. It's embarrassing as all get out.

The only Cesar Millan show I ever saw had a dog with this very problem...hated slippery, shiny surfaces. He helped that dog get over it...wish I could remember exactly how.

There are a number of ways you can attack this issue… what is going to work best will depend on your dog’s make-up.

You can try getting your dog into drive and either play tug, fetch, or some other game on the surface.

You can use food rewards to help get the dog comfortable with the floor.

You can also “flood” the dog and force him to deal with the slick floor as well but I’d try other avenues first.

I remember that episode Sarah, it was the one with a great dane. I remember exactly what he did, he projected his "positive energy" and pretty much just walked the dog on the surface, Casears head held high, with no hesitation. Cept, I do that and it works to a point. Levi will walk with me but he will crouch, looking akin to tip toeing and heaven forbid I go too fast...then we have a modern day version of the flintstones. After a little while of walking around he does get over it and acts like it's no biggy but it's those first few steps that are the cincher. Since I only take him to stores once in a while, we have to go through it all over again. Not the message I'm trying to put out there, lol.

A friend of mine got a retired K-9 due to this problem. They put booties on him and that worked but the under problem was he has eye problems and did not find this out for years later.

Repetition , repetition , repetition Miss Robbin. More time on slick surfaces with calm assertive energy applied...(and maybe a treat or three)

Your "do over" time will become less and less......and your dog will become more confident......

The reproductive specialist at the U of Mo said that there was a stud dog there to be collected for AI. The dog played Bambie on ice and hated slick floors. The DVM led him down the slick hallway to his waiting mating encounter and the dog from then on didn't have a problem with slick floors.
So if the reward at the end of the slick floor is REEALY GOOD it may only take him one time to get over it.

 Quote: ptlm. matthew grubb

There are a number of ways you can attack this issue… what is going to work best will depend on your dog’s make-up.

You can try getting your dog into drive and either play tug, fetch, or some other game on the surface.

You can use food rewards to help get the dog comfortable with the floor.

You can also “flood” the dog and force him to deal with the slick floor as well but I’d try other avenues first.

Robbin in my very "unofficial" and limited work with airport K9s, slippery floors and moving surfaces were one of the main issues new recruits had to deal with. Of the three suggestions mentioned above, putting into drive and working them was the most effective. Again this would depend on the dog's temperment but all of these dogs were very high drive and were not so much dealing with an established fear as they were unsure what to do since they had never been on moving stainless steel, the baggage scales at the ticket counter, the steel plated carousels and the entrance into the aircraft from the jetway.

The troopers had a certain amount of time to acclimate the dogs to the airport and they would then be reevaluated. Like someone else mentioned if they could not get over slippery floor issue, they did not pass.

One other thing that comes to mind, which if you haven't already done so, you may want to do before working Levi on a slippery surface......have you had his hips xrayed? If there is a hip problem trying to grip a surface can cause pain. Doubtful, but I never like to overlook the physical possibilities.

I've included a link which has IMO an interesting article on dealing with certain common fears in dogs, one being smooth floors. Keep us posted.

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=1612

My last shepherd would "skate" all over the place at the vet's office and the pet store. She would tense up and try to "grip" the floor with her nails and then it was all over; she would slip like crazy and bolt for a door or a doormat. I tried to get her to calm down and walk on her pads, but I never did find a solution.

If he doesn't get over it with food, sex?, or in drive then you have a nerve issue and he will never get over it. I've noticed that flooding the dog, and forcing the dog is only a one time deal. Flooding the dog forces it to deal only with that situation. Forcing the dog does the same. Remove the dog from whence it was forced and try to bring it back usually finds a repeat reaction. The above statement will indicate weak nerves if the dog shows no progress. If he gets better each time then you have a chance. Like Carol said, repetition will desensitize the dog if he is going to ever get over it. Good luck

Howard