One of our dogs has decided that slippery floors — tile, laminate, hardwood, anything but carpet— are freaky and he’s walking over them like Bambi on ice! You know, all stiff-legged and trembling. And walking like that, the poor dog’s paws seem to slip all the more easily.

My dog-trainer friend Carol suggested using something called Paw Wax, which softens and protects the pads and helps to give the dog better grip on slippery surfaces.

I think it’s worth a try — the only other anti-slip pet product I’ve found is an aerosol spray called “Show Foot” that’s mostly used by people with show dogs, to keep the dogs from slipping on the smooth floor in a competition ring. I’m not crazy about spraying products into the air, however — expecially around my dogs — so Paw Wax it will be…

Carol says you have to be careful use enough wax on the paws or they can become even more slippery, but the paw wax is good for use all year-round and helps to protect the dog’s feet from everything from hot pavement in summer to ice and road-salt in winter — bonus!

Update: I’ve found another option for helping your dog (especially an old dog) walk on slippery floors like linoleum and ceramic tile: SortKwik Fingertip Moistener. You’ll find it listed with office supplies, not pet products, because it’s made for people who have to sort documents or money for a living, an anti-bacterial good that makes their fingertips just a little bit sticky. It won’t do much to protect against cold and salt on the roads (nothing beats dog boots for that) but a little bit on the dog’s pads — together with being sure to keep the nails well trimmed to improve the dog’s traction on smooth surfaces — provides just enough grip to help the dog do better walking on those slippery floors!