Many years ago while we were still in Yakima, our first Rottweiler, Scout, came racing into the kitchen from outside, skidded on the linoleum floor, and suffered a lameness for the rest of her life.
During that same time frame, our second Rottweiler, Cubby, ran and skidded across the slick tile floor at my husband's store and tore a cruceate ligament.
To prevent that happening anymore at home, we installed yucky green carpet in our Yakima kitchen. Just for the dogs. It offered the traction they needed to keep from tearing themselves up in the process of being dogs.
In our new Montana house, we didn't want much carpet but we still wanted our dogs to feel safe and be safe on the floor. Slate would have suited us, but it was too high maintenance and a little out of budget. So we chose an 18-inch slate-look ceramic tile that offers fantastic traction, even for our old Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, Kosmo, who has a hard time getting up. Like real slate, it has an uneven texture and it's not the least bit slippery to dog feet!
The tile hides dirt because of its natural color and natural slate texture. The dogs enjoy it in the summer because it's cool for them to lie on. Clean-up is as simple as damp-mopping or vacuuming.
There are lots of slate-look ceramic tiles on the market these days. They're adaptable to just about any furnishing or decorating scheme. Most important to us, they're adaptable to a house for dogs!
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