Are you curious to know why won’t your dog sit on hard surfaces? That is not an abnormal thing because most dogs are not interested in sitting on hard surfaces.
However, there are certain times when you need to be a little more concerned.
A dog may not sit on hard surfaces like tile or hardwood floors due to uncomfortableness & the slipperiness of the floor, the dog might be sensitive to cold, have long hair, have boney butts, have previous bad experiences, have long nails, less training, health issues like joint pains, & arthritis.
Considering the above facts, you will be able to get a start and find solutions. Don’t worry about it because I’m going to clarify all the issues you are dealing with during this article.
Why does your dog won’t sit on hard surfaces?
I had a very stubborn and little Labour puppy before. So I wanted to keep him sitting on my floor.
My house floor is full of tiles, and when I try to keep my dog sitting on the floor, he is always reduced to doing it.
But when I put a blanket, towel, carpet, and such, he sat on it without any hesitation. It was a big problem for me because I couldn’t cover my whole floor with carpet.
At that time, I tried to find why my dog refused to sit on hard surfaces. Let’s see what I have found.
1. It is not comfortable enough
Normally dogs love to stay in very wealthy places such as beds, dog crates with warm clothes, sofas, on grasses, and such.
These hard surfaces, like hardwood, tiles, etc., are not warm enough for dogs. These hard surfaces may be a hazard for your dogs too.
Joint pains, injuries, and such. Under this circumstance, your lovely pooch will reduce to sitting on hard surfaces. You should not worry because this is a very normal fact that can unravel.
2. The floor might be slippery
Not only dogs but also humans suffer from this issue. Although we can manage it, how could the dog manage it?
So that’s why dogs are not going to sit on hard surfaces. For example, when they try to sit on the tile floor, their butts slowly side away.
3. your dog might be sensitive to cold
Hard surfaces are kinda cold, especially wood and tiles. Dogs want to stay in comfortable places such as clothes, carpets, sofa, bed, etc.
If your dog has gotten used to staying there, he/she will not sit on hard floors.
4. Health issues
This is not rocket science that understands the above fact. The dogs who have health issues such as joint pain, arthritis, vision problems can’t sit on hard surfaces because they are very rough.
Because of that, the pain will increase. So that’s why your dog won’t sit on hard surfaces.
5. Having long hair
The dogs who have long hair, as examples Afghan Hound · Akita · American Eskimo Dog · American Water Spaniel · Belgian Sheepdog · Belgian Tervuren · Bergamasco · Bernese, etc.. cannot sit on hard surfaces properly.
6. Dogs who have a bony butt
These kinda dogs don’t like to sit on the hard surface. Because it is hard to stay continuously. They like to lay on the floor rather than sit.
But you should not be afraid of this behavior because this is a very normal condition.
7. Previous bad experience
Dogs are very sensitive and good at keeping memories. If they have bad experiences such as falling and slipping, they will be afraid of sitting on a hard surface, especially wood floor and tiles.
8. Having long nails
If your dog has long nails, they will reduce sitting on hard surfaces. Long nails will improve the slipperiness.
By the way, here is what to do when your dog’s nails click on the floor.
9. Less training
As a responsible owner, you have to train your dog on time. Specifically, how to sit on a hard surface because most people use tiles or woods for their floor.
At a time like that, you have to teach your dog to sit on hard surfaces.
Should you worry if your dog doesn’t like to sit on hard surfaces?
Do you think it is unusual when your dog doesn’t like to sit on hard surfaces? As a careful and responsible owner, you might be worried about it, and your fear is very reasonable.
But I am going to tell you now you shouldn’t worry although your dog doesn’t like to sit on hard surfaces.
I mean, if the dog is well trained and satisfied with those things and refuses to sit on a hard surface, that is a real problem. But here I am conversing with the majority.
There is no mental or physical problem with the above statement if your dog is fully healthy. Some dogs refuse to sit on hard surfaces when they are suffering from some kinda illness. At that time, you have to pay your attention carefully towards your innocent buddy.
But overall, you should not worry too much if your dog doesn’t like to sit on hard surfaces because this is a very common problem.
Nevertheless, there are some occasions you should worry about this problem. What are they
- If your dog is well trained and still refusing to sit on hard floors
- If you can notice any physical changes from your dog
- If you have changed your home/apartment (your dog might suffer from separation anxiety)
What should you do if your dog won’t sit on hard surfaces?
Although you want to keep your dog on hard floors, what would you do if your dog refused to sit on it? I know you will become really upset.
Don’t be in a hurry because you will mess up everything. Keep doing the below things slowly because they are new to your innocent buddy. Let’s do this step by step.
First of all, meet the vet and get advice, train your dog, reward a lot, make your dog happy, change the floor.
Those are the main facts you can do if your dog won’t sit on hard surfaces. Those are the main facts to the above issue. Let’s learn them one by one.
1. Be open with your vet or dog behaviorist.
The first thing is you should not beat around the bush when you are with your dog’s vet or dog behaviorist. Be frank and express how you feel.
What you are going to do is not a bad thing for your dog. Your vet/ dog behaviorist will give the best advice for you. Such as how to train your dog, how to reward, how to treat etc…
It is a very hard thing that changes the whole floor again. So it is better to know whether you have a solution or not.
2. Train the dog to sit on hard surfaces.
You can train your dog to sit on hard surfaces. If you are not good at training your dog you can hire a dog trainer.
Because training a dog is not a simple thing it has to do on point.
Not only this but also you can teach your dog how to obey commands. Sit command is a very good circumstance. It will work properly.
3. Positive reinforcement is a must.
While you train your dog how to sit on hard surfaces, rewarding is very important. You have to a reward more than one time. To tell you in brief, you will have to reward him/her a lot because this is not an easy target.
How can you reward? Say well done, good boy, good job, and such.
4. Prepare the dog mentally well.
The most important thing is keeping your dog happy. Before you start his/her training check whether your dog is mentally and physically fine or not.
That is a very important thing. Everything is based on mental and physical wealth.
5. It’s about floor!
The final thing is if you are not able to change your dog’s attitudes, you have to change the floor. You can use carpets or something worm instead of tiles, hardwood, and such.
You shouldn’t get mad at your dog. Dogs are innocent; they cannot understand everything.
So sometimes we have to make changes because of them. At least you can change the area he/she often lives in.
Things to be aware of.
- Do not drop liquids on hard surfaces such as tiles, hardwoods etc… the reason your dog can slip on the floor. As a result, they might break their bones and get injured. Some dogs refuse to sit on hard surfaces because of their bad experiences. So keep the floor clean before meeting with an accident
- Don’t expect this from old dogs. Because they already have joint pains, bone problems, arthritis etc… under those conditions you should avoid your dog from doing such things. Try to provide a more comfortable floor like a carpet.
- Don’t compel your dog to sit on the hard surfaces. Dogs are fond of staying free and don’t like a compulsion. If you are gonna teach him/her without their tendency, everything will be a mess. So first consider your dog’s tendency.
- Don’t try to punish him/her. Dogs learn slowly. So we have to get used to their lifestyle unless we get mad at our dogs. The patient is very necessary at this time. Everyone can make mistakes for the first time. Try to leave it out and start again. You will go on a big journey with your lovely dog. Don’t your dog push away? They have their own pride.
- Admire him/her. Dogs like to get their owners’ admiration every day. This is a kinda strategy because they love when we admire them. Don’t stop from that, you can give treats to your dog as well. Tell him to sit on a hard surface and then say ‘good boy’, ‘well done, super … like that. They can get that command very easily after they train it.
Conclusion.
Nowadays, most dog owners suffer from this issue, and it will become a dilemma if you are unable to find an explanation. Here, I have clarified why dogs won’t sit on a hard surface and how to overcome this problem. Dogs represent a great part of our life, and it is our responsibility to understand their needs. Not only that but also we have to solved their problem. I hope you will get viral information from this article and use it to overcome the issues you are suffering from.
Cheers,