Floor Types for Dogs | Floors for Paws

Canine Compadre’s

Laughing Dog food

Makers, not producers

One of very few dog food producers that make all their own dry completes, mixer meals and treats on the family farm. This is really important as it means not only do they use many of their own natural ingredients, but can also create the recipes, watch over all the baking and check every single bag that leaves the bakery and makes its way to you. And if ever you need to talk to us about your dog’s individual needs we are here to pick up the phone in person.

To find out more visit: https://www.laughingdogfood.com

Mulberry House Vets

As an independently owned veterinary practice Mulberry House Vets are proud to offer an exceptional quality of veterinary care along with a friendly and compassionate service – doing the right thing for their patients and their families always comes first.
With a strongly experienced team and modern purpose-built facilities, your pets are assured gold-standard surgical and clinical expertise. This is complimented by the passion to provide a truly personal service and tailor treatment to you and your pet’s unique needs. They would love to meet you and your furry friends and show you around our wonderful practice.

To find out more visit: https://mulberryhousevets.co.uk

Rigsby Holiday Cottages

Rigsby holiday cottages are ideally located for escapism in the picturesque parish of Rigsby, which is in the Lincolnshire Wolds – a designated area of outstanding natural beauty (ANOB). Rigsby is just 2 miles from Alford – renowned for its arts & crafts and striking five-sailed windmill. The holiday cottages are perfect for walkers and cyclists, with multiple public footpaths and cycle routes on the doorstep.

Within easy reach of the award winning, golden-sanded coastal resorts of Mablethorpe and Sutton on Sea. Louth, the capital of the Lincolnshire Wolds, is 10 miles away and the historic city of Lincoln is under an hour away.

To find out more visit: http://rigsbywoldholidaycottages.uk

The Dogvine

Woofs, wags and a big welcome to The Dogvine, the award-winning London lifestyle blog for the city dog! Since 2015, together with her Brazilian rescue dogs have been on a mission to create a blog that is the go-to blog for the London dog;

‘Why? Well, when I moved to London in 2012 with my dogs who I rescued from the streets of Rio, it took a long time to find out all the local dog knowledge such as what London Dog Events were on, dog-friendly things to do or where the dog-friendly cafes and restaurants were in London. Plus the information online was either not very comprehensive or simply didn’t have a local enough focus. I soon realised that the best source of all the local insider dog knowledge was often to be found in the park via a chance conversation with other dog owners as they passed a tip along on what I came to call the “Dogvine” and hence the online version of “The Dogvine” was born. I run The Dogvine in my spare time (outside of my full-time non dog related job) which means the blog is a result of a lot of hard work (and no more spare time), so I’m very pleased to say that The Dogvine has won several awards over the last few years:’

Animal Star Awards Best Pet Blogger 2018
Vuelio Top 10 UK Pet Blogs of 2018
Feedspot Top 10 UK Dog Blog 2018
Review Institute Top 50 Global Pet Blogs
Vuelio Top 10 UK Pet Blogs of 2017

To find out more visit: https://thedogvine.com

Centre Paws – Norfolk

Centre Paws Norfolk is the brainchild of David and Kathryn Cross and is a place where different canine businesses come together to offer a wide range of activities, therapies, food and fun for you, your family and your pet.

Set on our family farm in Wymondham in Norfolk’s beautiful Tiffey Valley you can take your pet for a trim with our professional dog groomer, get your dog stimulated and energised with our top agility and behavioural trainer or enjoy a welcome cuppa and cake in our dog friendly-cafe after a farm walk or spin around our fully enclosed dog exercise field.
There are canine wellness sessions, workshops, therapies, pet photography, and much more ….

To find out more visit: https://www.centrepawsnorfolk.co.uk

Dotty 4 Paws

Kate; Self-confessed ‘dog-crazy lady and her trusty sidekick Poppy have a long term vision is to make Dotty4Paws a ‘one stop shop’ for everything dog; to provide a place where dog-owners can not only discover new places to go with their pup, but also somewhere to sniff out a gift for their discerning hound (or indeed hound-loving human!), provide details of pet services who can look after your canine companion in your absence, and fundamentally to ensure that our furry friends are treated as members of our families and given the importance they deserve.
Each registered business will receive a Dotty4Paws ‘dogs welcome’ sticker to place in their window, so if you’re out and about, see if you can hunt one down!

To find out more visit: https://dotty4paws.co.uk

Donna Wills
PGC A Phys, RVN, MIAAT, MBVNA, MRAMP – Founder of Animal Physiotherapy Ltd

Donna Wills, an animal physiotherapist in Berkshire, who passed her post-graduate qualification in animal physiotherapy with distinction in 2005. Donna is also RAMP registered. Donna offers physiotherapy to all animals in need of the therapeutic touch.

She has been employed as a veterinary nurse and is also fully qualified and registered in this profession too. This also included specialising in emergency and critical care nursing for a time. Donna has worked in this profession for over thirteen years.

Donna has a life time experience in working with many species including domestic pets, equine and farm animals. She has also cared for many exotic and zoo animals.

To find out more visit: http://www.animalphysiotherapy.org.uk

K9 Comfort Home Boarding a day care – Essex

Day Care/Home boarding with our own dogs
Local pop-in visits
Pet taxi
Licence no RDC/2018/7/ANWELF
Fully Insured
24/7 supervision
Tailored care

To find out more visit: https://www.facebook.com/pg/k9ComfortHomeBoardingandDayStay/services

PAWS Canine Myotherapy – Devon

Kirsty is a qualified veterinary nurse based in Devon with 27 years experience and a Galen trained Canine Myotherapist. A member of the International Association of Animal Therapists – IAAT and a volunteer nurse with a veterinary initiative called Canine Arthritis Management (CAM). Fully insured and will only accept cases with veterinary consent (your vet will just need to sign a form). Galen Myotherapy uses appropriate and targeted massage techniques alongside exercise plans and lifestyle management to manage the chronic muscular pain and inflammation associated with many common conditions including arthritis or following injury or trauma. Galen Myotherapy can form part of an effective multimodal management programme for supporting the following conditions; osteoarthritis, repetitive strain injuries, compensatory issues, hip and elbow dysplasia, cruciate issues, OCD and spondylitis. Myotherapy can also be used as a pre-event warm up or post-event warm down making it particularly suitable for working dogs or canine athletes.

To find out more visit: https://www.facebook.com/caninemyotherapycare

Rigsby pet friendly holiday cottages – The Stables

Already With Two beautifully renovated holiday cottages the family wanted to offer another pet friendly option for their guests by renovating The Stables. So who better to turn to than Floors For Paws – The World’s best flooring for dogs and dog owners!

As farming has changed, Rigsby Farming Company, has ended up with a number of redundant buildings. We opened our first holiday cottage in 2008 and adding a second holiday cottage in 2014. The first holiday has always been the more popular one and we think this is because it is pet friendly and Rigsby in the Lincolnshire Wolds is surrounded by lots of great walks from the cottage door steps. So when we decided to convert an unused barn to make our third holiday cottage, we knew we wanted it to be very pet friendly. Great looks, longevity, paw friendly and easy clean helped us quickly settle on Floors For Paws. We selected Greenwood and it really hits the mark to give the holiday cottage a barn conversion look that also matches the contemporary interior finish we wanted to attract guests and of course their pets. Paul Read – Owner @ Rigsby Holiday cottages.

The Greenwood design worked beautifully with the original natural wood in the building.

Floors For Paws is 100% waterproof and due to its double wear layer protection it really is the best flooring for dogs and dog owners.

Floors For Paws worked closely with The Rigsby Farming company to provide the perfect fit for their vision, all the way through the process from discussing colour, to organising installation and aftercare. Call us today on 01937 830948 to help with your project.

For more information about staying at this beautiful holiday cottage please visit; http://rigsbywoldholidaycottages.uk or call 01507 463404

Best Flooring for Dogs UK

Simple: Floors For paws. Officially the Worlds best flooring for dogs & dog owners.

Over the last 20 years Dog owners have discovered the limitations of many different flooring types for dogs; carpet, laminate, wood and tile. Each of which has limitations; either impossible to maintain, slippery, or non-resistant to scratches.

With the introduction of Luxury Vinyl dog owners and indeed dogs exclaimed a cry of ‘halleluiah’ Here was something that offered us a solution. Waterproof, stain resistant and hard wearing.

Imagine taking that solution and making it even better! With the introduction of a double wear layer and a slip rating of 85 PTV Floors For Paws can now offer dogs and dog owners a flooring that is Scratch resistant, water proof, stain resistant, anti-slip and with the advancements in printing technology a flooring that has the look, warmth and feel of natural products.

Floors For Paws: The best flooring for dogs. Tested by dogs for dogs. Run by Dog lovers for Dog lovers.

Wherever your dog goes; go Floors for Paws.

ORDER YOUR FREE FLOORING SAMPLES TODAY!

Is Luxury Vinyl Flooring Expensive?

Yes…..and no.

It is certainly more expensive to buy than laminate, carpet, roll vinyl and some ceramic tile. The initial outlay for the customer is relatively high but the life cost of the product is very low.

It is guaranteed for 15 years and upward.

It will stay looking great for the total lifespan of the guarantee.

The maintenance cost of the flooring is next to nothing. No expensive chemical cleaners are needed and you will not have to spend money on restorative processes.

The installation price is cheaper than wood, ceramic or stone flooring.

It will save you money on heating bills. It is second only in warmth to carpet.

It is resistant to water damage.

Luxury Vinyl will not chip, warp or yellow.

Floors For Paws Luxury vinyl has a 0.6mm wear layer, a 25 year domestic guarantee and a slip rating of 85 PTV (BS:7679) It has undergone a new process called photogravure which is used to create remarkably realistic 3-D photo replication of natural wood.

Wherever you dog goes; go Floors for Paws

The Best Flooring for Puppies

The Best flooring for a new puppy

We all know the excitement of bringing home your new puppy; those doleful eyes that make you want wrap your puppy in cotton wool and never let it leave your sight -The proof that love at first sight is real and the kids say ‘you’re the best parents in the world!’

Success; everyone is in love and happy. Now for the practical……

Short of taking your puppy into the garden at 15 minute intervals your puppy is going to pee (and worse) on your carpet at some point. (Crate training can be a good way to avoid this, but personally I find making a puppy sleep near their own mess is a little mean)

So as you clean your carpet for the seventh time in two days you start to think; ‘I need a new floor – ceramic will be good. Its wipe clean – problem solved.’ Unfortunately your little puppy will be like Bambi on ice on smooth flooring, and your vets bills will far out weigh the cost the new floor.

Laminate? Prone to scratching, and moisture underneath the top covering

Stone? Urine can soak into the stone

Wood? Scratches and stains

So What is the best flooring for puppies???

Floors For Paws is stain proof, waterproof, Anti-slip and Anti-scratch. Wherever your dog goes: go Floors For Paws. The world’s best flooring for dogs & dog owners.

The Challenges of Dogs and your Flooring; Part One

If you are reading this, you are more than likely a dog lover! We are too. To us they are the greatest animals on earth. Only dogs have evolved alongside man for the last 15,000 years. We become more and more educated on what behaviours drive dogs and as such we understand the needs they have when living in our homes.
What is the main driving factor of dogs?

Self-preservation & Play:

They love to play. One of the main characteristics of all healthy dog is the drive to play. Inherent from the evolution of the Grey wolf packs have utilised play to prepare themselves for survival and confrontation. Although domesticated dogs do not face the same challenges as wild dogs it is a trait that will not be disappearing anytime soon.

As part of your pack dogs will expect us to play with them. But even when we don’t they will entertain themselves; chasing after a ball, having a mad rush around the living room, and trying to dig through to Australia!

Dog Claws:

This can be very detrimental to your flooring, in the form of claw marks. Flooring such as wood, laminate, rubber and carpet will be damaged or gain unsightly scratches from dogs claws and cause expensive restoration or replacement. Your beautiful floor can become tired looking very quickly

Solution to dogs & Flooring:

Floors For Paws is The World’s best flooring for Dogs & Dog owners. We understand the challenges our beloved companions provide, and as such have found the solution. Our 0.6mm wear layer is twice the industry standard for vinyl flooring, and is capable of resisting the scratches and scuffs that are inevitable from dog claws.

Click here to view our range and order your free samples today.

The Pros and Cons of Flooring Types for Dogs

The best flooring for dogs UK

Wood flooring:

Wood flooring has a warmth and texture that make it a popular choice for home owners. It can last decades (if hardwood) and is hypo-allergenic. It is also easier to keep clean than carpet. The disadvantage of wood flooring when you have pets is that it can be scratched by dog claws, and stained by spillages. Pet urine which can lead to a process of sanding and re-sanding which can become expensive to maintain. It can also be slippery underfoot for you and your dogs.

Carpet:

Carpet is the most popular choice for home owners. We love the feel of soft carpet under our feet, and carpet has the highest warmth retention of all floor coverings. Unfortunately for dog owners it can become worn relatively quickly by dogs. It can trap allergens in the fibres which may cause allergic reactions to home owners and in some cases your dogs.

Ceramic Tile:

Often touted as a good pet friendly flooring the ceramic tile is easy to clean and maintain, hardwearing and long lasting. Very popular in Kitchen installations due to its water resistant nature. It has long been a popular choice with dog owners. The one thing to consider with ceramic tile is the lack of slip-resistance for you and your dog especially when wet. Over the last few years research into dog injuries have found slippery floors to be one of the main causes of arthritis in dogs. Damage from an early age caused by slipping can lead to decreased mobility in later life for dogs.

Laminate:

Once celebrated as the solution to pet owners needs for easy clean, low maintenance flooring this product thrived due to its low price and numerous designs. Still used today it is a popular choice for those who need a cost effective flooring solution. The negatives of the floor type is that it is prone to staining. Any harsh chemical used to remove these can bleach the colour – and leaks. This obviously has repercussions for dog owners who will have dog urine and water spillages from dog bowls on their floor. It is also very low on the slip-resistant rating.

Rubber Flooring:

Rubber is a warm, comfortable solution for homes. Available in many colours and sustainably sourced. It has good slip properties, but is prone to scratching. It can be difficult and expensive to lay correctly. It is popular for dog kennels and dog training areas where aesthetics are not a priority. Some higher density rubber flooring is popular in homes, however dog owners may find the scratches to be prohibitive to specification.

Luxury Vinyl Tile Flooring:

LVT has rocketed in popularity in the last few years due to the improved 3d printing technique which allows the floor to take on the look of wood, stone, and ceramic. It is also waterproof, stain-resistant, long lasting, and hardwearing.

Floors For Paws LVT:

Officially: The world’s best flooring for dogs.Floors for paws has all the attributes of the LVT along with a double wear layer to negate scratching from dog claws, dropped items (those heavy dog bones!) and day to day wear and tear of busy households. It enables us to offer an extremely long domestic guarantee. Due to the ridged design it is also better than other LVT’s in terms of slip ratings (85 PTV BS7976). Giving better grip than others on the market. The 0.6mm wear layer is also stain resistant, so any dog urine, wine spills, and worse will not damage the flooring. It can be wiped clean without leaving a mark. As dog lovers we also wanted dogs to benefit from our company. We donate 10% of every sale to Dogs Trust.

Please visit our products and order your free samples.

The Benefits of Anti-slip Flooring for your Dog

I have spent my whole life working with animals, as my uncle was a farmer and I grew up with no other destiny as my love for animals was so strong. Its funny, I never realised how much thought needs to be put into flooring until I became a veterinary nurse. This issue has only become more highlighted as I became an animal physiotherapist.

Flooring was always been second nature for me. Even on farms, we paid a lot of attention to the floor and bedding to ensure it was good for the animals foot care. It had to be shock absorbing, non-slip and not allow the animals to get wet hooves, paws or claws. It doesn’t matter what animal it is, we need to think about the same basic principles.

When I became a nurse I did some home visits and became more aware that many people lived differently and had different types of home and décor. When I became an animal physiotherapist I became more aware than ever before, that there were other type of flooring out there were less than ideal. Some of the questions I have to raise with owners is, what type of flooring do you have? A common answer was laminate or tiles. As time has moved forward more and more people are opting for hard floors for the understandable convenience and cleanliness. Lots of the flooring has become more varied aesthetically, but many hard options remain shiny and hard and cold.

We are all very house proud these days and with it becoming more expensive to move house and buy homes, people are choosing to invest in making their own home perfect. This is wonderful! I would like to ask that in choosing perfection, please remember to think about the comfort of our animals in those homes too. It’s actually not even just for the animals. As we age, we will also see great benefit in choosing a floor that suits these needs too.

An ideal floor will have good grip. If we lose our balance we need to be able to rely on our feet and not slip more. Rather like tyres on the road. A little forgiving slide is OK as it allows you to slow to a stop without damage, but skidding is a real worry, especially for the older pet or human. Laminate and high gloss floor tiles don’t allow enough grip and so can make our pets feel unsafe. Some dogs even get to the point where they refuse to walk on these types of floor, and I have seen this countless times. In many cases the dog may alter their gait and walk looking very strange as they over use too many muscles to try to be extra careful on the floor High gloss and laminate also make it virtually impossible for some animals to get up from laying on as they can’t get the traction needed.

An ideal floor is an easy to clean one! I understand this completely, so it can be easier to have a hard floor rather than carpet. Vinyl makes a great compromise as it is easy to clean and has excellent grip. After all, we can’t carpet every room, its just not hygienic or practical.

An ideal floor is not too hard or cold. That might sound ironic when talking about hard floors, but if you fall on a tile or stone floor it is less forgiving than a fall on a less solid surface. The temperature is also something to consider. The circulation in paws and feet is poor compared to the rest of the body, so they get cold so walking on a cold surface is not kind, especially for arthritic toes. Many of our pets will also choose to lay in the room we are in and if they are laying on a very cold stone or tile surface then their muscles can become very stiff. They can also get sores on their bony prominences, like their elbows, from where the circulation is so poor as they have laid with the pressure on the skin for too long on a hard surface.

I too, like many others, am going through a home renovation. I was over the moon when I found Floors for Paws on my hunt for suitable flooring. I am a big fan of vinyl for the grip, temperature, and ease of cleaning. A big feature of Floors For Paws is the extra scratch resistant layer, and I definitely think this is a big bonus to stop claw marks. I have an old arthritic dog and a young 3 legged dog. Both love to follow me into my kitchen and my bathroom! Both will benefit, and most importantly, over my life I will have many dogs and they will all benefit regardless of age. I also know my whole family and myself, will also benefit. Thank you Floors for Paws!

Donna Wills PGC A Phys, RVN, MIAAT.

Member of RAMP

Member of the British Veterinary Nursing Association

M. 07776 182 911
W. www.animalphysiotherapy.org.uk

What is Pet Friendly Flooring? UK

Well, that depends who’s asking; humans or dogs!

In the past we have regarded ‘pet friendly’ as a floors system that is easy to clean and maintain in an environment with pets. Smooth hard floors are excellent at keeping out ingrained dirt, however they are not the best solution for all of us in the family. What we have sometimes not considered is what our beloved dogs require;

Slippery floors are a significant contributor to chronic pain and arthritis in dogs, due to injury from slips. For dogs with existing arthritis it is essential that flooring issues are addressed.

Most dogs in the UK live in their owner’s home, and may spend up to 90% of their life in that environment. If there are steps that they repeatedly struggle up and down, floors they repeatedly slip on, or solid cold beds they repeatedly sleep on, their condition will not improve as they will continue to injure themselves.

Your dog’s lack of ability to correct and therefore protect themselves when they slip or have to negotiate difficult paths will leave them prone to further trauma.

A slippery floor, be it wooden, laminate, or tile is very hazardous for an arthritic dog that already has weak & painful limbs. Repeated slips, no matter how small, will progress the clinical signs of arthritis.

So when choosing your next Floor system please take into account the slip-resistance of your choice;

Floors for Paws has a BS 7976 pendulum slip-test result of 85 PTV.

Best flooring for pets

Why is your Floor so important to Dogs?

If your head was a foot away from the floor at all times you’d be pretty interested in it too!

As you know Dogs rely on scents to navigate, to rest and to play. As we understand the needs of our greatest companions more and more we realise that we can help them by providing them with a clean, safe environment.

Flooring is a huge part of that environment; While they love to find unsavoury elements hidden deep in our carpets we know that this is not healthy for them. Allergens that can become stored in soft furnishings such as rugs, carpets and curtains can cause them symptoms that include regular ear infections, sneezing, itching and skin inflammation.

Another element to consider is slippery floors such as polished ceramic, laminate and smooth tiles. This type of flooring has kept Animal physios busy for the last 15 years. Strains, concussion, sprains and ligament damage are common injuries for dogs slipping on floors.

Then there is the little accidents; Although our beloved woofers amaze us with what they will actually put into their mouth when out on walks, just like us they do not like the scent of ones and twos in their home. Carpeting and rugs can retain the nastiness in their fibres and linger to the chagrin of humans and dogs.

‘Hey; that’s a lot about our Dogs; What about us?’

Well said; What do we want? Personally I want a safe flooring for my dogs, but your damn sure I want it to be easy to maintain and I don’t want my dog to ruin it! Mrs FFP and
I have had wooden flooring in the past which we love the look of, however it became stained, scratched and scuffed very quickly thanks to our Dogs. As you know; not cheap to replace!
So hopefully something to bear in mind for dog owners when choosing your next floor covering.

Floors For Paws Luxury planks are Hypo-allergenic, wipe clean, non-absorbent and Anti-slip, and Anti-scuff, and with its realistic wood effect finish it really is the World’s Best flooring For Dogs’